Jehoshaphat – Part 9 – The Valley of Blood, Part iii

Jehoshaphat – Part 9

The Valley of Blood, Part iii

And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border. (2 Kings 3: 21)
 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: (2 Kings 3: 22)
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. (2 Kings 3: 23)
And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country. (2 Kings 3: 24)
And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it. (2 Kings 3:25)
I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. (Joel 3:2)
In our dealing with the valley of blood there is no count of the number of the military involved? Even though Jehoram numbered all of Israel (the ten tribes) God does not give us the sum of the military forces. There is no number put for the whole host. The same holds true of the enemy Moab. There is no sum of their men, their horses, or their chariots. God is not looking at the situation as might versus might, He is looking by His divine deliverance; so numbers, no matter how great, are laid aside because of God’s divine power. How could we expect anything else, if God be for us who can be against us? What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  (Romans 8:31)  In the Old Testament Jehovah is concerned about the physical deliverance of the nation of Israel, the battles that they fight are of a earthly deliverance.
Everything that has been given to Israel is based on the promises given to Abraham. Abraham was promised the wide expanse of land from the Mediterranean Seas and eastward to the Euphrates, and southward all the way to the Nile. He was also promised an earthly seed that would be as the sands of the sea. God also added a heavenly seed which would be as the stars in the heavens. In the valley of blood we are dealing with the earthly battle of Israel over their enemy.
The Unseen Battle
For us, in the brief age of the Church, our battle is the unseen. We are of the heavenlies; in fact, we are heavenly citizens. We work and live in the spirit from above.

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. (Romans 8:33)
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (Romans 8:36)
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (Romans 8:38)
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)

The Real Battles
In Romans Chapter 8 we have more than just a description of our battle, we have the assurance of our deliverance. Many  physical battles have been fought and lost. This section in Romans 8 is to assure us that in Jesus Christ we are the victor through Him. That it is truly not by our own might, but by His might that we have the confidence in the faith that He has bestowed upon us. When Christ died upon the cross He ended the reign of Adam in our lives. Christ became the new man that would fulfill all our spiritual needs. He would draw us to Himself by the love of the cross, and keep us by the compassion of Melchisedec; thereby, making intercession for us as our great High Priest. Romans 8 shows us the great conflicts between us and the world. Things both physical and spiritual come against us; in fact, many of our brethren have laid down their lives within their faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the world has cast them off they were, and are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. In verse 38, we have the struggle between death and life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, and things to come. If we examine this verse closely we will pick out things that we have not only battled against, but we have overcome.
In the walk of faith there is nothing that overcomes, we are set aside in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the life that we dwell in, death and life are both part of our battle. Principalities and powers will always be in darkness, and only those with the light of the gospel can designate their rightful place in this present evil world. If we are to be more than conquerors then we must allow the Lord Jesus to hold us in Himself. It is His grace and His power that wins the battle. Our battle begins every day, as soon as we awake we begin our battle with our own flesh against the spirit.  The Spirit of God is given to mold us into the image of God’s dear Son.

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; (Ephesians 3:16)
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (Ephesians 3:17)
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (Ephesians 3:18)
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20)
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:21)

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Ephesians 4:15)

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (Ephesians 4:21
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (Ephesians 4:22)
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (Ephesians 4:23)
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:21)

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20)

