The president focused much on the issue of the economy in his state of the union address. And yes, there was mention of the subject of spending and the need to "cut" spending. It amounted to what some would call a "pep rally" with a bizarre political twist to it! --- wide variety of news releases on the state of the union speech
"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God..." --- Deuteronomy 28:1,2
I've been around the block enough times through the years to know that what is being suggested in these comments stands much less of a chance of becoming a reality than a proverbial snowball has of surviving intact in that very, very hot place you have heard about and is sometimes used by name in profane conversation. It is also a place that is totally denied in terms of literal existence by some theologians, church leaders, and pastors! But I'm going to go ahead and state them anyway.
So here we go -- if our elected officials, starting with the president, and the members of the U. S. Congress really want to fix the economy in this republic, then they need to start believing and intentionally start applying what is revealed in Deuteronomy 28 of the Old Testament Scriptures.
There are statements made that have to do with a nation's economy. There is a specific requirement spelled out if a nation's economy is going to grow and the blessing of great prosperity is going to be experienced by the citizens. Actually, the requirement is rather simple -- listen to and carefully obey God!
Deuteronomy 28 is a very interesting chapter in the Bible. God declares at the beginning that if the people obey Him, then He will bless them richly in many different ways. The people will receive benefits that are difficult to fathom, ranging from an abundance of food, financial prosperity, and a balanced weather system, to a very important matter of concern -- protection and deliverance from all potential enemies -- they will live peacefully! All conditioned upon their obedience to God.
God indicates that His blessing will be upon the people to the extent that other nations will be afraid of them. An expression used to indicate the place of prominence that the nation will have is seen in God indicating that they will be the "head" and not the "tail."
And then the positives so described come to a conclusion and God proceeds to reveal what will happen if the people choose to disobey Him. He takes about three times as much space with a lot of graphic details as to what will happen if they defy Him and rebel, rejecting His commandments and standards as set forth for a sane, sensible, serene, sober, shielded, and satisfying living experience.
Calamities are described with nothing left to the imagination which God will bring on the nation that has made the deadly choice to no longer honor and obey Him. A common word used to describe conditions no matter where a person may be is the word "cursed!" God does have the authority and the power to do such things you know.
One thing among many is evident as the calamities run their course -- the economy will eventually collapse as conditions worsen through time. God puts it this way at one place in the description:
"The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail." --- Deuteronomy 28:43,44
No culture has ever survived over extended periods of time when it has chosen to accept an ungodly way of life and existence in defiance of the Creator of this mighty universe.
There will be objections to the use of Deuteronomy 28 and the fact that it has much to do with how we as a nation fare, presently and in the future ahead. There will be those who would say that in context this is in reference to the ancient Israelite people and God's dealings with them at the time of Moses. That is true. But how about the larger context? Is a nation of people bound to seek to know and do the will of God, depending on the light of revelation they have available at any given time?
Our republic has had available from its very beginning God's revelation -- His holy Word, the Scriptures. So we are definitely, as a nation, totally without excuse. Our leaders, political and religious, are accountable and responsible in setting the example of obeying God. Citizens likewise are personally accountable. That is what Deuteronomy 28 is all about -- obeying God and experiencing the best by way of benefits, or disobeying and witnessing the sure and certain disintegration of a rebellious nation! That complete revelation confronts us with the claims and call of God's Son, Jesus Christ, Who sacrificed His life and atoned for the sins of the entire human race - woe to the people and the nation which rejects Him and His offer of total forgiveness!
At this stage, the evidence is overwhelming that we are in that area of Deuteronomy 28 that follows verse 15:
"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you..." --- Deuteronomy 28:15
Or do you have another explanation for all the calamities that are striking this nation plus the fact that we are wallowing in such a horrendous debt that we can't even begin to comprehend the extent of it! Further, are you willing to go on record as well and say that whether the nation obeys God or doesn't obey God doesn't really matter at all? And our elected officials need not concern themselves at all about such an issue as obedience to God, in their private lives as well as corporately in the affairs of our republic?
Oh, yes - about that flag picture at the beginning -- it's a bit symbolical -- since the prevailing spirit throughout our republic is one in which the commandments and standards as revealed by God for our benefit have been thoroughly shredded, then a shredded flag sends out a message -- "Look, all you who pass by - our shredded flag tells how we as a nation feel about God's commandments!"
How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow is she, who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces has become a slave! She weeps bitterly in the night, her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. --- Lamentations 1:1,2
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