The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.”
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter?” declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
“At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
“Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
“So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you.
“Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds!”
“But Israel will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’ “
– Jeremiah 18:1-12 (NASB)
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The lesson…
Not one nation in this world is any different than the nation of Israel back in the days when God spoke these words to His chosen prophet, Jeremiah.
If God chooses to raise up a nation and bless that nation, He will. If God chooses to bring calamity on a nation for their disobedience to His laws and statutes, He will. It’s His prerogative. If God acts, who can reverse it?
Whether it be a nation of power and influence like The United States of America, Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, China, Germany, Japan…or it be a nation small and insignificant; none of them are out of God’s view. None of them are out of God’s range. None of them are out of God’s judgement.
A nation can climb the ladder of prosperity and fall to ruin just as quickly as it rose to power. The final decision of whether or not a nation will exist or how powerful that nation will become is completely up to God.
“…for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” — Romans 13:1
Take, for example, the Roman Empire. It started as a small town around 27 BC. — That’s correct, a small town. However, God had other plans for this little town.
Over the course of time God allowed the small town to become a great and mighty Empire, conquering nations and striking fear into the hearts of millions. At it’s peak the rule of the Roman Empire stretched from Great Britain to South of Spain. From the Atlantic Ocean to the Caspian Sea. The whole Empire ruled over every nation that surrounded the Mediterranean Sea.
What’s more, God allowed the Roman Empire to create a barbaric method of execution known as: crucifixion. The very method God used to bring about salvation to a sinful world through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
Consequently, when God was finished with the Roman Empire, He brought an end to their rule. The once mighty Empire that was feared by every nation was made low once again.
How is the United States of America any different?
The USA began as small settlements created by various nations and spread over a vast area. Over time France, Spain and Great Britain made claim to the land and resources across the North American continent that was known as “The New World”. Each nation believing they had imperialistic rights to the claims they had made. And yet….God had other plans. The USA went from a land segregated from coast to coast to become a very large and powerful nation. All happening in the short span of a couple hundred years.
God’s ultimate purposes for the USA are yet to be determined, but I know for certain that His #1 reason for creating the USA was to spread the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ to every people, tribe, nation and tongue.
However, as God spoke to Jeremiah in the passage quoted above . . . It’s up to God whether a nation rises or falls. And that all depends on the obedience of the people that make up that nation.
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“At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
“Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
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Therefore, if a nation of people turns from their disobedience to God’s commands and heeds God’s warnings…is God not justified by relenting the discipline that is promised? Consequently, if a nation continually rejects God’s commandments and relishes disobedient rejection to God’s warnings, then is God not justified by exacting His discipline on the entire nation?
God is and will always be the ultimate authority on the rise and fall of a nation. Accordingly, the USA has not been obedient to God’s commands, nor have the members of His church. Churches have refused to condemn sin. Instead, they embrace it. Lawless deeds of the heart have become all too common in the USA.
Acceptance of homosexual behavior, adultery, fornication (for those of you who aren’t aware, fornication means: having sex with people outside of marriage), acceptance of rampant abortion, stealing, looting, worshiping idols, worshiping the human body, turning God’s house into a robber’s den, and the list goes on. Because of these things God is justified in bringing discipline to the nation of the USA. He’s justified in this because the people of the nation refuse to listen to or heed His repeated warnings that we should condemn these things, stop living this way and start living God’s way.
The warnings are there. We as a nation need to stop our disobedience. We need to stop sinning.
Sadly, the USA will not turn from the evil they continue to commit. Instead, the nation will speak the words that Israel spoke reacting to God’s message through Jeremiah…
“It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.”
Thus, God is justified in bringing calamity on the USA because they reject His voice. They reject His commandments. They continue to do evil in His sight.
Whether you believe it or not… GOD is and will ALWAYS be the final authority.
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Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established,
it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.” – Psalm 96:10
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