Gates of the City

Hab 1:5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

The above verse is a response of God to Habakkuk the prophet when he cry out to the Lord wondering when He would move in judgment against the wicked.

Hab 1:2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto Thee of violence, and Thou wilt not save! 3 Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Habakkuk felt as if it was taking forever for God to move against the wicked and to come and save His people. Listen Church, God knows the fate of His people are secure, for they have entrusted their lives unto Him, however for the wicked, their judgment is final and eternal. Therefore the Lord is longsuffering and allowing His goodness to be known in that His judgments and wrath tarries because once it is unleashed the consequences are eternal. It is simple and true, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But people are slow to believe, especially when there are so many deceivers and false “ministers of righteousness” keeping the foolish from repenting and embracing truth, false witnesses who are anointed and sent by that fallen angel of light. As true as it was back in the Garden of Eden, false doctrines of devil are sent to stir up pride and covetousness, misdirect simpletons and to cause procrastination in the hearts of the foolish. Such truth has been witnessed by all the prophets and seen in the religious leaders in Jesus’ days. Look around and you can see it is still abounding everywhere.

Nonetheless, God’s love, mercy and grace cause His wrath to tarry as long as possible, extending the opportunity for all to repent and live – before His judgment becomes final. If only people had ears to hear and eyes to see, because God sends sign after sign and warning after warning. But because of their hard hearts loving darkness rather than light, they cannot see and foolishly cast the words of God behind them and run with their itchy ears to eagerly embrace those who prophesy lies unto them. That is why many years after Habakkuk’s days Paul utters once again his words to the Jews warning them of the judgment and destruction that God was about to visit upon them again. Arrogantly they would not listen this time either.

Ac 13:41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Well, it’s been just a little over 26 years ago since one day when I left a job early and headed for home. On the way I pulled over at convenient  place to fish for a bit with a friend who worked for me. After a while, feeling heavy in my heart I went back to the truck. Sitting there in the passenger side of the truck praying, I grabbed a Bible and randomly flipped it open to Jeremiah 26. While reading the verses  there was a strong conviction that this was somehow applicable to my own country, the church within her and for me too. I prayed, closed the Bible and went home to my family to finish up the day.

After dinner and taking care of other evening obligations I grabbed a house Bible, went to the couch for some quiet time and flipped it open. One more I found myself in the same exact chapter, two different times, same day, two different Bibles, both opening to same place. Never before had that happen to me, never again afterwards. For the second time the Lord was convicting me that the time would come when His bride and watchmen in this country would have to stand up and “diminish not a word” of the judgment God was going to bring forth upon America. The very thought terrorized me then and as it does today as well, but not as much as my fear of the judgments which are righteous and true of my holy Father.

For some time now and again today, the same words of Habakkuk I have found on my lips, “I declare a work in your days that you will nowise believe” that such a great city, a powerful nation, could be brought to naught.

As Jeremiah uttered the words of the Lord, “This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant,” so shall it happen in our land too. Shiloh was both the place where the Prophet Samuel was born and ministered and also where the Tabernacle of God and the Ark of the Covenant first rested when it went into the Promise Land, yet that area was later judged and destroyed for its unbridled wickedness, much of which was evident in the religious system of its day. It was under the fat and gluttonous spiritual leadership of the High Priest Eli who refused to discipline his sons who openly stole from God and the people taking the best portions for themselves that enabled arrogance in all the leadership of the land.

Sadly their sins once again filled up the measure of God’s patience and brought them again into battle with their enemies, but this time their enemies the Philistines prevailed against them. Astonished, the people and the elders reasoned amongst themselves how could it be that they were being defeated, so they said, “Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.”

These fools thought the Ark which God gave them as a symbol of His law and presence could alone deliver them. Their hearts had become so darken that sadly they did not realize how their sins had obligated the Holy One of Israel to remove His protection from them and was about to bring His chastisement upon them. Their faithlessness resulted in a forfeiting of the Ark, they did not lose it. Their enemies prevailed because they had limited the Holy One of Israel by their hard hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes. The high priest Eli’s sons were killed in the battle and he being so old and blind, for “his eyes were dim, that he could not see,” that upon hearing of the death of his sons and the Ark being taken away “he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy.”

At this time his daughter in law gave birth to a son, but upon hearing her husband’s death, the defeat of the people and the Ark being captured, she named her son Ichabod, saying, “The glory is departed from Israel.”

Today, children are being born in our own land that I am sure that their names too should be Ichabod, for I fear our fat, gluttonous, hypocritical and blind religious system has been used for years by our enemy to bring our nation to a place where once again in arrogance we’ll face a battle only to discover our sins have filled up the measure and we  too  are abandoned, ready to be judged of the Lord. However, this time it will be a judgment without mercy.

Re 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

Yes, America will be made like Shiloh, a curse to all the nations of the earth . . . but I doubt many will believe it . . . though a man declares it unto you.

Please take time to visit Borther Art’s post “You Would Not Believe if Told: Habakkuk and the Global ‘Democracy’ Movement” as well.

Peace to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ.