A very close sympathy exists between the spiritual and temporal aspects of daily life, which too many are prone to disregard, or otherwise are ignorant of. The moral law of God has jurisdiction over every other law, and it will deliver blessings or adversity in tandem with obedience or disobedience. Currently we are living in a mostly secular world, in which the spiritual aspects of life are disconnected, or divorced from the temporal, and as a result many erroneously believe that the one cannot affect the other.
In the minds of millions there’s no correlation whatsoever between what we do, and what takes place on wall street, or with weather related events. That’s why when you hear of financial analysts and experts speaking about those fundamentals of our economy, nothing is mentioned of spiritual factors, for the moral aspects of life are not brought into the equation, and as a direct result, their calculations or expectations are often dashed in pieces when their expectations do not pan out.
We will read in the news of those “fundamentals” such as supply and demand, job growth, housing starts, the energy sector, consumer confidence, liquidity, and unemployment rates. But you will never hear of lying, fraud, injustice, cruelty, and disobedience as being factors that can adversely affect businesses. Therefore, the system of analyzing all the temporal aspects of life, without incorporating the spiritual is a fundamentally flawed system, for wherever, and whenever it is adopted, it will subject its adherents at times, to sudden and severe disruptions without any logical explanation based on existing data.
The Bible greatly differs with the secular world in the way it calculates, predicts, and anticipates the outcomes and results we see in the temporal realm, because, as far as God is concerned, all the spiritual aspects of living actually take the preeminence in delivering blessings, or adverse circumstances to millions. Let’s read:
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked rule, the people mourn.
Hosea 4:1 Hear the word of the Lord, for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. 2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood. 3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
Verse 3 of the last passage is particularly disturbing, for it tells of collateral damage to innocent animals which have nothing to do with the errors, and sins thus mentioned. It is estimated that the recent fires in Australia wiped out about one billion animals and from time to time we will see millions of dead fish washing up on our shores.
At other times thousands of birds will just fall out of the sky, dead, and whales, and dolphins leave their habitations for unknown reasons, and head to the shore to expire. Yet only scientific reasons are being sought for, while the much more important spiritual factors mentioned in the Bible are left on the back- burner. Let’s read again:
Isaiah 24:2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. 3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.
4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
The same close symbiosis can be found in the book of Deuteronomy, and indeed, throughout the entire Bible, which states unequivocally that righteousness is inextricably linked to health, prosperity, and our general well-being, while evil-doing is directly tied to adversity in so many instances.
Now, even though there are exceptions to this rule, yet the general tendency with many individuals and nations is to reap according to that which is sown. If one sows corn, it would be unreasonable to expect a crop of oranges, and vice-versa. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so!
Balaam understood the correlation between the spiritual, and the temporal, that’s why after trying some voodoo on the Hebrews, and meeting with failure, he then sought to get them to sin, knowing full well that their course of action would severely compromise their security and prosperity in the temporal realm.
Even satan recognized this fundamental principle, for he observed Job’s wealth and prosperity as the direct result of righteousness. Even though he tried to put his own spin on the facts, as he always does, yet, the Bible clearly states up front, that Job was a perfect man. Then it goes on to list those blessings which attend such a course of action. Let’s read:
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Thus, as we study the close symbiosis that exists between the spiritual and temporal aspects of life, we must always remember that God will do His best to mitigate the fallout of our errors through Christ, but as a general rule of thumb, He permits the laws of sowing and reaping to run their natural course. Let’s read:
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Proverbs 10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom. 22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
When Nebuchadnezzar became terrified of a dream he had one night, he called for Daniel to give him the explanations, after his own ‘yes-men’ had failed to deliver. Then Daniel, after faithfully relating what was to befall the king did not give a pep talk, nor did he offer smooth words to palliate the king’s fears.
Instead, like all true prophets of God must do in the same or similar situations, Daniel faithfully laid out what was the root cause of the dire predictions, and then he articulated to Nebuchadnezzar what action needed to be taken preemptively to try to avert the fulfillment of the dreaded dream. Let’s read:
Daniel 4:24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king. 25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility.
What was to befall Nebuchadnezzar was not to be attributed to any scientific causes, or any unknown condition or disease that was not yet discovered in some laboratory. The root cause was sin, and thus, if he desired a reversal of the predictions given, the king must adopt righteous principles in the running of his government.