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)We must always be aware of the battles around us. The earthly battle is for the men of the world for they walk after the flesh, but we, the children of God, are no longer of the flesh, but of the spirit. Although we wrestle against our own flesh it is because we are being moved of God’s Spirit. In the Lord Jesus we have the whole realm of truth, and truth is revealed unto us by His Spirit. If we are taught of Christ we will resemble Him. We will be molded after His image, we will be transformed from this world into the glories above.
The religions of this world have their own motives for they are of the earth, earthly. They walk by sight and feeling, not by faith and the Spirit of God. They talk of a faith that they have never received. They are ignorant of the fact that faith as well as grace is given by God. He is the possessor of these blessings, and He is the one who endows the soul with both faith and grace; so that we would walk according to the working of the Holy Spirit within us. The world has their holy wars, but these wars are only to gratify the flesh, and flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God. Religions use the Lord’s name in their organizational desire, they use deceitful means to fill their pews, and their coffers; they have earthly goals for they know not the man in glory, the Lord Jesus Christ. Their man, in the image of Adam, is still on the cross of shame; they still celebrate Adam, and not a risen Christ. For those who love the Lord Jesus, both know and understand that your blessed Redeemer is at the right hand of God and that He is over all things, God blessed forever. Amen.
The Earthly Perception of Moab
Moab looked down into the valley and saw blood filling the valley. They quickly made a decision based on their perception, and they would follow their earthly perception. They believed that they saw the blood of the three kings. They believed their eyes and the wishes of their heart. They assumed that the three armies before them had turned their swords one against another. Little did they know that the forces of Israel, Judah and Edom were lying in wait for them. The cry of Moab was Moab, to the spoil.
Let’s look at this mind set of Moab and compare it to the world around us. Moab had looked down into the valley and perceived that the battle was already won. So the world, the evil heart of man, thinks that they have defeated God Almighty at the cross. They see the blood in an earthly sense, and have no idea of the judgment that is waiting for them. Moab could only think of the earthly spoil, the thought of this spoil blinded their eyes to the truth, so with the great material blessings of our day;  materialism has blinded man’s eyes, heart, and  soul so that man can only see the spoils. Moab was thrilled in their hearts, they had no idea of the battle that was going to be before them. Their perception took that mental edge away that a man needs for battle; his reflexes, his willingness to give his life, and the confidence that victory lay ahead; all these were taken away from the army of the Moabites because of the vision of blood. They thought that the battle was won while the men of Israel, Judah and Edom had all their faculties, and all their thoughts trained on the defeat of the Moabites. There was no spoil  in the minds of the Israelites, it was a mind immersed in the victory of Jehovah. Moab was imagining a defeat that did not exist while Israel was believing in a victory that God had promised.
I have seen the same concept in the history of the Church. Reprobate men see what isn’t there, and what is there they pass right over. As the Moabites imagined their victory, so these men imagine what the work of the Holy Spirit is; they feel that the Holy Spirit is given to produce one organization after another; thereby, dividing the Body of Christ and not uniting the Body of Christ. They build these monuments to themselves and call them by their own names. These are the establishments of their own personal glory, and this glory is not before God, but before the world and of the world. Out of these organizations they cry, Moab, to the spoil, for they desire the riches of this world, the fame of this world, and the power of this world. And by their deceitful ways they are leading the masses to their own destruction. This is all based upon greed and popularity with those same masses. For the broad way is the way of destruction.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Luke 9:24)
For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (Luke 9:25)
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:26)

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (Matthew 7:13)
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:14) 

I indulge by using words from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ, words spoken by God. It is clear that we have not listened to these verses. We are listening to the Moabites, and not to the Spirit of God, and the voice of the Lord Jesus. We live in the day of a world church, decayed from without and from within. Don’t be deceived by what you see in the valley of blood. Don’t let your own heart show you a way that is not true. Let the Holy Spirit of God open your eyes to the words of God, and open your heart and soul to the Person of our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Moab saw a prize that was not there, and they went into the valley of blood in a state of false belief, and so they perished. Remember the word of the Lord by Elisha took place less than 24 hours before this great destruction. This prophecy was coming true, both the water for their thirst and a conquest over the Moabites was being fulfilled word by word.
Every Word to be Completed and Fulfilled – Every Word
Let’s go back to the exact prophecy from Elisha in 2 Kings, Chapter 3, verse 19, And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. This was not only a prophecy, but Jehovah set certain parameters; this was a prophecy of judgment on the house of Moab. And Jehovah expected the three kings to follow the exact prophecy. This prophecy must be completed, if not, they would not experience a complete victory over the Moabites. Let’s go back to the days of Samuel.

Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.  (1 Samuel 15:1)
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. (1 Samuel 15:2)
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. (1 Samuel 15:3)

And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. (1 Samuel 15:18)
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? (1 Samuel 15:19)

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. (1 Samuel 15:26)
And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. (1 Samuel 15:27)
And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. (1 Samuel 15:28)

Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. (1 Samuel 15:32)
And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. (1 Samuel 15:33)
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. (1 Samuel 15:34)

