The God Who Judges Kings and Nations Today — Dan Biser

All right, thank you, Blaine, and thank you, Edgar. I appreciate the invitation and the opportunity to speak with you all tonight. This all came out of blog writing that I do systematically to a small group of the Prayer Warriors every Monday night and Persecution Church Call on Wednesdays as well.

God's Unchanging Nature Revealed in Scripture

If you have your Bibles or have pen and paper that you can write these references down, I'll give this to you as best I can. This is found in 2 Chronicles, Chapter 28, and that's where the chapter, as I come through, a lot of times in my Bible readings, I read straight through, and many times the word comes out of that, and it reveals a little bit more of God's nature.

It reveals his attributes, and that's a lot of where our prayer for revival comes out of. The more that we learn about God, the more we're able, not as Leonard Ravenhill would say, is that not just to know the word of God, but know the God of the word, and that's what reveals us in our prayer times to pray more the heart of God than just our own hearts.

One of the greatest attributes that describes God that is fascinating to me is found in Malachi, Chapter 3, Verse 6, and it's the attribute called immutable, where God says, I am the God and I change not.

So as I was coming through in the Bible readings in 2 Chronicles 28, and I read about King Ahaz, and I read about a lot of the phrases and the wording that's used in that chapter, it's very clear to me that the same God that I'm reading about there is the same God of the New Testament, it's the same God for 2013.

Applying Old Testament Judgments to the Present Nation

I apply this, as I said, into my prayer times, that I see our events that are happening right now in the United States, especially regarding the Supreme Court ruling this June or July they'll make a ruling on same-sex marriage and whether they'll legalize it as the law of the land.

And so we see the things that are happening in the church, we see the things happening in our day and time, and there's a parallel in this Chapter 28 that I want to bring out to you. So I want to give you some of these verses.

I'm only going to take about 15, 20 minutes so we can spend more time praying tonight about this. And I want to give to you these things that maybe you can incorporate into your own prayer time or your own thoughts and meditations about the Lord and see the consistency of God and see it in your life, see it in where we're at, and see where we are going in this.

The Kings Who Served God Wholeheartedly or Halfheartedly

Now there's three phrases used in 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles that are always claiming to us about where the kings are. And one of them is that they all did that which was right in the sight of the Lord as David their father.

We know that David was a man after God's own heart. We know that David served the Lord with his whole heart. He uses that many times in a reference in the Psalms. And that is the ultimate place that we want to be, serving the Lord with our whole heart.

But then we get into a lot of the kings of Judah that served him half-heartedly. And it is reflective in that that they say that, and this king served the Lord as their father did. And then it gives their following after that a sin in their life.

Like they allowed the sodomites to remain in the land, or they allowed for high places to burn infants unto other gods. And so there's a sin there that shows that they're not serving the Lord wholeheartedly like David did.

And then we get to a king like Ahaz in the first verse of this chapter, and it gives a description of him. And he did not that which was right as David his father. So we know that he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

And then there's a listing in chapter 1, 2, 3, and 4 of his sins that he did against the Lord in causing this evil. And you read it in verse 2, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. And we know that from Jeroboam on down to the kings of Israel, they did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking the Lord to anger.

And he made false gods images of Baal. Verse 3, he burned infants to false gods. He burned his children in the fire to the god of Molech. Verse 4, he sacrificed and burned infants in the high places. Now, when you read all those things, you begin to see in disobedience against the Word, against God, provoking the Lord.

God's Response to the Sins of Leaders and Nations

And then immediately in verse 5, we get into this of God's response. And that's what always triggers me. What is God responding to in the United States today? What is God responding to in the church today?

What's he responding in my own life today? Is it the sins of my life? Is it the sins of the church? Is it the sins of the nation? Or is it something that is favorable and pleasing to him of obedience and faithfulness?

So I leave that introspective question, what is God responding to? Well, after four verses of sins, verse 5, we get to it. Wherefore the Lord delivered him into the hand of the king of Assyria and into the hand of the king of Israel.

And we have a lot of people today that when they're in the church or want to talk about God, is that they'll say that this is my sin. My sin is not affecting anybody. That they feel that it's just their own personal thing that they're just doing in the eyes of the Lord, and it doesn't have any repercussions.

But then in verse 6, we read that 120 ,000 people died because of the sins of Ahaz. And we see that there is a repercussion upon the nation, upon the people that follow after the leader. So when President Obama wrote that letter to the Supreme Court in favor of same-sex marriage about a week and a half ago and submitted it, his leadership is going to affect our nation.

A pastor of a church that does not preach the truth or that there's sin in their life, it affects the church. A leader in the family that is not serving the Lord with their whole heart, it affects their family.

It affects our communities. Every action that we do, whether before God or against God, has repercussions. And in verse 7, we read that his own son, Ahaz's son, was killed. And there are many that, as sad as it is to say, there are many that have buried their children because of their sins.

