THE FALL OF CIVILIZATIONS

Our third president, Thomas Jefferson, had warned against the decay of democracy and human rights through the growing power of the State:

·       “Whereas it appeareth that however certain forms of government are better calculated than others to protect individuals in the free exercise of their natural rights, and are at the same time themselves better guarded against degeneracy, yet experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”

However, what inclines a civilization to gravitate towards tyranny and decline? It seems that we are ill-fitted for an easy life. Once we reach a certain level of comfort and security, we begin to think more about pleasure than about truth. Instead, we require the lean diet of struggle to keep us fit. In light of this danger, God had revealed to Moses:

·       “For I will bring them [Israel] into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant. And when great disasters come down on them, this song will stand as evidence against them, for it will never be forgotten by their descendants. I know the intentions of these people, even now before they have entered the land I swore to give them.” (Deuteronomy 31:20-21 NLT2)

Why would they begin to despise their God? Because He interfered with their pleasures!  Therefore, God gave Israel a prophetic song that would warn them about their future rebellion against their faithful God:

·       The LORD alone guided them; they followed no foreign gods. He let them ride over the highlands and feast on the crops of the fields. He nourished them with honey from the rock and olive oil from the stony ground. He fed them yogurt from the herd and milk from the flock, together with the fat of lambs. He gave them choice rams from Bashan, and goats, together with the choicest wheat. You drank the finest wine, made from the juice of grapes. But Israel soon became fat [fulfilled] and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed [blessed]! Then they abandoned the God who had made them. (Deuteronomy 32:12-15)

This theme would characterize the decline of Israel throughout their generations. Israel would be blessed to the full and would then abandon their God. The last chapter of the Book of Chronicles explained why Jerusalem and the Temple had been utterly destroyed, and the disgraced people had been carried away into exile:

·       Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the LORD that had been consecrated in Jerusalem. The LORD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple. But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the LORD’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done. (2 Chronicles 36:14-16)

Why had Israel hardened their hearts against all of God’s warnings? They loved their depraved lifestyles too much to allow anything to interfere with them. Therefore, throughout the Scriptures, we read God’s diagnosis of Israel’s lusts and His warnings:

·       “This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’ But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets—day in and day out. But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors.” (Jeremiah 7:23-26)

And the fall of other civilizations? As the Creator, God is the God of all truth. Consequently, when we harden our heart against truth, we also harden our heart against God. How so? Because God made our conscience and the truths that the conscience contains! Therefore, to be in rebellion against God is to be in rebellion against ourselves and the things we know to be true.

A flight from truth is a flight into insanity. It is to harden our heart against itself and its truths. It’s a refusal to see. Often, it begins with the many self-destructive forms of sexual practice. Because these violate God’s truths, they also violate His optimal design for our lives. Therefore, we suffer internal conflict and confusion as we struggle to convince ourselves of our innocence. We know that we are guilty and project, thinking that others are also condemning us. Therefore, we hate those bearing the truth and prefer the company of those who share our defenses against the knowledge of truth.

There are also many forms of cognitive perversion in our vain attempts to align our philosophy with our lifestyle. As many secular scholars now acknowledge, we are wired to believe that there exists a moral and righteous God. The Bible says as much:

·       They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. (Romans 1:31-32)

To violate justice is to violate God and the truths He has wired into us. The entire world is accountable for this knowledge and is guilty when they violate it. Scripture proclaims that we are surrounded by this knowledge but reject it. Consequently, their rejection of truth will eventually kill them, their families, and their civilizations:

·       For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. (Proverbs 1:29-32)

We fall for the same reason that the drug addict falls. We harden our conscience to truth in favor of pleasure. We prefer to feel right than to think right.

However, there is also another side of the story. Whenever Israel would sincerely confess her sins and resolve to turn from them and back to God, Israel would be restored.