Now again for those on the tapes
and videos and such like, our text is Isaiah 19, verse 11 through
14, and my subject this evening is this, is the end of America
near at hand. Now, just about every preacher
in the country has beat me to that probably, but I want to
give you my version of it this evening. Is the end of America
possibly near at hand? Let's look at the text, verse
11 through verse 14. Watch very carefully at what
is said. Surely the princes of Zoan are
fools. The counsel of the wise counselors
of Pharaoh is become brutish. How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am
the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? Where are they? Where are thy wise men? And let them tell thee now, let
them know, what the Lord of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. The princes of Zoan are become
fools, the princes of Noth are deceived, and they also have
seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay, the main spring,
the main ones, of the tribes thereof. Then look at verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse
spirit in the midst thereof, and they have caused Egypt to
err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his
vomiting." Now there is a picture of the government of Egypt at
one time. Let me work into this slowly,
if I might. First of all, let me tell you
that this has been in my mind and in my thought, and I've had
the seed planted in my sermonical garden for a long time now, and
finally it came up. And the reason that it's been
on my mind is because the question is being asked by more people
all of the time. I meet total strangers in a doctor's
office or somewhere. We begin to talk and this matter
comes up and they seem as if they see the handwriting is already
up on the wall. and some are coming to admit
the distinct possibility that the end of America, that is,
as we have known it, may be at hand and may come a reality. I'm not talking about the land
mass itself, that'll be here, but the culture and the practices
and such like as we have known it. And that is that the farmer
way of life is fading fast. Now some of you young whippersnappers
don't see that much change, but those of us who are old codgers
and have been around, we have seen a drastic change in the
America that we love, and it seems unto some of us that the
collapse is inevitable. But I delayed to speak on it
for quite a while, because some are likely to say, they probably
will, well, preacher, you have gotten off into politics. You're coming at it from a definite
pre-existent bias. You're pushing a certain political
agenda in speaking like this. I would answer that by saying
everyone in the world has a worldview. Everyone in the world has a particular
bias for or against certain things. They have their beliefs, they
have their philosophy, they have their system that they follow,
they have their ideologies that they practice. Therefore, I confess
right off, to being of a very strong conservative persuasion. And that being the case, I am
persuaded that the implementation of liberal and progressive ideology,
whether it be political or whether it be religious, will spell the
end of America as a country as we have known it. It will carry
the churches off into apostasy, no longer preaching the Word
of God, no longer preaching the Gospel of our Lord. And it seems
to me, as an observer, that in both cases, In the country and
in the churches, it seems that the disease is in a very far
advanced state right now, and that both patients, the state
and the church, seem to be on their deathbed with a rattle
in their throat and gasping, as it were, for air. Like Amos
chapter 7 and verse 4, I say, I'm neither a prophet nor a prophet's
son. Like Paul, I am the least of
the least in Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 8, nor do I claim
any extraordinary or supernatural inspiration. in bringing to you
the Word this evening. However, God's people, having
the spirit of discernment, of grace, and of knowledge of the
Word of God, and especially ministers of the Word, ought to be able
to discern the signs and the time. Ecclesiastes 8, verse 5,
A wise man's heart is able to discern both the time
and judgment. Again, in 1 Chronicles 12 and
verse 32, what a blessing it is to have men in leadership
who have understanding of the time, who know what it is that
Israel ought to do. And in Esther chapter 1 and verse
13, the king, like most wise king, had wise men, quote, which
knew the times, unquote. As Matthew Henry wrote, they
understood the natural and the political time. They understood
what was best and what was good for the interest of the people. and the interest, the good, and
the welfare of the nation." Again, Matthew Henry wrote, quote, they
understood public affairs, understood the temper of the nation, and
the tendencies of present events, unquote. All wise people who
have the Spirit of God and who understand the Word of the Lord
ought to have that kind of discernment. Now, wise men, spiritual men,
spiritual people can see what effect certain laws and certain
actions are bound to have upon their society. Or they can see
where certain tendencies will take us or will lead us. And they can also foresee the
consequences of those foolish and silly actions that might
be taken. Now, in addition to that, that
I've said, we have the examples of others, many others, that
have gone before. Both in history and in the scripture
we may learn that any society, any society that spurns morality,
any society that gives itself over to immorality is then going
to be destroyed by the rotting corruption that is within. Corruption and immorality are
like a canker worm that eat out the very heart of a culture or
a society. Immorality and godless policies
will destroy the heart and the soul of a society and then will
bring the judgment of God down upon that nation who has spurned
and rebelled against Him. So let's begin by taking a look
at the text that we read in Isaiah 19, 11 through 14. Now to see the context in which
it is found. Well, it turns out this is a
prediction of the judgment of God upon and against Egypt. That's what this is all about.
Why? We will see in a moment. Why? Well, Calvin sums it up
very well. It was because Israel still sought
to take refuge there in Egypt to avoid their enemies. and find
a place of safety. They trusted in the strength
and they trusted in the wealth that was there in the land of
Egypt, rather than trust in their God and put all manners into
His hand. Isaiah is clear on this. later on in his book. Listen for example to Isaiah
chapter 30 and verse 1 and 2. Quote, Woe to the rebellious
children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me,
and that cover with a covering, but not my spirit, heaping sin
upon sin, that walk to go down to Egypt, and have not asked
at my mouth, who strengthened themselves in the strength of
Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt." Unquote. And Calvin is right, that when
they got in trouble, when they were in danger, when their enemies
would overrun them, they would run down into the land of Egypt
and there find safety. You have some more in Isaiah
chapter 36, and this time verse 4 through 6, when Rabshakeh scolded
Hezekiah, saying unto him in verse 6, Lo, you trust in the
staff of this broken reed on Egypt, wherein, if a man lean
on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So Pharaoh, king
of Israel, king of Egypt, to all that trust in him is that
way. He's like a broken cane. You
lean on it, it breaks, it stabs you through in the hand. Now
the message is very clear. The image also is very clear. That is, of a man leaning upon
an already broken cane or reed and get stabbed in the hand because
he trusts in Pharaoh, he trusts in the power, and he trusts in
the might of Egypt. And that trust was misplaced
because it should have been in their God. He could not shield
them, that is, Pharaoh could not. shield them from the judgment
of God. Consequently, God would bring
Egypt low as a judgment against the sin of the nation of Israel. Now let me share with you a part
of what Calvin wrote about this in his commentary on Isaiah. Quote, It was therefore necessary
that that kingdom," he's talking about Egypt, "...should be overthrown,
that its wealth and might no longer deceive and allure the
Jews." Matthew Henry wrote in addition to that, "...to prevent
their mischief and from having confidence in Egypt, Egypt must
be mortified," said Matthew Henry. And the question is, How then
will God weaken Egypt to the extent that it no longer is a
shadow or a protective haven for the Jew? How will God do
it? What course will He take? How
will He order His provident that He might weaken and diminish
the glory and the strength of Israel? What will make them useless? as a leaning stick and as a shelter
for the Jew. Now part of the answer is in
Isaiah 19, in verses 1 through 10. Various calamities are predicted
against them and upon them. But then in verse 11 through
14, what a confusion did God send down upon the land of Egypt,
particularly upon the king, the leaders, the wise men, the princes
and such like." What a confusion did God send. Notice in our text,
He made wise men to become and act like fools and brutish. He smote their princes and their
counselors, those who advised on matters of state, and supposed
wise men with deception. God sent a delusion upon them
and deceived them. Then in verse 11, the princes
of Zion are fools. The counsel of the wise is brutish. That is, they have given themselves
over to stupid, senseless advice which they pass along then to
the king and his court. But notice again also in verse
12, the wise have no idea what God is doing. They have no idea
what is happening or coming upon their nation. They have no idea
or inkling what is in store for their land. Then look at verse
13, the princes of Zoan or become fooled, the princes of Noth are
deceived, and in turn they, their leaders, have seduced Egypt. Now what an awful thing! Yea,
the very stay, or the cornerstone, the princes, the leaders, the
advisors, have led the king and led the people astray in a bad
way. They are deceived themselves
and in return they also deceive the other leaders of the government
and the people and finally the whole nation. And no wonder,
for remember what verse 14 of our text has said, the Lord has
mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of them. and hath made
Egypt to err in all things." And the prophet uses that very
familiar metaphor in order that he might picture their political
and spiritual condition. He likens them to a deeply inebriated
man." That means a fallen down drunk. He likens them to a man
staggering around under his drink and then staggering and splashing
in his very own vomit. His mind is blurred, his steps
are unsteady, His speech is silly and is slurred, knowing not whether
he's coming or going. His senses are dull. He's like
a man going around and around in a circle. He's oblivious to
the true situation and to the dangers that might be all about
him. In other words, his judgment
is perverted and is impaired. Now, let us be sure to understand
It is the Lord that has smitten them with this perverse spirit,
in order to deceive them, that they in turn seduce and deceive
the people in the nation, and by this means bring judgment
upon them. For as Job 12 and verse 16, the
deceived and the deceiver are his. In Ezekiel 14 verse 9, if the
prophet be deceived when he has spoken the thing, I the Lord
have deceived that prophet. You remember that incident written
up in 1 Kings chapter 22, what a wonderful one it is. basically verse 22 and verse
23, when the Lord put a lying spirit in the mouth of all of
Ahab's prophets. How shall we deceive him? Well,
one said, I will become a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's
prophets to deceive him. And it worked. And Ahab was deceived. And Ahab went out. And notwithstanding
the safeguards that he took, disguising himself, he was slain
in battle as the true prophet of God had predicted. So, how deceived and stupefied
is a man or a people who blindly and ignorantly do those things
that bring destruction upon themselves. How corrupt and how deceived
are they who destroy their very own country, liberty, and society. Now, zooming in close in Isaiah
19, 11 through 14, and revisiting the question of why. How did it come to be? that the princes of Zoan are
fools, the advice of the wise men is brutish, and they give
stupid advice to their hurt rather than to their good. Verse 11.
They have the king's ear, but they give a false counsel and
they flatter the proud, haughty king to ingratiate themselves
unto him that they might be in His favor. And why would they
do that? Well, in verse 13, "...are the
princes of Noth deceived, and Egypt itself is deceived." Well,
the answer to all that, again, is verse 14, "...the Lord has
mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof." You may notice
that the margin of the King James has it, a spirit of perversities. The Lord has mingled a spirit
of perversity. Even a spirit of perverse. Now the Hebrew word perverse
being from a root word that means to be crooked, literally, to
turn, or to do amiss, to do wickedly, to do wrong. All of those are
included in that word. Then the word mingle, literally,
to mix. So to mix it up and to mingle
it, or to blend it in, that there is then no possibility of separating
the two fluids that have been blended together. Three other
places where the word is in the Old Testament is in Isaiah 5
and verse 22, Proverbs 9 and verse 2, and Proverbs 9 and verse
5. And this word mingle refers to
the mixing or the mingling of wine, making it and getting it
ready for the cup and for the drink. And so is the metaphor
here in Isaiah 19 and verse 14, as they became as drunken persons
as the Lord mixed and mingled a perverse spirit among them.
