How/When God judges nations

God does judge nations. When He readies to do it, He first deems the sin incurable. He is not petulant nor is He quick, but is long-suffering, giving all a chance to come to repentance. For example, He waited 490 years before judging Israel's failure to keep the 7th land Sabbath. Every 6 years they were to plant and every 7th they were to let the land rest. (Leviticus 25:18-22) Seventy times the Israelites failed to follow this law and after 490 years, God told them that they would be taken into captivity for 70 years, an equal amount of time they had failed to allow the land to rest. (Leviticus 26:28-35) After all, the earth is the LORD'S. (Psalm 24:1) Their sin had become incurable and God deemed it ready to judge.

In one case, in Jeremiah 7:16-19 God told Jeremiah NOT to pray for the people of Judah and the city of Jerusalem. God  had passed the point of no return and was in a holy anger against them for serving other gods. At the point of pronounced judgment, no display of repentance can sway the coming justice. Justice is sure.

God removes a hedge of protection from the nation. He gave an example of this in Isaiah 5:5. Then judgment comes. It comes in all forms and styles, but it comes.

Why does it come? In the above example, for disobeying His land laws. In other cases it was for one of the six things God hates:

Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

Joel 3:19 pronounces judgment on Egypt and Edom specifically because they shed innocent blood. Same with Amos 1:13 to Ammon.

Wealth building at the expense of God's commandments also wreaks judgment: "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. "It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. "Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God. (Deut 8:17-20).

America is guilty of all the above.

The bible says that not only nations are judged by their actions as nations, but they will be judged according to how well they treated Israel. Genesis 12:3: "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

As a nation, has America committed the six things God hates? Yes. As a nation, has America been a friend or a foe to Israel this last year? Foe. And it gets worse: Jerusalem Post reports today,

Middle East may become Nuclear-free zone
"Washington and Cairo are negotiating an agreement which would see the Middle East become a nuclear-free zone, the Journal reported on Saturday."

"According to the report, which comes two days ahead of a UN-hosted conference to prevent nuclear proliferation, the agreement is aimed at making the treatment of nuclear weapons in the Middle East more balanced. The US has been criticized in the past for expressing concern over the suspected nuclear ambitions of countries such as Syria and Iran with nary a mention of Israel's reported nuclear arsenal. The Wall Street Journal quoted senior Obama administration officials as saying that the US officials would meet with their Egyptian counterparts in New York in efforts to promote the idea of a nuke-free Middle East which would encompass Arab countries as well as Israel, Iran and Turkey."

Isn't it nice that American concocts a defense posture that strips Israel of their only deterrent to obliteration. Outing Israel's nuclear stockpile seems to be the whack-a-mole game of the day. WaPo says "For Arab nations, it is a way of highlighting their complaint that Israel's possession of nuclear weapons has been a major factor behind any proliferation in the region, and that the United States employs a double standard in demanding no nuclear weapons programs from Iran and Arab states."

The Nuke Free Zone was first proposed in 1991 at the Madrid Peace Conference but stalled completely in 1995 due to Israel's stance. Now it's been revived and seems to be gaining some traction. The resolution is aimed at halting Iran's nuclear progress, but since it is non-binding and we all know how well Iran adheres to anything- never mind "non-binding" -all the resolution would do is expose Israel into a catastrophic, deepening vulnerability.

It is my opinion that the oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is the first of the warnings of impending judgment upon America. I believe its effects will unroll like seismic waves in ever increasing troubles for America on the environmental, commercial, political, and food production fronts. Why? The Exxon Valdez had a finite amount of oil in its holds and when that was spilled, it stopped. Additionally, the rocky shores of Alaska could be hosed down. The marshes and lowlands of Louisiana, Alabama and the rest of the states in the slick's path cannot. The oil is gushing from the very sea floor itself and has an unlimited amount to be spilled before it stops- if it ever does. It is located 5000 miles deep and beyond the reach of men. It is almost beyond the reach of remotely operated vehicles. Even if ROV's do descend they will first have to move the massive rig that fell on top of the uncapped wellhead. And this, they will not be able to do for months, if at all.

Though the hedge of protection for America may be crumbling, the Christian's individual hedge will remain strong if they walk in the ways of the Lord. However, the Christian dwelling in a nation that is experiencing the beginning of judgment and the last of its warnings will not be immune to the effects. Though we'll see the effects from this terrible catastrophe on the people all around us,  He will feed, clothe, and care for us under His very wings. Indeed, they are an opportunity to remain strong in faith so His glory can shine.

God judges nations for their behavior. He hates six things, any ONE of which can and has brought judgment. He weighs a nation's future against how it has treated Israel. Has America's hubris grown so great that she thinks she will cakewalk straight to the rapture? That she will somehow escape the same rules that all other nations on the planet have lived or died by? To love the LORD is to fear the LORD, and hate the same evil that He does. Does America love the LORD and hate evil? No. America loves evil and hates the LORD. You do the math!