THE
UNITED STATES IS NOT ISRAEL
Curtis
Pugh
Poteau,
Oklahoma
It is a fact that unregenerate people
cannot understand the Bible in a spiritually profitable way. This is clearly
stated in I Corinthians 2:14:
“But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned.” Therefore it is to be expected that
people who have not had an experience of grace will have views foreign to the
Bible even though they are religious in some fashion or another. Having the Holy
Spirit as guide, even the true children of God do not come to a correct
understanding of the Bible automatically. God’s thoughts are not somehow
supernaturally injected into the minds and hearts of born again people. The
Preacher wrote:
“much study is a weariness
of the flesh,”
(Eccl. 12:12) and every faithful student of God’s Word knows
that to be so. The Holy Ghost through Paul instructed a younger preacher named
Timothy thus:
“Study to
shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
(II Tim. 2:15). Country
people who were raised on a diet of
King James English in the mountains
of Southeastern Oklahoma used to
admonish us children to exercise
diligence in performing a task by
saying, “you study to do it.” They
meant that we were to pay attention
and expend effort or “elbow grease,”
as we called it, in getting something
done. They meant we should devote
all our faculties both mental and
physical to see that the assigned task
was properly completed. That is Paul’s
meaning in his counsel to Timothy.
A mere intellectual apprehension
of the bare facts of the Bible is not
what is meant here. Furthermore
Timothy was to rightly divide the
Word. Carelessness and a haphazard
approach were not to be allowed. He
was not to have a crazy-quilt exegesis
of the Word and neither should we.
Did you ever play “pick up sticks” or
“Jack Straws?” Some people play a
kind of “Jack Straws” with the Bible.
The object in Jack Straws was to
selectively lift individual sticks out of
a pile without disturbing the others.
Some people seem to select Bible
verses that suit their ideas without
considering all the verses which bear
upon a subject. Or they may quote
only part of a verse and by doing so
give a distorted meaning to the Bible.
Miles Coverdale (c. 1488 – 1569)
made use of William Tyndale’s
translation of the Bible and produced
the first complete Bible in the English
language. The importance of this
to us is that more than seventy-five
percent of our King James Bible
is taken verbatim from Tyndale’s
translation. Anyone who will bother
to compare the two will see this.
Coverdale gave what we think is the
best brief advice to readers of the
Bible who wish to really understand
it. Here is his advice: “It shall greatly
help you to understand Scripture if
you mark not only what is spoken
or written, but of whom, and by
whom, with what words, where, at
what time, to what intent, with what
circumstances, considering what goes
before and what follows.” How good
it would be if all who study the Bible
followed this wise and thoughtful
advice! Following this advice has
made many persons sound Baptists!
Today it seems that some Baptists
have adopted the idea that the
United States has somehow replaced
Israel. Others seem to think that
the unscriptural and mystical
“something” that they call “the church”
has replaced Israel. Some have called
this last view “replacement theology.”
They think that Christians in the
U. S. can claim the promises of God
made to Israel. This is not “rightly
dividing the word of truth.” The
Lord Jesus said He would build His
congregation and He did so. This was
something new. What Christ built
was not and is not “Israel warmed
over.” It is neither legal, logical or
Biblical to say that an agreement or
promise made to a specific entity is an
obligation to another and different
entity. But this kind of promisemangling
takes place far too often
among professing Christians. Before
we look at some examples of this
kind of misappropriation of Bible
verses, perhaps we need to consider
how people tend to look at the past
since the two are intertwined in some
regard. Sometimes mere antiquity
produces romantic notions about
things. We talk about the “good old
days,” but really they were the days so
long ago that we have forgotten how
bad they really were. The Bible says, “Say not thou, What is the cause that the
former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning
this”
(Ecc. 7:10).
The plain meaning is that the “former
days” were not “better than these!”
