Plucking the Eagle's Wings

Plucking the Eagle's Wings

America's blessings result from the same covenant relationship with God that Israel possesses. When the Israelites honored God with obedience, they received Divine favor. If America continues to obey God, it will also enjoy Divine favor. In contrast, disobedience inevitably brings curses. The following Scripture perfectly sums up the concept of God's covenant promises: "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God; the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face." (Deuteronomy 7: 6-11) In times of prosperity, Americans have seen low inflation and unemployment, plus an abundance of jobs. In such times, people seem to spend more money and indulge in their blessings. Simultaneously, they fail to seek God, and they ignore warnings that their sins and disobedience will result in calamity. The Bible is full of stories about disobedient people who first enjoy their blessings, then ignore warnings regarding sin, until finally they experience God's judgment. Could This Happen in America'! In prosperous times, non-believers mock the idea that America will decline because of its sin. A strong stock market and a thriving economy seem to contradict the possibility of our future economic failure. Israel again can be used as an example to explain that there is no contradiction. Two hundred years before the terrible Babylonian captivity, Isaiah warned the king of Israel that Babylon would overtake Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:17). During the 200 years following the prophecy, few in Israel believed it would happen. They believed the

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