Psalm 66:7 (NIV84)

He rules forever by his power,

his eyes watch the nations—

let not the rebellious rise up against him.           

Selah

This is Memorial Day weekend.  We honor those who died to keep us free.  Throughout the history of the world, nations have had armies that have provided defense and have been used to expand their power and their reach.  I am not a great historian, but I am unaware of any nation in history that has attacked a country, occupied it, built it up, and then left and gave it back to the native people.  In Biblical times, nations attacked for conquest, to take their gold, to get slaves, and then they would tear down their buildings and kill their population.  This idea of freedom that is so much a part of the nation’s ethos causes us to extend the same principles of freedom to our enemies.  The dignity of every person, the inalienable rights, each are part and parcel of our national pride.

One of the greatest temptations that accompany success is arrogance and pride.  The Bible warns us as individuals in Romans 12:3 (NIV84) 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

This can happen in our government and it can happen in our personal lives.  Success breeds arrogance. Arrogance results in defeat.  The Bible tells us “God resists the proud (or the arrogant), but gives grace to the humble.” Our pride, our arrogance, makes us vulnerable to failure and defeat.  We take credit for our successes, we think we are greater than we are, not understanding that anything we can do, we do because God allows us to do it, enables us to accomplish it and is worthy of getting credit for what he does through us.

When we do well and take all the credit, we are like a business man who goes on and on about how great he is, when in fact, all his workers did the real work and deserve at least a share of the credit.

Psalm 66:7 (NIV84) He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations— let not the rebellious rise up against him.           Selah

People or nations can rise up against God.  They can think they are strong because of their wealth, their health or power, their superior intelligence, and miss judge the strength of their position.  God rules forever by his power.  He sets kings, presidents, and officials in their place.  He allows nations to flourish.  And God is able to remove anyone or humble any nation that rebels against him.

This is illustrated in 2 Kings 14 in the rule of Amaziah, the king of Judah.  Here is a man who did what was right until his pride, his arrogance, brought about his downfall.

King Amaziah is introduced in 2 Kings 14:1-2 (NIV84):

14 In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem.

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. 4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

He followed God’s law.

5 After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 6 Yet he did not put the sons of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins.”

He was successful in battle.

7 He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

As good as his start was, his pride and arrogance brought him down.

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, meet me face to face.”

In those days, this was a declaration of war. Judah, the southern two tribes, is declaring war on Israel, the northern ten tribes. Israel seemed to be a weak target.  2 Kings 13:22 (NIV84) 22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. Now two or so years later, Amaziah defeats the Edomites and is poised to attack the northern tribes in hopes of reunifying the country.

Jehoash replies to Amaziah by giving him a parable.

9 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.

Everything Jehoash says in verses 9 and 10 is true, but the way Jehoash says them will end up hitting at Amaziah’s pride even more.

The “thistle in Lebanon” is making demands on the “cedar in Lebanon.”  The “thistle” is clearly a reference to Amaziah.  He is like this little thistle that is standing up to a huge tree and making a demand on it. It might be that Jehoash has himself in mind as the cedar tree. How could a thistle make any demand on a cedar tree?  The only way would be if the thistle thought it was greater than what it really was.

While the thistle is standing up to this huge tree, a wild beast comes and knocks the thistle to the ground, trampling it and snuffing the life out of it.  The wild beast would be the army that comes to defeat Amaziah.

So what is the moral of the story? 10 You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”

Jehoash, as unkind as he may be, hits at the heart of the issue.  Amaziah is arrogant, full of pride, unbeatable, unstoppable in his own mind.  Jehoash tells him to enjoy the victory, but stay at home.  If he comes to fight, Amaziah will be defeated as well as Judah.

11 Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 12 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 13 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about six hundred feet long. 14 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

What striking words: “Amaziah, however, would not listen.”

