[This is part 4 in a series on the “fear of the Lord.” See part one, two, three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten].

Leaving Egypt Ministries, Obadiah D. Morris

I have already made the point that fearing God is closely related to fearing His judgment upon a society that has forsaken His ways (namely by instituting so-called “governments” and their violent ways). Fearing God means to truly fear the effects of chasing after violent Egyptian systems. When men don’t see the evils that statism entails, they evidently don’t fear the Lord, since God promises that it will bring plunder every time (1 Samuel 8).

But such destruction of evil statist societies at the hand of God is something more of what He hopes will wake us up, than something that necessarily always will. The corruption of statist societies is intended by God to be the evidence that a people have turned from Him and to motivate them to turn back as they find themselves in hard bondage. As we know, men are notoriously hard-headed and refuse to hear or heed God’s warning of the disasters that await those who set up human rulers (presidents, lawmakers, law enforcers, etc) as their protector-gods.

Given that we are still suffering under statist systems today and hundreds of millions of idolaters still worship these systems and defend them as necessary to social order, it’s obvious that men still haven’t learned. But this was also the case in the scriptures, making it clear that such correction, be it in the form of domestic tyrants or invading armies, is also intended as a corrective mechanism by God. Men are (ideally) supposed to see the evils around them—the rising taxes, rising prices, the tens of thousands of doors kicked in by SWAT teams every year—and see a great need to repent from their support of these systems, rather than, e.g., keep voting and hoping that the next round of men are going to “save” them in a system that is designed against them.

With all the hell we’ve been through already—with the tens of millions murdered in the twentieth century, the labor camps, the millions in prisons, the rising prices and shortages of goods, etc—you would think that men would have already learned. But this shows how hardheaded statists are to get beaten over the head with the police baton and to still keep apologizing for the alleged need for princes, kings, government police, government soldiers, legislators, etc. 

As one prophet recounts, 

“‘I beset all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,’ declares the LORD. ‘I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered. People staggered from city to city for water to drink, but they were not satisfied; yet you did not return to Me. I struck you with blight and mildew in your growing gardens and vineyards; the locust devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me,’ declares the LORD. ‘I sent plagues among you like those of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you did not return to Me,’ declares the LORD. Some of you I overthrew as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand snat’ched from a blaze, yet you did not return to Me,’ declares the LORD” (Amos 4:6-11). 

God destroys these statist societies of unrepentant men who want to continue in their worship of the false gods of the State — to celebrate its pretend-freedom holidays, to fly the flags of their enslavers, or shout “back the blue” in support of them.

“But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt” (Ezekiel 20:8).

There is no guarantee now, as our own Babylon continues to fall apart for her sins of violence and plunder, that men will learn this time. They will probably cling to old fallacies like “we just need better politicians,” “we’ll beat them at the polls in 4 years from now,” “this is a Democrat problem and we just need more Republicans in office,” or “our police just need better training.”

But God surely hopes that the destruction of empires, which is the work of His hands to be sure, will wake the people up. We have only been given what we deserve. The sin of idolatry brings statism brings societal disaster.

Until we truly learn to fear God (i.e., fear His judgments), repent for our sins, and walk with Christ on our side, we will continue to experience the negative effects of statist societies that are born out of fearing men.

Adopting the political means (violence) over the godly means (peace and freedom) always spells disaster. So let us not wonder why nor be surprised when things turn south in our society that has practiced the evils of statism as its means of social organization, that has substituted the “laws” of men (and state “law enforcement” agents) for the ways the Lord.

“Why doth the land perish, and is burnt up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? And the Lord saith, because they have forsaken my Law, which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked thereafter” (Jeremiah 9:12-13).

Having a truly God-fearing people, who do not fear men and institute political systems, is a big part of breaking out of Egyptian bondage. It was man-fearing—whether the submission to politicians out of fear of what they may do to us if we don’t listen to them, or the erection of these rulers out of fear of what other men would supposedly do to us without them to “protect” us—that got us here.

As the system of human government grows worse and more destructive, we can only hope that “many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3). It’s never too late for men to turn back to God.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).