The Pax Americana: How long?

Have you ever considered how much of the Bible concerns itself with war and its consequences? Just take a cursory read through the Prophets. What percent of the Bible's total message deals with "negative" subject matter such as war and God's judgment I don't know, but it seems like a lot to me. And yet we modern Christians seem shy away from the full cousel of God and seek out only those passages which make us feel good, or happy, or optimistic. I am convinced, however, that those 'negative' passages of the Bible are also there for our edification.

Take for example today's passage from Ezekiel 31-32:32. In part it reads,

"3 'Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon
With beautiful branches and forest shade,
And very high, And its top was among the clouds.

4 'The waters made it grow, the deep made it high.
With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place,
And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.

5 'Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field
And its boughs became many and its branches long
Because of many waters as it spread them out.

6 'All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs,
And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth,
And all great nations lived under its shade.

7 'So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches;
For its roots extended to many waters.

9 'I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches,
And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God,
were jealous of it.

10'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness,

11 therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it According to its wickedness I have driven it away.

12 "Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it.

13 "On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches

14 "so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand erect in their height. For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit."

In this passage, God speaking through the prophet uses the history of the nation of Assyria as an instructional example. The Assyrian empire is compared to a lush and healthy Cedar tree. Assyria's dominance of the other nations is pointed out by the phrase, "its height was loftier than all the trees of the field". The domination of the region's nations by Assyria is not viewed as wholly bad; it says,"all great nations lived under its shade". Those nations, however, "were jealous of it".

The reason the Assyrian empire comes to an end, per the prophet, is explained in the next few verses. Despite the fact Assyria's greateness was because, "The waters made it grow, the deep made it high. With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place", ie: their prosperity was not due to what they had done but rather because of God's blessing and provision. Nevertheless, Assyria did not honor God as the source of their success but rather, "its heart is haughty in its loftiness". Because of this, God says, "therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it, according to its wickedness I have driven it away. Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it..."

Is there something we take from this passage to help us today? Could America ever come to the state where God would say of it, "therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it according to its wickedness I have driven it away. Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it..."?

It seems to me if our answer is 'that could never happen here', due to our geographical isolation or military superiority, we are making the same mistake Assyria made so long ago... Namely, our greatness is due to us, not due to God's grace. Rather, we should thank the creator for our national blessings and pray that he not withdraw them from us. If we as a nation can turn to our creator and not be deceived that our own abilities to do great things are inherent to us, perhaps God will be gracious and give us peace in our land.

Bob Burns
San Francisco