Obedience – Obedience
In obedience to God one must understand the complete nature and character of the Almighty. God cannot go against His own word, or words. He cannot turn from His own righteousness or holiness. He cannot look on sin and disobedience lightly. If one has a directive from God through prophecy, or God’s holy word, then one must be completely obedient to that command and the Spirit of God. When we examine the text in 1st Samuel, we find an exact command by God. God not only gave the command, but also gave the reason why the command was so harsh. It is not because God just picks random conflicts, it was because of the actions of the Amalekites that God commanded their destruction. Because of the disobedience of Saul, the kingdom was rent from him, and given to another, who was a shepherd king named David. A man after God’s own heart. When God gives a clear command, then one must follow it to the letter. It is not to the unprofitable, but to the faithful that the Lord declared, Well done, good and faithful servant;.
The Offering of Evil — by Evil — to Evil — in Evil
Everything was going good for Judah and the two kings, they were obeying Jehovah to the letter of Elisha’s prophecy. Then the king of Moab took 700 men to break through the line of Edom. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. (2 Kings 3:26)  Their effort failed, so the king of Moab offered his eldest son as a burnt offering. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. (2 Kings 3:26)  This offering of his son had nothing to do with appeasing the wrath of Jehovah; he offered his son to either Baal, or the fire-god Molech to invoke the help of his god. Jehovah has never, and God will never, sanction human sacrifice, whether it be on the stones of  heathen altars, or in the sanitized rooms of abortion clinics. May I say, God will judge everyone involved in these hideous sacrifices and murders at His great white throne judgment.
I’m sure that the offering was painful for the king of Moab, but it was truly more painful for his son. The king had cut off his son from his throne, and from the land of the living. How perverted and how bent can the mind and heart of man become. Look around us, the whole world has become mad. Life is not life unless man declares that it is life. Too bad he didn’t have the same power over death. But let me tell you, world, I know the God in heaven that has the power over death. He is my Savior, and I am trusting in Him that all that is going on in the world today with the abominations of man will be judged at His great white throne of judgment. The sacrifice of the king’s son was for naught; yet, it did have an affect on the three kings. They were affected because of the heathen practices in both Israel (the ten tribes), and Edom. In Israel, Baal demanded the sacrifice of children. In Edom, Molech demanded the sacrifice of children. Later on in the history of Judah under king Ahaz and king Manasseh both of these kings offered their children in the fires of false gods.
This evil sacrifice by the king of Moab influenced the three kings to  end the mission that God had given to them; however, I see in the prophecy that it was given because of the presence of Jehoshaphat. I would think that Jehovah wanted Jehoshaphat to be the primary influence in fulfilling the prophecy of Elisha. Line by line, precept by precept; however, Jehoram and the king of Edom presumably had more influence than Jehoshaphat so they turned from the battle and did not finish the prophecy and the directions giving by the word of God. They left in disobedience and because Jehoshaphat was considered by the Lord in the deliverance, he faced the responsibility of their decision. This decision to walk away from a total victory would later return to Jehoshaphat and his kingdom in threat of war from the Moabites. For he would again see the Moabites, and this war would cause Jehoshaphat to seek the Lord not only for himself,  but for the existence of his kingdom.
God’s Commandment Against Human Sacrifice
War is a brutal failure of man, but even in the natural sense if you do not totally destroy your enemy, you will see him again in battle. There is no mercy in war, and both Saul and Jehoshaphat lived to regret not following God’s command. The world might say, It was a burnt sacrifice. However, the word of God gives complete command what is, and what is not, a sacrifice approved by God. The Israelites were commanded by God not to offer their sons and children. This was already a heathen practice of the nations. So Jehovah gave the children of Israel exact ordinances of sacrifice and not one of these ordinances demanded human sacrifice. What we see here in 2 Kings 3:27 is one of the rituals of Baal, again I say, that this was one of the gods of the ten tribes, as well as the gods that Jeroboam had set up at the division of the kingdom. The following  verses reveal  the nation of Israel disobeying God concerning  human sacrifices.

And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. (2 Kings 17:15)
And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. (2 Kings 17:16)
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (2 Kings 17:17)
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. (2 Kings 17:18)

And he (Manasseh)  built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 33:5)
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (2 Chronicles 33:6)

For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.  (Jeremiah 7:30)
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.  (Jeremiah 7:31)
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.  (Jeremiah 7:32)
And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.  (Jeremiah 7:33)
Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.  (Jeremiah 7:34)

Throughout the history of Israel we find disobedience to the commands of Jehovah. The sadness of this command is that Jehovah wanted them to have a loving respect for life, even their own seed; and yet, in their hearts they not only had contempt in their hearts for Jehovah, but contempt against their own seed. This is what the Lord had told them in the Book of Leviticus.

And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 18:21)

Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. (Leviticus 20:2)
And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. (Leviticus 20:3)
And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: (Leviticus 20:4)
Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. (Leviticus 20:5)

What Happened When Israel and Judah Disobeyed 
Jehovah gives us a long list of evidence in His written word that is charged to the nation of Israel (the ten tribes), and Judah and Benjamin (the two tribes). Both Israel and Judah were thrust out of the land and taken into captivity by their enemies. When the  ten tribes (Israel) went into captivity in the days of Hoshea, and Judah later taken into Babylon, their land was totally destroyed by their enemies; the very places that they performed their pagan rituals and sacrifices were destroyed. Even the temple of Solomon had been so defiled by their wickedness that God allowed it to be destroyed. For His glory had departed from it, and it was just a hollow shell of man’s abominations.

And he (Manasseh) built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. (2 Kings 21:4)
And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. (2 Kings 21:5)
And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (2 Kings 21:6)

Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal. (2 Kings 23:26)
And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. (2  Kings 23:27)

Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; (2 Kings 24:3)
And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. (2 Kings 24:4)

God Hath Said 
We have considered a lot of Scripture revolving around the sacrifice of the king of  Moab. It is not only the death of a human, but it is the death of the seed. If we were to travel back to the murder of Abel we would see the value that God put on the seed of promise; therefore, it is an abomination to God that these atrocities are carried out in any culture. A combination of both this wickedness and the abomination of Sodomy forced the Almighty God to drive the Israelites out of their land.

