Message summary: Will we live in a nation that is exalted or disgraced?

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"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). "They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them" (Deuteronomy 32:28). "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12).

Brooksyne and I were married in 1976 during the year of the bicentennial (America's 200th birthday). When we said "I do" we gave no thought that we would celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary the same year that America would again have a big celebration: this time it's America's 250th birthday. This is also known as the Semiquincentennial or Quarter Millennium. Independence Day is when we especially consider our national heritage and the freedoms that we daily enjoy.

Later today we will be joining with friends for a cookout and then watching the fireworks from the Barn at Paradise Station. However it is forecast to be very hot! As we get older that is harder to tolerate and with Ester's heart condition we are mindful of the dangers of the extreme heat, so we will celebrate and be careful as well. The Lapps have a pond where Ester is planning to spend plenty of time cooling off.

Proverbs 14:34 is traditionally attributed to King Solomon. It's interesting that he uses the generic "a nation" rather than specifying Israel. This certainly suggests that the application of the verse would apply to any nation, including one existing some 3,000 years after he wrote. We encourage readers who live outside the USA to apply today's challenge to the nation in which you live. In one way or another there's nowhere on earth this message would not apply.

The timeless Proverbs describes two contrasting outlooks concerning the state of a nation in God's reckoning, a nation either exalted or a nation disgraced.                                                        

1) "Righteousness exalts a nation." Righteousness refers to living according to God's holy standards as expressed in His Word. As people seek to live this way a nation is exalted or elevated; it is upright.

2) "But sin is a disgrace to any people." A great definition of sin is stated in the Westminster Catechism, a helpful learning tool developed during the Reformation that taught faith by asking questions followed by brief answers. "What is sin?" "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God." Sin is a disgrace or, as translated in many versions, a "reproach". It stains, separates, and brings shame to the transgressor whether individually or to an entire nation.

Consider the disgrace of rampant sin in our country today; sexual immorality, redefining marriage, gender confusion, violence, abortion, idolatry, dishonesty, greed, deadly road rage, and so many other evidences of rebellion against God. It seems day by day that this disgrace increases and the pace has certainly accelerated here in the USA in recent years. What a weakened, pathetic spiritual condition our land is in. We desperately need a heaven-sent revival!

Deuteronomy 32:28 is written from the context of a nation under God's judgment summed up with this description, "They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them". Our nation and many other nations in the West are in a great state of confusion as they have abandoned God's truth. "A nation without sense" is a description of our current state of affairs.

In this verse God is prophetically warning of the future apostasy of the people of Israel, which culminated with their Babylonian exile some 800 years after this was spoken. Without the firm foundation of God's Word we are on sinking sand. The consequences may not be immediate, but they are certain.

Today we call to the people of God scattered throughout the world and encourage you to pray and live out a godly life against the grain of culture. As spiritual darkness spreads it brings about oppression and divisiveness, as it also infringes on our Christian freedoms. Jesus continues to call each of us as His followers to, "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

Let us, as Christ's true disciples, be people of conviction who will stand up for righteousness. Let us exercise spiritual discernment and God-given sense. By doing so our righteousness will exalt this nation and help to bring about spiritual change! Will we live in a nation that is exalted or disgraced?

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber