God's Rules for Nations (Part 2)
Yesterday, we discussed the fact that God still rules in and over nations today, and He has expectations or rules that He expects nations to follow. Ultimately, God wants nations (and individuals) to be righteous. The rule we will consider today is closely connected to the first one.

RULE #2: NATIONS MUST REMEMBER GOD.
Psalm 9:17 declares - "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." When a nation turns from godliness to ungodliness (i.e., when the righteous become wicked), God, as ruler of the nations, is morally obligated to punish or discipline such a people on His timetable.

That's exactly what happened to the nation of Israel time after time, as recorded in the Old Testament. In the book of Judges, for instance, we see that the children of Israel went through many cycles of faithfulness and apostasy (cf. 2:7ff). They started out on good terms with God, but then they went off into sin. As a result, God allowed other nations to punish them. Their suffering eventually brought them to repentance, and, when they remembered God, He sent a judge to deliver them from their bondage. Then they were on good terms with God once more--until they drifted off into sin again. We see that basic cycle completed seven times in the book of Judges! How sad that they never seemed to learn their lesson! It never sunk in, at least not for very long, that their forsaking of God (i.e., forgetting Him and His expectations of righteousness) always led them to pain and suffering. They were clearly a stubborn and forgetful people!

But, what about the United States? America has sinned repeatedly against the authority of God. This nation has turned from godliness to ungodliness in so many ways--religiously, politically, educationally, financially, morally, and in other ways. In the United States today, I feel that it is accurate to say that the righteous are but a small remnant among the wicked. Those who are wise will pray to God just like Nehemiah did concerning the nation of Israel - "We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded..." (Neh. 1:7).

Consider some other passages that communicate the need for individuals and nations to remember God: Numbers 15:40 - "...remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God." I Chronicles 16:11,12 - "Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth." Psalm 103:17-19 - "But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them. The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all."

Dear listeners, God's second rule for nations is that they remember Him! Are you among the few that remember God and His standards of righteousness? If America doesn't start remembering God, it is only a matter of time before God will punish her. Some have wondered, myself included, if God hasn't already begun punishing the USA for its iniquities that seem to be increasing exponentially.

We will have more to say on this subject tomorrow.