God had so mingled the spirit of adversity that there was no
separating it from the other. As strong wine, it then took
effect upon their mind and their judgment. Strong wine in excess
makes one drunk. It impairs their judgment. It
dulls the reasoning. It makes them do foolish and
stupid things. As for example, a drunken man,
and I've heard of it many times, may spend all of his paycheck
the first day he gets it on wine and gambling and saloons and
that kind of stuff. Now even worse, is a stupefied
leader, a corrupt politician, drugged with a wine of perversity,
spiked with a spirit of deception, who do those things and implement
those policies and those laws that can only lead to destruction
of a nation, destroy its value, destroy the value of its currency,
even give away the control of their country to our or their
own enemies. Now sometime at your leisure,
I would challenge you to read from Isaiah chapter 39. You have
a good example here, a blunder made by Hezekiah. A tremendous blunder that Hezekiah
made which had effects upon his nation because it led to the
Babylonian captivity. At least it brought forth the
prediction of the coming Babylonian captivity by the prophet Isaiah. Now the short of the matter is
this, in Isaiah 39, Hezekiah, you remember him? Recently he
had been spared from death by the mercy of God. God said, I'll
add two years, 15 years. Well, God had given him that
mercy and had extended his life, but then Hezekiah does a foolish
thing. He welcomes into his country
and into his house ambassadors from the kings of pagan Babylon,
a neighboring country. And in verse 2 of that chapter
it said, He showed them all of His precious things. He opened
up His treasure. He let them view them. He showed
them all of His riches that He possessed. We read, quote, There
was nothing in His house, nor in all of His dominion, that
He showed them not. In verse 3 and following, the
prophet Isaiah comes to Hezekiah and draws out of him what it
was that had transpired and he foretells the time when they
would be plundered and they would be carried captive into Babylonia. Even so, I shudder when the so-called,
quote, heads of state, quote, meet together. It is a shuddering
time when these great leaders so-called meet together, when
our enemies are shown all that is within our house. that the
dog and pony show that they put on. Shaking hands, grinning,
stabbing one another in the back when they're gone, photo session,
and that kind of thing. The silly fake grins and the
handshakes. I call it a dog and a pony show. That's about all it's worth.
We're thinking. When that happens, how many million
is this going to cost us taxpayers now? When these potentates from
around the world come together, we wonder, how much of our money
are they going to go home with in their pockets? How much is
this going to cost us? What way are they planning to
rob us this time? What freedoms is it that we're
going to lose out of this? How much are these, quote, peace
talks, unquote, going to cost us this time around? What Freedom
Robin treaties are our leaders signing now? What are these foxes
up to? What are these foxes signing
this time? What part of the country are
they giving away now? And how much of our money are
they going to put in the global market, as they love to call
it. Now, this brings us to the question. We've laid a good foundation,
I think. Why would our politicians give
our country away? Why? Let's ask that question
and think upon it. Why would our politicians give
our country away? Why would they turn from that
Why would they give away that which has made us a great country? Why pass laws in favor of homosexuality
while suppressing Christianity at the same time? Why favor Muslims
and muzzle Christians? Why spend us into debt and oblivion? Why disregard our Constitution
that gives us our rights? Why are our politicians like
greedy hogs at the trough? How is it the name of God and
Jesus got banned from the veteran's cemetery here in town when funerals
were being conducted of our veterans. I'll bet you a dollar to a donut
they wouldn't ban the name of Allah from being used in that
cemetery if a Muslim was being buried there. How is it that
a judge recently ruled in another state up north that citizens
do not have the right to raise their own vegetables and eat
them out of their garden or use the milk from their own cow in
their pasture and in their barn? The judge ruled the citizen does
not have a right to use that unprocessed milk from their cow. That's all we had in the country. How is it that a young girl recently
in the United States of America was disciplined at school for
wearing a rosary? And how is it that students in
a school out in California were sent home for wearing a shirt
with a U.S. flag up on them? Why tolerate
open borders and give illegals equality with US citizens as
we are seeing done now? Why do they allow political correctness
to muzzle our constitutional right to free speech and expression? To all of these questions, it
seems that there can be only two possible answers that we
ought to consider. Number one, they are deceived
and they are proceeding in blind ignorance. They are fools like
those in Isaiah chapter 19. Then are they the blind leading
the blind. Has God deceived our princesses
as to the form of judgment that they ought to have for the good
of the nation? That's one possibility. They
