#403: Is America On the Same Destructive Path as Babylon?

I was happily driving along listening to my favorite Christian radio station when a pastor started a study based on Habakkuk’s little book.

As he started, I thought, “Oh my gosh! What Habakkuk described sounds just like our society today!”

Habakkuk’s Complaint Sounds Familiar

The book of Habakkuk opens with Habakkuk’s complaint to God there is injustice in the world. Specifically, the wicked restrict the righteous, so justice is perverted (Hab. 1:4).

Immediately, that sounds like today, doesn’t it? Christianity is under attack; religious freedom is being repressed. The result is justice is being perverted.

How else do you explain God’s definition of marriage between a man and a woman being discarded? Or the recent decisions to allow men who identify as women to compete in women’s sports? Or this, directly from the California governor, prisoners can now decide whether they want to be housed in a men’s or women’s facility depending on how they self-identify their sex.

Examples like these and others, which are far more insidious, are commonplace around our country.

So, Habakkuk has raised this complaint to God about the injustice and evil in the world. God responds, telling Habakkuk He knows precisely what’s going on, and He has a plan to deal with it!

I’m sure God knows what’s going on in the world and here in America right now. This is why the situation described in Habakkuk is just as relevant to us today as it was to Habakkuk in his day!

God’s Response to Habakkuk

God lets Habakkuk know that judgment is coming from the even more wicked Babylonians. The Babylonians’ wickedness takes the form of arrogance, greed, injustice, violence, sensuality, and idolatry.

1. Arrogance

God begins by describing two kinds of people (Hab. 2:4-5). There are righteous people who live by faith, and there are people who only care for themselves. These people are prideful and arrogant. Their desires are not for God.

Judgment is coming because of the sinful desires of prideful, arrogant people who have rejected God.

God then describes five other sinful behaviors in the form of “woes.”

2. Greed

The second sinful behavior God calls out is man’s greed. Men steal and extort money from the less fortunate solely to enrich themselves.

“Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?” (Habakkuk 2:6) 

3. Injustice

The third sinful behavior God calls out is man’s injustice. The strong exploit the weak without concern for what is just or right. Men exploit women. The rich exploit the poor. Politicians exploit the common man. Injustice has replaced justice.

“Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!” (Habakkuk 2:9)  

4. Violence

The fourth sinful behavior God calls out is man’s violence. Violent crime is increasing. Our cities are being taken over by anarchists who rob, burn, and destroy everything in their path. Often, our elected officials are not only allowing this destructive behavior, but they are encouraging it!

“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime!” (Habakkuk 2:12)  

5. Sensual Perversion

The fifth sinful behavior God calls out is man’s sensual perversion. Perverse behavior displayed in our media has no boundaries. Family-friendly television shows fail, while shows with an open display of all kinds of sex practices are huge rating successes. Even our innocent children are being programmed in school to accept deviant behavior as normal.

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.” (Habakkuk 2:15) 

6. Idolatry

The sixth sinful behavior God calls out is man’s idolatry. Movements abound, calling for God to be removed from the public square and replaced with the worship of false religions.

“Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.” (Habakkuk 2:18) 

A Destructive Path in Three-Steps

There are three steps in a nation’s destructive path as they move from thriving to obscurity.

• The first step is religious apostasy; society moves away from God.
• The second step is moral decline; moral relativism takes hold.
• The third step is political anarchy; disorder replaces order in society, while authority is rejected.

As I look around, I see all the signs that America is already on a destructive path and in the third step of national decline. First, large segments of our population have openly rejected God. Second, moral relativism has replaced God’s standard of morality. And finally, third, our ordered society has been torn asunder by anarchists who seek to destroy our society’s very underpinnings.

We are in the same situation Habakkuk found himself in when he cried out to God.

I do not believe, however, that the situation is hopeless. Our destructive path need not be our destiny. God is patient and is waiting to see if we will return to Him.

The question is, will any faithful followers and leaders rise up and turn themselves, both individually and collectively, back to God?

For our country and the next generation, I pray it will be so!

More Articles

I have written dozens of articles on character. You can find them by typing “Character” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my recent ones.

• #383: 4 Essential Character Traits of Smart Reentry Leaders
• #373: Do You Deal with Temptations in The Workplace?
• #372: Flawed Leaders, Disastrous Decisions, and Tragic Mistakes
• #360: Are You Worthy of A Second Chance?

 Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. What do you think of the destructive path we are on today? Do you think we can turn our country back to a right relationship with God?

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Category: Personal Development | Character