The Truth In
Print Vol.
11
Issue 8, Sept. 2005
A Publication of the Valley
What God Can
Do To A Great City And Other Things
By Bob Lovelace
Dear reader what have you witnessed personally
in your lifetime that would lead you to believe that one should, having
witnessed such, come away with a greater understanding of God’s hand in the
affairs of this world and mankind? Hurricane Katrina struck the east coast this
week. Question: Did it frighten you? Perhaps it will cause you to think about
the importance of spending your life in faithful service to and fear of God!
(Cf. Heb. 12:18-21, 25-29.)
It is my intention in this brief study, that
you may make your own in any way you so desire, to simply set forth some of the
scriptures that declare the Majesty of God. May you and I perceive that
Majesty, keep ourselves separated from the foolish who do not understand the
hand of God, and thus worship and serve Him with reverence and fear! I have
underlined some parts of the following verses for emphasis.
1. The prophet
Nahum said, “The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all
acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet” (Nahum 1:3).
a. One should
contemplate the fact that God’s longsuffering is not weakness; because He is
great in power He can be longsuffering, for He is able at all times according
to His justice both to save and destroy! God will when He is ready execute this
wrath that He threatens (Cf. 2 Pet. ch. 3).
b. Do you not understand
these things? Has New Orleans not become a giant open cesspool? I have
heard, “The others were not so bad, and we thought it would be like them.”
2. Amos
prophesied and said, “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in
the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the
house of Israel came! [2] Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye
to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better
than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? [3] Ye that
put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; [4]
That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat
the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; [5]
That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of
musick, like David; [6] That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the
chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. [7]
Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the
banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed. [8] The Lord God
hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency
of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all
that is therein (Amos 6:1-8).
a. Question: What
do those “at ease” put far away? Moreover, as they do such what is it that Amos
says they draw near?
b. Hear this, “Because
sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of
the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccl. 8:11).
c. How much
wickedness will God take before bringing retribution? How great is America’s
Sin before God? New Orleans was a filthy lascivious sewer before God turned it
into a open cesspool!
3. Hear Isaiah’s
woe, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow
strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
[12] And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their
feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the
operation of his hands” (Isa. 5:11-12).
a. These have no
understanding of God; they do not consider the operation of His hands. Without
“this” understanding all VOWS TO REBUILD are but the determination to take the
same pathway of destruction yet again! (Cf. Mal. 1:4).
4. Elihu had
considered God’s great power. He said, “Out of the south cometh the whirlwind:
and cold out of the north. [10] By the breath of God frost is given: and the
breadth of the waters is straitened. [11] Also by watering he wearieth the
thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud: [12] And it is turned round about
by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the
face of the world in the earth. [13] He causeth it to come, whether for
correction, or for his land, or for mercy” (Job 37:9-11).
a. The word “correction” is defined as
~ “shebet, Hebrew 7626, Strong’s
shebet,...; from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion,
i.e. (literal) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling,
walking, etc.) or (figurative) a clan :- × correction, dart, rod,
sceptre, staff, tribe.
5. Isaiah said,
“Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with
strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant”
(Isa. 56:12).
a. I heard on the
news that the old quarter is only slightly damaged; it will be “party as usual”
in just a few weeks was the attitude and statement that was filled with both
pride and ignorance! Later that night I got up and turned on the TV and
heard that the canal dike had a breach in it and the water from the lake was
pouring into the city and running down canal street. Hmmm!
b. Have you seen
those who would not accept that things were changing before their face!
6. Hear Amos,
“Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be
in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they
shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation
to wailing. [17] And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through
thee, saith the Lord. [18] Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to
what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. [19] As
if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and
leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him” (Amos 5:16-19).
a. Some think they have gotten clear of the first danger;
they cannot see that they are only going from one danger to another, and to
destruction!
7. What God can do to a great city, Isa. 26: 4-11.
“Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the
Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:
[5] For he bringeth down them that dwell
on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the
ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. [6] The foot shall tread it down,
even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. ...[9] With my soul have
I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee
early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world
will learn righteousness. [10] Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet
will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal
unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. [11] Lord, when
thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed
for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour
them.”
a. They learn
when righteous men teach them what was and did and will again happen to them!
Show favor to the wicked and he does not learn!
He deals his wickedness in presence of the righteous, and he does not
perceive the majesty of the Lord!
8. What God can
do to the earth’s surface, Isa. 24:1.
“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty,
and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the
inhabitants thereof.”
a. Here “turneth”
means “to distort” the surface of the earth; God can devastate, depopulate,
distort the earth’s surface and scatter its inhabitants!
9. Things God
can stop at His will, Isa. 24:7-13.
“The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do
sigh. [8] The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that
rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. [9] They shall not drink
wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. [10] The
city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come
in. [11] There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened,
the mirth of the land is gone. [12] In the city is left desolation, and
the gate is smitten with destruction. [13] When thus it shall be in the midst
of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive
tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.”
a. To God it is
like shaking an olive tree, and picking grapes off the vine; a thorough job!
10. Did New
Orleans think it was greater than Babylon? (Read all of Isaiah ch. 47 to
complete this thought; also Daniel 5).
Hear Isaiah, “Come down, and sit in the
dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O
daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and
delicate. ...[8] Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures,
that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else
beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of
children: [9] But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one
day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in
their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great
abundance of thine enchantments. ...[10]... Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it
hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else
beside me. [11] Therefore shall evil
come upon thee; ...thou shalt not be able to put if off: and desolation shall
come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. ...[13]… Let now the
astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save
thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
11. To worthless
preachers Ezekiel said,
“Because, even because they have
seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up
a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter: [11] Say unto them
which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an
overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind
shall rend it. [12] Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto
you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? [13] Therefore thus
saith the Lord God; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and
there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my
fury to consume it. (Ezk. 13:10-13).
Friend, do you not understand these things? Do you really
fear God? (Cf. Lk. 1:50; 12:5; Rev.
19:5-6)