“Righteousness exalts a nation; but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 NASB). As God is our Creator and Sustainer, it should not surprise us that He desires nations to walk according to His will – to live by His principles of righteousness. That nations do not always walk in righteousness is understood by what John tells us in 1 John 5:19, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” We should not be surprised, then, that God responds to the unrighteousness a nation commits, either against itself or against other nations. To Jeremiah He said, “If it does evil in my sight, by not obeying my voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it” (Jeremiah 18:10). Sin in any nation can bring God’s judgment against it, to warn, to punish or to destroy.
God’s desire, however, is not to condemn, but to restore and to bless. When Jonah was sent to Nineveh, the message he was given to preach was short but powerful. “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). The people believed in God and repented, and showed the sincerity of their belief by reforming their lifestyles. This is what God desired, not to overthrow them, but to bring them to His righteousness so that He could bless them. Jonah knew this about God and wanted Nineveh destroyed since they were enemies of Israel. “For I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity’” (Jonah 4:2). Destruction is not God’s first option; He desires a change of heart from sin to righteousness – from what condemns to what will bless.
God warned Solomon of what would happened if his nation turned from God, but also what they should do to find His grace and mercy again. “And my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Through Isaiah He says, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow…If you will consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land: but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. Truly the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 1:16-17, 19-20).
Clearly, God wants to bless all nations, as He has created us all. The problem is in exalting sin and abandoning God’s righteous ways, but the solution is in returning to righteousness. God’s Word gives all nations the principles by which they need to live. Rather than reject His will, it’s time to return to the truth of His Word. Rather than justify sin, we must abandon it and from the heart recognize right from wrong once again. We must embrace what is right. As our Creator, God alone knows what is best for us and how we should live. We have the time and the opportunity to return to Him; we must respond while there is yet time. If we repent and return to righteousness, we can find God’s grace again. This is what God wants. This should be our resolve.
