Spiritual Vision
A recent news headline reads, “Civilization is Unraveling.” Its message was that hatred, stealing and violence is turning America into a third world nation. America has indeed become a crumbling and weakened culture.
There is a very clear reason for the rapid decline that we see. Solomon wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18). Much of the happiness that we once enjoyed, due to the enforcement of laws primarily based on the Judeo-Christian ethic, is now gone. Thus, the spiritual vision is perishing along with the condition of our people.
Corrupt leadership encourages a myopic or near-sighted spiritual orientation. Judah under King Ahaz is a prime example. “For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord” (2 Chronicles 28:19). Through his own example of idolatries and evil against God, Ahaz stripped Judah of their knowledge of Him, their worship of Him and of His divine protection so that they were exposed to their enemies. Additionally, the phase, “transgressed sore against the Lord” means that they dealt falsely with the word of God.
In essence, through the corrupt leadership of Ahaz, Judah was experiencing a famine of God’s word and therefore a crippling lack of spiritual vision. The prophet Amos spoke of a coming famine as well. “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12). God’s Church has long anticipated an end time famine of the word. All similar, present evidence points to that potential fulfillment, just as in the time of Ahaz.
We must, therefore, maintain and strengthen our spiritual vision by living and not dealing falsely with the word of God. King David wrote, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!” (Psalm 119:1-2).
Marshall Stiver