Some folk seem to want us to believe
that at one time – “back in the good
old days” - these United States was
a morally upright, Christian nation
and therefore blessed by God. This
preacher is not lacking in appreciation
for the Biblical principles upon which
the legal system of the United States
was founded. But – and here is where
the rub comes in – most of the United
States government officials and most
of her citizens are now what they
always have been: reprobates. God’s
remnant is just that: a remnant!
The officials of the United States
have never lived up to the laws and
principles upon which this nation
was founded, let alone to the Word
of God. Space forbids going into
the histories of the many and varied
groups who suffered unjustly at the
hand of this nation. Suffice it to say
that I know the history of some of my
own ancestors. They were Choctaw
“Indians.” Anyone who knows even a
little about the treatment meted out
by the U. S. government to “Indians”
will not dare say these things were the
actions of a righteous or Christian
nation. Neither have we space to deal
with the lies, corruption, crooked
dealings, etc., etc., that this country’s
government has perpetuated from
her beginning. So why do we have
romantic notions about how this
nation was once a godly one? Or that
it was founded by godly men? Or
that the promises of God to Israel
are ours because we once were or are
now a godly people? We grant that
the founding fathers of this nation
were smart men. We rejoice that
they founded this nation on Bible
principles! But this nation cannot be
called God’s people anymore than any
other Gentile nation can. God chose
the twelve tribes of Israel to be His
people! And God said to them:
“You only have I known of all the families
of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities”
(Amos
3:2). Did you get that? God said “you only!”
The Jews are the only
nation God knows in this way! They
are the only nation with which God
has made a covenant! God said so!
In spite of the many evils perpetuated
by the U. S. government some people seem to think that God has blessed these
United States because the people have been Christian or good, or Bible
believing. Folks, it just ain’t so! Some people quote II Chronicles 7:14 as if
it applies to the United States. That verse says:
“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.”
This preacher believes every word of
that verse, but it is not a promise to these United States! It is not a promise
to her Christian citizens! In Isaiah 65:1 God said these words:
“I
said, Behold me, behold me, unto
a nation that was not called by my
name.”
This verse speaks of a Gentile nation.
God said that Gentile nations were
“not called by my name.”
It is the Jews who were and are called
by God’s name. Furthermore, the context proves that this promise of healing of
the land is to and for Israel. Here is this verse in its context:
“And
the LORD appeared to Solomon
by night, and said unto him, I have
heard thy prayer, and have chosen
this place to myself for an house of
sacrifice. 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;
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.
Now mine eyes shall be open, and
mine ears attent unto the prayer
that is made in this place”
(II Chron. 7:12-15). Any candid reader
of that passage must say that it pertains to Israel! The United States is not
Israel and that promise is to God’s elect nation, Israel. The promise is not to
Christians. Christians were not promised land or prosperity. In fact, Christians
do not have a land. They are not a national people. Often they have wandered
about from country to country fleeing persecution. Jesus said to His disciples:
“In the world ye
shall have tribulation”
( John 16:33). Paul wrote:
“That no man should
be moved by these afflictions:
for yourselves know that we are
appointed thereunto. For verily,
when we were with you, we told
you before that we should suffer
tribulation; even as it came to pass,
and ye know”
(I Thess. 3:3-4). Again Paul wrote:
“Yea, and all that will
live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution”
(II Tim. 3:12). And yet many in America are thinking and
saying that God wants to bless this nation with ease, prosperity, safety and
comforts in their natural lives when God says His children are to suffer in this
life. The Bible says we are
“appointed thereunto!”