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)
Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. (Leviticus 18:23)
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: (Leviticus 18:24)
And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. (Leviticus 18:25)

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? (1 Kings 22:45)
And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land. (1 Kings 22:46) 

In relationship to Leviticus 18, Jehoshaphat drove the Sodomites out of the land, and later Josiah broke down the houses of the Sodomites, for they had built their houses by the house of the Lord. (2 Kings 23:7) And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove. It is quite evident that we live in a world of abortion, and a world of sodomy. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  (Galatians 6:8)
God Gave Them Up
God cast out His own people, the nation of Israel for these sins.  Even though His casting away His own people is temporary in God’s timetable; nevertheless, He did cast them out. We live in a world that is overflowing with these abominations. If you are a child of God, believe me,  protect yourself and your family from these abominations, and from those who commit them. And to the leaders of this world I say, Go wash your hands like Pilate, go to your pagan churches, God will NOT forgive you. You have signed on for this mess, and by this mess you will be judged. You have condemned your own nations, and as they stand and fall, all will experience the judgments of God. Not only are they wicked people, but by your approval the word of God explains that you have joined with them in that sin. And there is no excuse.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (Romans 1:26)
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (Romans 1:27)

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:32)

The God of heaven will not forgive the nation or people who participate in this wickedness. In fact, their wickedness brings more evil wickedness upon themselves.

The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.  (Isaiah 3:9)

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. (Jeremiah 23:14)

Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9)

The Cup is Full
In reading these Scriptures please pay attention to what God is relating to the nations and to the people of the world. God has kept fire and brimstone from falling from the sky only because of those who belong to Him. It is not easy to be hated by the whole world; nevertheless, it becomes a portion of the life of the man of God. God’s people today are a small remnant, and by the passing of each one that remnant is getting smaller. Soon our voices will be gone, and the Lord Jesus will call us unto Himself out of this world. We will leave the people of this world to their sin and wickedness, and to the judgment and wrath of an Almighty God.
The Righteous Judge
As it was in the days of Noah, men were so wicked and vile that God had to destroy that world. He had to cleanse even the ground that they walked upon for it was defiled by them as well. God saw the heart of man that it was wicked and deceitful above all things, and He sent forth the flood in His righteous indignation, and only eight souls were saved. The world was fully populated, the masses that perished had no reprieve, and to this date they are waiting for the final judgment that will condemn them into the lake of fire. When the Lord Jesus declared that  And as it was in the days of Noe (Noah), so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (Luke 17:26) He was not talking about time, but the fullness of their sin. For no one, even the holy angels, knows the time and the hour when God’s wrath and judgment will fall upon this earth. It will be determined by the cup of sin that the world is pouring their abominations into; therefore, when this cup is full God will judge this world with unmerciful judgments. Remember Sodom and the cities of the plains were destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven. When Jerusalem and Israel would not stop burning their children, or stop committing sodomy, or  approving those who committed such abominations the city of Jerusalem was burned, the temple was burned, and the entire city became engulfed by flames.
In the Book of the Revelation God’s judgment falls on Babylon the great, a symbol of the wickedness and abominations of the world, and Babylon (the symbol, the system, and the situated city in Shinar) will be burned with fire in a moment of time; all their wickedness will go up in the flames.
The heart of Israel had become as hard as a stone. They ignored the judgments of God in the plaques, in the pestilences, in the droughts, and in the wars; God was speaking to them through His creation, their environment was overthrowing them at the hand of the Almighty God and they rationalized it by saying as those in our age say,  Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:4) The world sees change where there is no change. They cannot see, nor can they understand what is actually happening or changing on the very planet where their feet are planted. This is how it has always been. We see on every hand the judgment of God against a sinful world, but the world continues in it’s abominations. There is no better place to find the truth then in the word of God. Peter’s warning to the world in it’s last hours can be found in 2 Peter 3:3-7.

 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  (2 Peter 3:4)
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (2 Peter 3:5)
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: (2 Peter 3:6)
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:7)

I will close with these verses of reference from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: (2 Chronicles 36:15)
But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:16)

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (Romans 1:24)

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 7)

Consider your sin, and where you stand before a God of judgment. Are you delivered, or will you stand in judgment before an all righteous God. Read Chapters 17 and 18 of the Book of the Revelation.

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, (Matthew 19:4)
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? (Matthew 19:5)
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Matthew 19:6)

So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, (Matthew 13:49)
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:50)
Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. (Matthew 13:51)

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37)
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (Matthew 24:38)
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:39)

Amen.

© Copyright 2016, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)