Are We the Next Nineveh?

Nineveh's time has come! Though they had once avoided God's judgment by taking Jonah's message to heart and repenting, now, more than a one hundred years later, the wicked city will experience the full consequences of its sins.

Nineveh is marked by murder, cruelty, idolatry and social injustice. Nineveh is the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, now the most powerful nation in the world and seemingly the most invincible. But as we see in the book of Nahum, no one can stand against God, as this proud and powerful nation will be utterly destroyed because of their wickedness and rebellion against God.

I can't help but see the similarities between this ancient power of Nineveh and our own present day nation, the United States of America. Are we really any different from the wicked pagans of Nahum's day? We don't have to look far to see the truth....

1) Murder - I literally don't have to look far to see the effects of murder. Flint, Michigan (30 miles from where I live) has been named the murder capital of the United States. "Last year in Flint, population 102,000, there were 66 documented murders. The murder rate here is worse than those in Newark and St. Louis and New Orleans. It’s even worse than Baghdad’s" (Business Insider, April 16, 2011).

2) Cruelty - We can be a cruel group of people. All you have to do is watch a few minutes of one of the many "reality" shows to see that people are mean and have no problem with it. They will do whatever, to whomever, to get what they want. Better yet, you don't have to watch television to witness cruelty, spend some time with kids on a playground, teenagers in a school hallway or adults involved in a bitter divorce, etc.

3) Idolatry - We are a nation in love with our idols: our singing idols, dancing idols, acting idols, magical fiction idols, food idols, car idols, house idols, teen idols, people we will never meet but have to follow their every move idols......I think you get the idea. By definition, anything that takes our time and focus off of God and receives it instead, is an idol. Don't you think the Enemy celebrates as he watches our nation become consumed with our idol worship.

4) Social Injustice - The United States is a generous nation when it comes to supporting human rights, especially outside our boundaries. We are always the first to come to the aid of a hurting country...but what about those being treated unjustly in our own back yard?

I have recently become more aware of the horrendous injustice of human trafficking..."the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labour, or a modern-day form of slavery (Wikipedia.com). This is not just happening in far away, foreign countries, this is a rapidly growing, money making industry in our own country!

Not long ago, I read an eye-opening book, The Slave Across the Street by Theresa Flores, which tells of a young girl who becomes enslaved into the dangerous world of sex trafficking - all while living at home with unsuspecting parents in an upper-class suburb of Detroit - 30 minutes from where I live! To learn more of Theresa Flores' story and her life today, visit her website www.traffickfree.com.

Nahum's book focuses on God's characteristics - patience, power, holiness and justice. As with the city of Nineveh, God shows these characteristics still today. In Nahum 1:3, we're told, The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. We can have hope that the God who judged evil in Nahum's day is the same God who judges evil today. We can believe that God will show His perfect timing, power, holiness and goodness and the wicked will not be overlooked.

So what can we do while we wait for God's judgment? First remember, The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7). Pray for our nation and its leaders ~ whether we agree with the way things are done in Washington, DC, it is our responsibility. Third, get involved! You may not be able to fix and change the entire problem, but you can help to change one life at a time.

BLOG COMMENT: Do you see other similarities between us and the people of Nineveh? What suggestions do you have to start making a difference in other people's lives?