One thing is for sure.  You cannot talk sense to someone who is full of pride.  You tell them they will be defeated and it’s like shaking a red flag at a bull.  If you tell them to stay at home, they will jump out of their chair and head right to your house.  Pride is behind all of this.  And when the people who are full of pride lead nations, the nations are in trouble!  When the people who are full of pride lead companies, the companies are in trouble. When the people who are full of pride lead organizations, the organizations are in trouble.  When people who are full of pride lead homes, the homes are in trouble.  Confident leaders are a good thing, arrogant ones are a danger to society!

15 As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 16 Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

17 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18 As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

19 They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers, in the City of David.

It was an honor to be buried with the other kings, but after a good start, Amaziah ends up being killed by his own followers.

Why this fall from grace?  We have seen his pride.  But missing from this story is the first step in his downfall.

2 Chronicles 25:14 14 When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them.

This man who pleased God, rejected God and worshipped the idols of his enemies. Psalm 66:7 (NIV84) He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations— let not the rebellious rise up against him.   Selah

Amaziah forgot.  His arrogance caused him to think he could succeed without God.

We live in a great nation.  What makes us great is not our military or our economy, but our values.  In part because of our values, we have been blessed with a strong military and a strong economy.  Proverbs tells us that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to many people.”  Though not all our founders were Christians, they shared common Biblical values.

For example, if you go to the US Capital Building, in the Rotunda you will see eight large wall paintings.  Included in the paintings is Columbus in a prayer service, the Baptism of Pocohontas, and the Pilgrims praying with a Bible in their midst.  This was voted and approved by Congress. 

Today these core values that held us together are eroding.  People are attacking the Bible on many fronts.  The homosexual community is seeking to overturn Biblical morality.  People are justifying the killing of the unborn child.  Spanking, which most of your grandparents endured and which is taught in the Bible, is now considered abuse, no matter how careful one is in administering it.  We find that society is redefining marriage, accepting living together outside of marriage.  The spirit of atheism, the secularization of society, all are at work to undermine the Biblical values that have made our nation great.  Materialism and selfishness are increasing values in our country that do not bode well for the future. 

America has never been a Christian nation, because only people can be Christians.  But we have been a nation that has embraced Christian values.  I am afraid that in our arrogance, we think we know a better way, that we have a better path, that we have a greater understanding of what is good for us, than God does.

We are finding this out.  As we send our soldiers out to fight for freedom and democracy, we discover that democracy is not always in our best interests.  Give people the freedom to choose their own leaders and to plot their own path and they will vote in people who will lead them into acts of terrorism against our soldiers.  The great concern with Tunisia, Egypt, Lybia, Jordon Bahrain and other countries in that region is not the issue of democracy, but who will win if they hold elections.  Its not democracy that makes a country great, it is its core values.

We must be careful that we do no act with arrogance towards God.

What are we to do?

First, we are to honor those who gave their lives for us. 

Second, we are to trust Christ and read his word.

Third, we are to live out those values we want to see in our country in our own lives.

Fourth, we want to share Christ.  A debate grew in the late 1800’s between two rich brothers, Lewis and Arthur Tappan.  These two men opposed slavery.  They used their money to do all they could to stop slavery.  Charles Finney was also an abolitionist.  But he did not think that abolition would succeed unless people were first converted to Christ.  A change of heart would bring about a change of action.

I tip toward Mr. Finney on this one.  I do believe that if we reclaim the values that God values in our society, our society will be a better place.  If we can strengthen the family as outlined in scripture, if we can encourage honesty and justice, our nation will be a better nation.

But we can be a better nation and still be far from God.  It is only through Jesus that people can draw nearer to God.

Fifth, we want to walk humbly before our God.

Psalm 66:7 (NIV84) He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations— let not the rebellious rise up against him.           Selah

It is rebellion against God that Christians are concerned about.  God rules.  He sets up nations and takes them down.  But he calls us as citizens of heaven to live out our lives conformed to the image of Christ.