There are repercussions in our families because of the father's sins or because of the parents' sins. And so there's a reaction to the actions that we're doing, whether for God or against God. And then in verse 8, 200 ,000 of the children of Judah were carried away by the children of Israel into captivity.

And then God sends a prophet to the children of Israel. And he speaks to them and he says to them about their life and about the things that they're doing. And he brings to them this one little key word.

And, again, I use the King James Version in verse 9 and verse 19. And it says, because. There is always that reaction that God says, why am I doing this? And then he says, because. And that's what drives it home to me personally.

Interpreting National Crisis Through Repentance

Why is God doing this in our nation right now? Why is there judgments falling? Why is there a great drought in the middle of our nation? Why is the economy about ready to collapse? Why are families being decimated?

Why are the churches practically empty every Sunday? Why are so many people in darkness and lostness? Why are drugs eating away at our fabric of our society? Why is there a plague of infection that cannot be treated by any medicine arising by the CDC with a warning?

Why are these things happening? And God says, because the Lord has delivered you and was angry, and he has delivered you into the hand of your enemy. That little truth about God is for us today. God can deliver us from our enemies, or God can deliver us to our enemies.

And because of Ahab's sin, he delivered the children of Judah into the hand of their enemies, and people died because of it. Now, it is in verse 10, there's a little question, and I love the great questions of the Bible that kind of make us reflect about our own lives again.

And he asked this question, and he says, are there not sins also with you? The church often looks at the world, looks at Hollywood, looks at the government, and it blames the people and says, because of their evil, this is happening.

And that's true. The wrath of God is on a nation like ours because we've allowed sin to grow and to be rampant from one coast to the other coast. But there's also a question that God says to the church, even to a remnant like this one, this prayer call.

Are there not sins among you also? And Brother Edgar last week read down through an entire listing of sins that the church needs to ask and answer in their own hearts. About our motives, about our thoughts, about our time, about the things of the intent and the attitudes that we take.

And we need to examine those and answer that question. Is there not sins among us? We all quote the verse a lot of times in our prayers for revival. Are my hands clean? Is my heart pure? Is my tongue speaking truth or speaking lies?

And to answer that question when God says, yes, there is sins in this nation. But are there not sins also among you? And when the church gets serious about this, to answer and to give confession and repentance, then there is a hope and a chance for restoration in the midst of this.

Provoking the Lord and the Need for Restoration

God goes on in this chapter as you see the actions of God in reaction to Ahaz and the things that he does. Verse 11, the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you. Verse 19, we come to that second because.

For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz, and he transgressed against the Lord. Verse 23, but they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. Each step takes them further away from God because of the leadership that was found in Ahaz.

You and I are at a place now that we have done these things and we see it happening in our lifetime that the way of our nation and the way of the church is in dangerous peril because of the reaction that they've done in provoking the Lord.

And verse 25 says that. Why did this happen? Because you provoked the Lord. Now that's another study in itself altogether of the kings and the children of Israel that provoked the Lord. And you and I are in that place today to seek God.

Lord, we know that we have provoked you. We know that you have brought us low. We have sinned against you, Lord. And that great cry needs to go out as many of you are praying that for revival that in the midst of this, just like Nehemiah prayed it, in the midst of ruin, God can bring restoration.

Three Generations of Declining Faithfulness

And the other part of this chapter is revealed at the conclusion of it that I'll just wind up here with is that how did all this transpire? And it is three generations is found to us in chapter 28 here.

First one is Ahaz's grandfather, King Uzziah. And in chapter 26, verse 21, Uzziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord as his father did. So that means he did it with a half heart. He allowed for pride to get the best of him.

He entered into the temple. He was going to make a burning of incense in the temple. He wasn't allowed to do that because he wasn't a priest. He wasn't a Levite, but he took it upon himself. And when the priest confronted him and said, you're not allowed to do this, it says, in the temple of the Lord, he got angry because they forbade him from doing it because he was the king.

And immediately God struck him with leprosy. And in verse 21, it tells us is that he was cut off from the house of the Lord because he was a leper. Chapter 27, his son comes along. Ahaz's father, Jotham.

Jotham is now a king in Judah, and it says in verse 2 is that he refused to enter into the temple of the Lord probably because of what happened to his father. And it says at the end of that verse, and the people did yet more corruptly.

We see a departure just like that same phrase in our nation today. There is a departure from the house of the Lord. And there is a departure where people, not so much because they got cut off because of persecution like in other nations that are around the world today, but more like Jotham is that simply they refused to enter into the church.

And we are in a nation of about 300 million in the United States, 330 million with Canada, and on any given Sunday in any kind of worship service, whether it be a church, a house church, or whether it be a denominational church or whatever it is, only 10 of the population is in church.

Now out of that, if you go by the standards of a lot of people like Richard Owen Roberts and Leonard Ravenhill, what they transpired 20, 30 years ago, out of that 30 million that attend church, only 10 of them are actually born again.

