“But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets—day in and day out. But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors.” Jeremiah 7:24-26
Man always wants to control everything. They want to improve on God. We are created in the image of God and we want to be like Him. God is telling Israel that from the day that God brought them out of Egypt they have been going backward not forward in their walk with God. Israel had the ability to hear God’s voice. To be sure that they received the message that God was sending them, God sent them prophets, but they did not listen. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward: Sacrifice continued, but obedience stopped. Instead of following the Lord, they followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts. The heart of man or woman isn’t necessarily a good guide to God-pleasing behavior. This “follow your heart” mentality made the people of Judah feel good, but it did not bring them true blessing and progress. They went backward and not forward. It made them worse than their fathers. Morally and spiritually they were in a state of regress, not progress.
What Jerusalem and Judah did to bring judgment upon themselves is exactly what America is doing right now. And if the wicked behavior of God’s people signaled the imminent destruction of that society, then our sinful behavior clearly signals judgment on our nation. Indeed, if the prophet Isaiah were living today, beholding the wickedness of our nation he would write the same. “At that time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse. But instead, you dance and play; you slaughter cattle and kill sheep. You feast on meat and drink wine. You say, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (Isaiah 22:12-13) “Our nation right now is receiving its final call to repentance, just prior to a great judgment! I believe America stands at the brink of an economic and social collapse.” (David Wilkerson)