The verse that says:
“Blessed is the
nation whose God is the LORD” is often only partially quoted, in an
effort to apply it in some way as a conditional promise to Christians in the
United States. A partial quote is often a misleading quote. The rest of that
verse says,
“and the
people whom he hath chosen for
his own inheritance”
(Ps. 33:12). The complete statement makes it obvious that it
is speaking of Israel! Israel is the people whom God chose for His own
inheritance! That verse is a statement of fact about Israel. It is not
conditional in any way whatsoever. It does not say that if a nation will make
God their Lord they will be blessed. It does not say that at all! It has
absolutely nothing to do with any nation or people other than those
“whom he hath chosen for his
own inheritance”
- the Jews! (Psalm 144:15 says substantially the same thing
and the context has to do with David, king of Israel, and his sons and
daughters). Leave it to the Roman Church
and her Protestant daughters to take Old Testament promises that were made to
Israel and apply them to other than the nation Israel. It is neither Baptist nor
Biblical to think that way. Search the Bible! Americans are not God’s chosen
people! They never were and never shall be! And it is contrary to consistent and
honest Bible interpretation to make the Bible speak to Christian Americans. It
is also contrary to old Coverdale’s sound advice to do such things. More
importantly it is not rightly dividing the Word! It results in confusion! When
this haphazard, willy-nilly practice of interpretation is used, the authority of
the Scripture is broken. Each man may choose what verses he will apply to
whatever group or situation he chooses: thus man become the authority and not
God’s Book.
Some would have us believe that the
reason the United States has prospered is because God has blessed the obedience
and goodness of her citizens and government. In other words, U. S. citizens have
earned or somehow qualified for God’s favor. That stinks of Arminianism! Are we
to think that God looked down from eternity and saw that U. S. citizens would be
good and so planned to bless them? Or shall we say that God waited until He saw
that the U. S. citizens were good and so He decided then to bless them? Do we
not understand the impossibility of mingling law-keeping (works) and grace? (see
Romans 11:6). The Bible teaches that God has decreed all things that shall be
from eternity. His plan is not subject to the actions of men either good or bad.
“Known
unto God are all his works from
the beginning of the world”
are the words of Acts 15:18.
“For the
LORD of hosts hath purposed,
and who shall disannul it? and his
hand is stretched out, and who
shall turn it back?”
are the words of Isaiah 14:27. God has a purpose according to
Ephesians 1:11: that verse says that the children of God were predestinated
“according to
the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own
will.”
God has blessed the United States for a purpose and that purpose is just about
fulfilled if this preacher is thinking right. It is about over and done. That
purpose was twofold. One purpose was to be a friend to little Israel and our
national government is about to throw her under the bus. In addition, the United
States was once a great repository of truth. Sound Baptists were here. Sound
preachers went as missionaries spreading the truth. Overall, that is no longer
true: most Baptists are apostate! And so we must ask: what purpose does the
United States of America serve now? Few preachers know and preach the truth and
few of them are going abroad as missionaries. Step by step our government is
moving away from being a blessing and a help to Israel (see Genesis 12:3). How
can we expect God’s blessing upon such a nation that sanctions and openly
approves of baby-murderers, sodomites, blasphemers, apostates, adulterers,
fornicators, Bible-deniers and such like? May God bless America by blessing
Americans with
“godly sorrow:”
the godly sorrow that
“worketh repentance
unto salvation not to be repented
of”
(II Cor. 7:10).
In closing we must ask this question:
why is the United States not mentioned in end-time prophecies? Other nations are
mentioned: some by name. From the silence of Scripture on this subject are we
able to arrive at any probable conclusion? Probably the reason the United States
is not mentioned in the Bible as a player in end-time events is this: she will
not have a significant place in those things that are to come to pass. Can it be
that this government will either cease to exist or shall be reduced to the
status of a third-rate nation with little or no power and no significant role in
end time events? That seems likely. One thing is sure: the Bible, as always, is
true and God says,
“The wicked shall be turned
into hell, and all the nations that
forget God”
(Ps. 9:17). The United States is not
Israel! But it seems she fits into the category as a nation that has forgotten
God – willfully and purposely! We as Christians can rightly say this: may God be
pleased to continue to do what He has been doing among the Gentiles since
apostolic days: may He continue to visit the people of the U. S.
“to take
out of them a people for his name” (Acts 15:14).