The Spiritual Pandemic in America

Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time, Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. (NKJV used throughout)

King Asa is bringing both political and religious reform in the land of Judah. In our text, God’s Spirit inspires Azariah to speak directly to the king, and he implores the king to “listen.” He uses the words, “hear me.” Romans 10:17 reminds us that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of the Lord.”

A person, or even a nation, is only as strong as their willingness to hear the words of God. In James 1:19, we are reminded to be quick to listen. Azariah was preparing to deliver to King Asa a message directly from God Himself. He goes on to remind the king that God will be with him, guide him, and empower his administration if he seeks the Lord. Isn’t that true for the lost soul today?

Without God

Verse 3 explains why Judah was in trouble: for a long time, Israel had been without the True God. They had fallen headfirst into idolatry. In other words, God had been marginalized.

One of the greatest pitfalls America is facing is consumerism and materialism. Society is obsessed with possessions. We look to fill the emptiness in our lives by accumulating material goods in the hope that the next big purchase will fill that void in our hearts. We see parents putting their children’s sporting programs and tournaments in place of family worship. Moms and dads are adding more overtime to their already packed schedules so they can buy a bigger this or fancier that. All the while, these temporary goods eclipse our time with God. It’s modern-day idolatry. It’s nice that our president talks about putting more money in Americans’ pockets, but what our culture needs more than ever is more God back in our hearts.

The Sovereign God had been replaced by idols and false images. Meaningful reform in our nation should start with introspection within the church. Have we permitted the lure of this fallen world and the passion for material goods to fill the vacancy in our hearts?

Without Teachers

Next, Azariah warns King Asa that the nation of Judah had been without a teaching priest. Wow! That sounds familiar. The priest had forsaken their duty, and that was to keep the words of the law before the people continually. There is a spiritual vacuum in Judah, and the priests are partially responsible for the moral and spiritual famine that is taking place in the land. In other words, ecclesiastical failure is rampant.

Now more than ever, America needs preachers who will declare the whole counsel of God without apology and without compromise. We are living in a time when the world is crying out for direction and clarity. Dr. Tony Evans, in his book Kingdom Citizens, writes, “Since the church is the primary manifestation of the Kingdom and is the primary means by which God is extending His Kingdom rule in this world, local churches must consider what they can do to bring about positive outcomes in society and yes, even in the political arena.”

In AD 150, a Christian writer described the lifestyle of a second-century Christian this way: “As the soul is to the body, so Christians are to the world.” The priests had allowed themselves to become irrelevant in the nation of Judah. How? Because they failed to teach the law.

When preachers witness cultural decline within our nation and deliberately refuse to address these issues, not from a political viewpoint, but from a biblical viewpoint, they cheat their congregation out of knowing the truth. Thomas Rainer, in his book Break-Out Churches, reminds preachers in particular, “Biblical truth must be followed if the American church is to survive. Without a clear understanding of what we believe, we will lose our distinctions and our reason for existence.”

Without Law

Finally, King Asa is reminded that the people have been without law. Just like the feeble attempt by the architects and builders of the Tower of Babel, the Children of Israel want to, as Tony Evans puts it, “Remove the divine oversight of their national identity … and enact their own rules for how civilization, culture, and government would operate.” No society, be it Judah or America, can function effectively without transcendent truth. The people of Judah had created a nation and civilization to which God, godly priests, and spiritual and moral absolutes were no longer seen as necessary. Judah had become its own God, making up its own rules.

I have used this quote before, but again it is appropriate:

The rule of law cannot survive unless there is an unchanging and transcendent standard by which we can measure human laws. Otherwise, the law simply becomes whatever lawmakers or judges declare it to be—an outcome that inevitably leads to the downfall of free government. Biblical truth is still the only real objective standard we have at our disposal to maintain order and civility in our nation and our world.

James C. Book is the Associate Director of the CRA and serves on the board of directors for the Advance Center for Ministry Training. He is a former minister with Kissimmee Christian Church, Kissimmee, FL. Contact him at jim@thecra.org.