3. The Retribution of God’s Holy Face Psalm 55:9-15

Text: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth (practices continually), that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit (capital S!) shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Galatians 6:8.

Good morning, sorely perplexed Christian!  The 21^st Century deterioration in interactive morality; political integrity; Bible-based Christianity – has turned your heart and mine into hearts that continually complain to the Lord God of all Holiness - for Him to deal decisively with His enemies and ours, as we seek to serve the Living Lord Jesus Christ.

The inevitability of God’s just punishment upon the unbelieving nations and individuals of the nations worldwide, is an assured fact of Christian faith.  Yet, so often we believers become impatient to see the Lord’s rebuke of all anti-Christianity; and His Spiritual quickening of those whom He has elected to receive Salvation.  We groan within ourselves as we wait His perfect timing to bring this sin-filled deterioration to an end.

The moral gauge of any inner-city in Britain, or in fact any major city in the Western Hemisphere, clearly shows a plummeting in all things wholesome, decent, and good; even our Parliament is currently in complete disarray over the so-called Brexit issue of leaving the European Union; over leading politicians holding parties in the seat of British Government, while instructing all citizens not to interact in groups – confusion and anarchy permeate the city streets!

Verse 11:  “Wickedness is in the midst thereof.  The very heart of the city was base.  In her places of authority, crime went hand-in-hand with calamity.  All the wilder and more wicked elements were uppermost; the canaille (mob, vulgar rabble, urban masses) were commanders; the scum floated uppermost; justice was at a discount; the population was utter demoralized; prosperity had vanished and order with it.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 250)

Verse 11:  “Deceit and guile depart not from her streets.  In all the places of concourse, crafty tongues were busy persuading the people with cozening (cheating deceit) phrases.  Crafty demagogues led the people by the nose.  Their good king was defamed in all ways, and when they saw him go away, they fell to reviling the governors of their own choosing.  The forum was the fortress of fraud, the congress was the convention of cunning.  Alas, poor Jerusalem, to be thus the victim of sin and shame!  Virtue reviled and vice regnant (reigning, prevalent)! Her solemn assemblies broken up, her priests fled, her king banished, and troops of reckless villains parading her streets, sunning themselves on her walls, and vomiting their blasphemies in her sacred shrines. Here was cause enough for the sorrow which so plainly utters itself in these verses.”(C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 250)

Can we not see all of this decline in morality and in civilisation; all this open and increased confusion and lawlessness being manifested within our British and American cities right now?  Of course, we can!  

Parliament, and established politicians have lost all semblance of civilised interaction within the Seat of British Legislation!  Personal interest and greed have totally overshadowed any outward motive of ‘the National Interest’ and welfare of British citizens.

Sleaze rules.  Sexual morality, and moral integrity all but seems to have disappeared at the highest level of social society – a member of the so-called Royal Family is currently being implicated in the procuring of underage sexual partners by a shadowy individual whom – it is reported – committed suicide while held in a prison awaiting trial!  The echelons of upper-class aristocracy seem to have abandoned any semblance of being the standard-bearers of high personal morality and decency!  It’s like watching the ‘...Fall of the Roman Empire’!

Verse 10.  “...Mischief and sorrow are in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.  Knife-crime among our young people has multiplied over the past few years.  There is seldom another day passes, that we don’t see yet another young person has been stabbed to death in the streets of our large cities.  Poverty, homelessness, and yet another rise in drug and alcohol addiction – with British citizens evicted out onto the street for failing to pay the rent of their accommodation.  Every street corner now seems littered with the debris of humanity – sat in a stupor, begging with a plastic cup in hand for the next shot of drugs, or the next bottle of booze that might numb their minds to their harsh reality.

In all this clear and present social, political, and moral deterioration within our major cities – we NEVER hear a call for ‘A Day of National Prayer for the Nation’.  Why?  Because true Christian faith has been shouldered out of the way by educated ‘hirelings’ who have no calling to Christ’s church; and see their bell, book, candle, and clerical robes as a means of personal promotion and career enhancement.  Bible faith has no place in such carnal minds.

Verse 14.  “And walked unto the house of God in company.  There is a measure of impiety of a detestable sort in the deceit which debases the union of men who make professions of godliness.  Shall the very altar of God be defiled with hypocrisy?  Shall the gatherings of temple be polluted by the presence of treachery?  All this was true of Ahithophel, and in a measure of Judas.  His union with the Lord was on the score of faith; they were joined in the holiest of enterprises; he had been sent on the most gracious of errands.  His cooperation with Jesus to serve his own abominable ends stamped him as the firstborn of Hell.  Better has it been for him had he never been born.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 251)

The Lord God has clearly warned all nations of the grave error in turning away from Him.  When a nation turns away from the Lord God – it commits national suicide.

“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.  Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field...”   Read this list of God’s curses, and turn from all wickedness and disobedience to Christ!  (Deuteronomy 28:15-48)

“Let all deceitful professors be warned by his doom, for like Ahithophel, he went to his own place by his own hand, and retains a horrible pre-eminence in the calendar of notorious crime...Of the serpent’s brood, some vipers still remain, who will sting the hand that cherished them and sell for silver those who raised them to the position which rendered it possible for them to be so abominably treacherous.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 250)

Such false professors, and traitorous ‘hirelings’, hiding within the branches of religious influence beware.  The Lord is not mocked, and must act against you to sustain His church.

Verse 15.  “Let death seize upon them.  Traitors such as these deserve to die; there is no living with them.  Earth is polluted by their tread; if spies are shot, much more these sneaking villains.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 251)

Thought:  Sinful, unconfessed disobedience to God, brings ruthless wrath from Him.  Turn!  Turn!  Turn away from this sinful slide!  Seek Christ, while you may!