are blind. They are deceived. God has smitten
them with a spirit of blindness and deception. Or secondly, could
it be that they are just flat-out corrupt? Could it be that our
leaders are just flat-out corrupt? They are greedy, power-mad ideologues
who do not do what is best for the country but what will enrich
themselves, give them more control, and more power, who spend tax
money in a way to get themselves re-elected. They tax us and then
they spend it to buy votes with it so that they can stay in their
power. Career politicians, lifelong
bureaucrat, was not what our founding fathers had in their
mind when they set up our country, our Bill of Rights, and our Constitution. And it was not a strictly secular
society that they had in mind at all. Now, let's get to the
nitty-gritty. The great danger for America
now is the possibility, or should I say, the likelihood of a total
financial collapse. The bureaucrats have spent and
borrowed and printed paper money until the system eventually,
it would seem, has to collapse. The debt is such now that honest
economists are telling us that if the government taxed every
salary 100%, it would not be enough to pay off the nation's
debt that we owe right now. Think of that. The nation's debt
now is greater than the sum total of the income of all of the people
living and working here. In fact, the government can hardly
pay the interest on the debt that it owes now. Nothing goes
toward retiring or paying the debt. The country is, for all
practical purposes, bankrupt. The only way for the government
to avoid default is the Federal Reserve keeps printing money,
which drives up inflation, and the government keeps borrowing
money. We are the world's greatest debtor. we might say this is not unique
to America. You might argue, oh wait a minute
preacher, hold on, this is not unique to America, this is worldwide. And then I want you to consider
something, that the American dollar has been for decades what
is called the world's reserve currency. The reserve currency. It's what banks around the world
use has reserve to cover their loans, but now if other countries
quit accepting the dollar as the reserve currency, then the
system will certainly collapse like a house of cards and a worldwide
depression seems inevitable. then I want to put something
in your mind. Will there be a food shortage? Will that be something in our
future? Will riots in the streets and
cities on fire, lawlessness and hoodlums robbing and pillaging
and law enforcement absolutely overwhelmed? And consider, will
there be UN troops on the ground in America? in days to come. Many would respond to this by
saying, this can't happen in America. This will never be the
case in our beloved America. No, no, not in America. We'll come out of this. We always
have. We always will. We'll recover.
But I would say to you, be careful. This is exactly what the elite
and lying politicians and bankers want you to believe, and maybe
the reason that it will happen, because the people doubt that
it is a possibility in beloved America. It's like saying, I
don't believe in the devil. I don't believe there's a devil
that makes people do bad things, makes it a lot easier for him
to do his work if you don't believe. If you don't suspect it, don't
blame it. on him. We have strayed from
our Constitution, my brothers and sisters, and fallen into
what I call democratic socialism. We did that a long time ago. We fell into democratic socialism. What one early statesman feared
and warned against has come to pass. Was it Thomas Jefferson? I can't remember. But one of
our early men warned this, that when people find out that they
can vote themselves a part of the public treasury, look out. When people find out that they're
able to vote themselves a part of the public treasury. Socialists
and progressives have seized control of our government, of
the media, and of the education system in order that they might
promote a progressive or make that humanist agenda. Folks, I don't think we ain't
seen nothing yet if God's hand does not be merciful and gracious
unto us. Let's close with a wise saying
from Solomon. Proverbs 14 and 34. Righteousness
exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Unquote. Charles
Bridges wrote this. It is not beneath statesmen to
take lessons from the Bible and let them ponder their sound political
maxim." The true measure of the honor of a nation or an individual
is character. Righteousness exhausts. Righteousness
builds up. Righteousness strengthens a nation. A recognition of God In public
and in private life, the practice of morality builds up and strengthens
a nation. Now, our nation was started,
founded upon these principles. On the other hand, sin is a reproach
to any people when public policy begins to favor sin when laws
protect immorality once great nations are no more because of
corruption and because of immorality. Now, we need to pray and pray
seriously that God will be merciful to our country, and that preachers
and Christians will stand for the faith once delivered unto
the saints of God. I think our prayer ought to be,
God be merciful, God grant repentance, give us patriots and honest people
for our leaders, and in this would our nation be greatly blessed. Look around, the question is
a viable one to consider. Is the end of America as we knew
it near at hand?