What are some biblical signs of the nation and the world’s declining morality?
National moral decline happens when God is neglected. In Micah 7:1-7 there is a list of 5 different kinds of relationships that are affected by a nation’s refusal to follow God and they are shockingly close to what we see in society today.
It’s almost as if Micah the prophet is a contemporary of ours and sits with us to watch the nightly news and is on social media. He’s seen the latest movies they have been churned out in an increasingly immoral Hollywood.
Each generation is exposed to more and more of the raw brutality, illicit sex, and escalating violence in movies, video games, and the music scene.
People are desensitizing their minds to thepoint where no one blushes anymore, and don’t turn away from the violence that we used to. Our children are being exposed to sexual immortality at a very young age in schools, and on the television ad well as social media. One year’s old babies as given their parent’s cell phones to entertain themselves. Movies the used to be rated R are now rated PG. And the only time God’s name is mentioned is when it’s blasphemed or used as a joke.
It’s like we are the pre-verbal frog in the pot, not knowing their cooking to death. The change is so gradual that people don’t notice it, but when you look at the movies and media from 10 years ago or more, and then see what’s popular today, it’s an obvious a stark contrast.
Micah 7:1-2: Godly influence disappears,
“Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, ad when the grapes have been gleaned, there is no cluster to eat, no first ripr fig that my soul desires. The goaly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind;; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hurts the other with a net.”
Micah indicates one of the first signs of a nation’s moral decline is God had been pushed out of the government, the public square, thr public schools, and out of out minds. The law to protect religious freedom that was intended to keep the government out of the church has been twisted into keeping the church out of the government, more the public square, and any place else. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Micah 7:3 : Escalating Violence,
“Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man uttered the evil desire of hid soul; this they weave it together.“
Another indicator of a declining national morality is the escalation of violence. People don’t turn away from it anymore, but actually turn to see it; the movies, television, the internet, video games, and music. Violois celebrated and condoned in ways that just a decade ago would have never been allowed. Even the commercials condone sexual sin.
Jesus said that in the last days of Noah, so would it be the days leading up to His return,
As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those day which before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship. And they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
The earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth (Genesis 6:12-12).
Micah 7:3-4: Business and Political Corruption,
“There hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together. The best of them is like a brier ;the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, had come; now their confusion is at hand.”
We don’t have to watch the news every day to see that political and business corruption has grown. The “good ole boy” system had the same people sitting in power, year after year, spending their entire lives in Congress, with no term limits, thr politicians have few limits. Their personal pork barrel projects assures they get elected year after year while overspending without discretion. Some even get free passes because of their wealth, their attorney or their contracts while the common people foot the bill.
Micah 7:5: Unfaithful Friendships,
“Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.”
The person who is a friend is one who will stick closer than a brother and will not bail out on you when times get tough, but sometimes tough times make us turn on our friends and they turn on us. Cynicism had never been higher. People are more skeptical these days than ever because they’ve gotten burned by so someone who they thought we their friend was not a true friend at all, but only a friend as long as it was yo their advantage.
Micah 7:6: Not Honoring Parents,
“For the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.”
The Bible tells us that whoever honors his or her parents may live a longer life, but what we are seeing in these days of declining national morality is the decline of honoring one’s own parents. We’re commanded to honor our parents, and I think that means we’re at home and when we’re adults, but it doesn’t seem to be the case today, at least in many circumstances. Its now parent against child, child insulting parents, children disobeying parents and members o their own household have now become their own enemies, Abuse of elderly parents, taking and of parents through intimidation, and public disrespect is not uncommon today.
The only way to stop this decline and turn this around is for people to “look to the Lord” (Micah 7:7) before it’s too late. I do not think it’s the generation gap that problem; it’s children being allowed to rule over parents.
God Gives Them Up
Read what Paul says about those to reject truth,
“For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools” -Romans 1:21-23.
And what happened after their hearts became darkened?
“God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, For this reason God gave them up for dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up marital relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men were commuting shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless” – Romans 1:21-31
The above verses sound like they came right off the script of a television sitcom. But notice that three times God says He “gave them up,” so there is a point in which God gives up to their unrighteousness and it is a downward spiral into hell.
The same thing that happened to the Jewish people is happening around the world, and after society becomes so debased, God’s dam of mercy bursts by His righteous indignation and wrath.
Jesus said whoever believes I Him has eternal life but who ever rejects Him has the wrath of God abiding on them (John 3:36).
From Pity to Praise 