On the flipside, when nations and persons choose to do right, it generally results in the extending of their tranquility, especially so, when the head of the nation takes the lead in following Daniel’s counsel. In other words, whenever righteousness is sown the inevitable results will generally follow. Let’s read:
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. 18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
This leads us to the core of our study, in which one nation in particular had become ravaged by famine, disease, and death. Ahab and Jezebel sinned greatly on several fronts, leading the nation of Israel into believing that Baal was their sole provider of all the temporal benefits they had thus far enjoyed. In addition, they had conspired to take the farm of one of their citizens by force, just because the king had coveted it, and in the process, they killed the man and got other government officials involved in the clandestine plot.
Thus far they had succeeded, and they now sit back to enjoy the benefits of their wrong-doing. But just as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, a day of reckoning was coming, and just as it is today, there will be severe disruptions to the economy, citizens will suffer tremendously, and as it is with all such departures from righteousness, a lot of collateral damage will occur. Let’s read:
1st Kings 18:2 And there was a sore famine in Samaria. 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. 6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
The God of heaven takes no delight in the distress of nations and individuals, but there are times when He must give us a wake-up call, lest, like Jezebel and Ahab, we erroneously come to believe that we are more important than Him, and worst yet, that the wages of sin results in great temporal benefits. Whenever there is widespread calamity, war, or any sudden and severe disruptions, and disturbances, it is fitting that the affected nations and individuals do serious soul-searching to see if like Ahab, Jezebel or Nebuchadnezzar, the root cause may be at our own doorstep.
It was God’s good purpose that the nation of Israel be brought to repentance, and in harmony with this purpose, the people were not left without hope, for Elijah was sent to the head of the nation, to try and show the root cause of the calamity, and the way in which a reversal of fortune would be granted.
At such a time as this the multitudes may clamor for smooth words, and encouragement, because of the widespread suffering, but the true servants of God must, like Daniel and Elijah, show the people what is the root cause, and how it can be mitigated. Great care must be exercised in offering solace on terms which God has not ordained, for it may have the effect of temporarily easing the pain, whilst the underlying root causes remain unaddressed, only to resurface again at some opportune moment.
Earth’s teeming multitudes often turn to God when they are faced with existential threats, and even if this may not be the preferred method, it’s often the only option remaining on the table so to cause us to come to grips with reality. The tragedy of 9/11 was one such instance, when out of the blue, calamity struck without warning.
In the days following, it was discovered that churches, synagogues, and mosques across the land were full of attendees, as multitudes searched for answers. But since that time, the desire to seek God has all but evaporated in the minds of many, and here we are, back to business as usual. But, The Lord has not changed since the days of Elijah and He is now more than willing that nations, and individuals will come to repentance.
This is what Elijah was sent to do, and in calling the nation together for a day of soul-searching, it was of critical importance that the leaders of the nation be present. The secular and the religious leaders must of necessity show up, because as a general rule of thumb, a nation would follow in the footsteps of its leaders. Let’s read:
1st Kings 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubles Israel? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. 19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. 32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God. 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 45 And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
In our pledge of allegiance there exists this phrase: “One nation under God”, and we being a majority Christian nation, we claim to adhere to scriptural principles. But just as in the days of Elijah, there has been a gradual falling away from righteousness on several fronts. Evolution has usurped creation in our curriculum, the marriage institution, which is the foundation of all society has been dragged in the dust and lying is countenanced in high and low places, whilst the stranger among us is often treated with contempt.
If as a nation we desire a reversal of fortunes, we will have to do as ancient Israel did, when they got caught between a rock and a hard place. Just as in the days of Elijah, God stands ready and able to do what He delights in, by showing mercy and bringing deliverance where it’s most needed. But such an outcome will only be accomplished on Biblical terms, just as it was with ancient Israel, for when the people back then were brought to see the root causes for their misfortunes they repented and instituted the necessary changes, to accommodate God’s miraculous intervention.
Therefore, as the multitudes of earth reel from the fallout of the Corona-virus and as anxiety and worry grips the world, and as many are expiring daily, with many more on the horizon, let us remember that God is calling the nations of earth to repentance, and it we respond in the positive, there can be great reversal of fortunes. In harmony with this call to repentance we will close with a passage of scripture, which clearly outlines the course of action to be taken at this time. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 7: 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
God Bless!