So that means out of 300 million people, there are only 3 million Christians in North America that are actively engaged in serving the Lord. There is a lot of religion. There is a lot of false hope out there in people's lives.

And then we come to Ahaz at the very end of this chapter 28, verse 24, the progression of evil. Uzziah was cut off from the house of the Lord. Jotham refused to go into the house of the Lord, and the people did yet more corruptly.

And now we are at Ahaz who did evil in the sight of the Lord, and he shut the doors of the house of the Lord. What a progression, and all because they provoked the Lord to anger. Our nation is in the same boat with where we are at right now.

Hezekiah and the Hope of Revival

The actions of our government, the refusal of the church to humble themselves, which they have departed from the things that God had clearly stated to us. So it is that I don't want to leave you without hope in this, because when you begin chapter 29, we read about Hezekiah.

And the one thing, if you know your Bibles, you know about Hezekiah. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. And in the very first month of his reign, he reopened the doors of the house of the Lord, and the people of Judah served God with all their heart.

Revival. It is a dark day out there because of a lot of the things that are transpiring right now in our nation. But there is always hope in God. He is the God that changes not. He always strove to get Israel to serve Him.

He loved Israel. He loves them today. He sent His only begotten Son for that hope of revival and restoration and redemption. And that is the same hope that is offered to us today. I've got a lot of people that ask me, why do we even bother praying for revival?

Why do you even try to make things in this evil generation, try to do anything good for the Lord today? A lot of people want to give up hope. But, you know, if you know the Bible and you know the things that transpired in this, even when God sent the Babylonians to Jerusalem to destroy it, even in that last hour, He gave King Zedekiah the opportunity to go out and to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar.

And then He said, and your family will be spared, you will be spared, and the temple of the Lord will be spared. But the hardness of Zedekiah's heart would not let him do that. And because of his disobedience, all of his children were killed in front of him, his eyes were put out, and the city was burned and the temple was destroyed.

But even into that last hour, God offered mercy and grace and hope. It is so very vital that we remember who God is, the God of the Bible. The same God that He did then is the same God today. He is outstretched with His hands to us to say, I am a God of mercy and grace and love and kindness.

And if you will seek me, you will find me when you search for me with all your heart. Now, I take all these things that I've shared with you tonight out of the Kings, and I bring it before the Lord. And I repeat these things unto the Lord.

Prayer for Repentance, Revival, and God's Faithfulness

Lord, You are the same God. And I just want to begin praying now with this theme on this. Heavenly Father, You are Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. Lord, there is absolutely nothing too hard for You.

And I read in these accounts, Father, of Your faithfulness to Your children. Lord, I know that You hate sin. I know that You despise what Satan did and his tactics to destroy us. And Lord, it is that he comes against us in many ways of government and education and families and the other situations and problems that we face in this life.

Our flesh fails us, O Lord. But, Lord, great is Your faithfulness. Mighty are Your ways, Lord. The cross of Christ is sufficient for us, just as it was in the book of Acts, so it is today. And, Lord, there is hope for tonight, that as our hearts are knitted together to pray, that there is an opportunity, Lord, for You to once again show Your glory to Your people.

And, Father, as You reached out to the children of Israel through Hezekiah after such a wicked reign of Ahaz, so You will speak to our hearts tonight that, Lord, that You are still God Almighty and there is still hope.

Not in us, not in the government, but in You, O Lord. You are able to do great and mighty things for the abundance of Your glory and Your great name. Father, may You encourage hearts to pray rightly before You.

May You encourage us, Lord, to seek Your face, not with half-heartedness, not with flesh, but, Lord, with a spirit of faith. But it is that most beautiful promises. They that come to God must believe that He is a rewarder of them that will diligently seek Him.

Father, I believe that there are hearts tonight that are diligently seeking You on behalf of their family, on behalf of their church, on behalf of their community, and on behalf of the nations of the world that You might be glorified from the east to the west and the north to the south.

Father, may You breathe Your Holy Spirit upon us tonight as our prayers go up, that You would be entreated with us, that You would be pleased with us, that You would reveal any corruption in us, that we would immediately recognize it, confess it, repent of it, and humble ourselves in Your presence, Lord, for the glory of Your name.

Father, do a mighty work. Do a mighty work of redeeming us. We know that our nation has offended You. We know that the church has offended You. And, God, it is those things that we read of that we know Your response.

But, Lord, we also know that You are loving kindness and mercy and grace and able, Lord, to save us from our own selves. So, Lord, in the midst of ruin, would You bring revival? In the midst of ruin, would You restore us?

In the midst of ruin, Lord, would You pronounce it from Your throne? Would You gesture with Your right arm? Lord, be glorified in Your people tonight, I pray. Let the prayers continue now for the sake of His great name and for the sake of revival in Jesus' name.