A Gallup poll conducted May 5–7, 2003, revealed that a majority of Americans now recognize divorce, gambling, sex between an unmarried man and woman and having a baby outside of marriage as morally acceptable. These attitudes, along with these kinds of behaviors, have taken a terrible toll on people's lives— emotionally, financially, physically and spiritually.
In his book, Our Dance Has Turned to Death, author Carl Wilson identified seven stages through which societies progress as they break down. Notice the last stage: "Finally, unbelief in God became more complete. Parental authority diminished and ethical and moral principles disappeared affecting the economy and government thus by internal weaknesses and fragmentation, the societies came apart."
Rabbi Daniel Lapin, a prominent conservative social critic, put it this way: "The story of America during the past 35 years is likewise a story of an airplane running out of fuel. What will transpire when it does is entirely natural and predictable. The good news is that for those who wish it, the fuel tanks can be replenished. But what is the fuel? What has kept America airborne for so long? I believe it is loyalty to the basic principles that God laid out in the Bible for the safe and durable operation of the machine we call human society."
As we should have known, the foundation of knowledge, the word of God, was way ahead of the researchers and historians. In Deuteronomy 28:1–4, we read: "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings will overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks."
God also warned that curses would come upon the nations if His commandments were not followed. In Exodus 20:1–17, God gave the Ten Commandments as an underpinning of His royal law of love. These include: not having any other gods before Him, not making, serving or bowing down to any graven image, not taking God's name in vain, keeping the Sabbath holy, honoring father and mother, not murdering, not committing adultery, not stealing, not bearing false witness and not coveting.
Did you realize that there are other laws and principles in the Word of God? There are laws that govern and protect the marriage relationship. There are laws that identify which sexual relationships are destructive. There are laws revealing how employers ought to treat their workers. There are laws that show the obligations of employees. There are laws showing how to judge rightly and wisely. There are health laws. There are agricultural laws. There are financial laws. There are environmental laws. There are laws showing proper behavior toward foreigners. There are laws concerning how to care for the poor, the widow and the physically challenged. There are laws governing building safety. All of these laws are based on wisdom, outgoing concern and righteousness. They all lead to building up and sustaining individuals, families and nations.
"For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).
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The above is an excerpt adapted from one of the many commentaries available at the www.lcg.org and www.tomorrowsworld.org Web sites on vital topics facing our world.