Economic Judgment

[darinhouston]

On the show the other day, Steve mentioned that the bible declared that God's judgment on a nation might come in the form of the economy (debt, in particular, as I recall). Anyone know the verses to which he was referring?

[Michelle]

Maybe Deut. 28:12? "The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow." (NKJV)

[look2jesus]

I think Steve also referred to Proverbs 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

[darinhouston]

yes to both, but I thought he also suggested there was a teaching specifically that a nation's borrowing was a sign of God's curse.

[steve]

I don't think I made this specific comment recently, though I have made it before. The only recent comments that I remember making on this was my discussion of the conditionality of Israel's blessings in a discussion with a caller. I used the Deuteronomy 28 passage.

On the matter of a nation (in general) being cursed because it is in debt, I don't remember any comments that came up in the last few weeks, but my position is based both on God's statements to Israel and upon the verse cited by look2jesus (above). My actual opinion is not that it is a sin to borrow, but that a nation, by borrowing becomes less sovereign and free—a loss that is truly a "curse" on the nation, though not necessarily a curse brought by God, but by the borrowing.

In God's warnings to Israel, there is certainly the suggestion of God bringing economic curses upon the disobedient nation, though I am not sure that everything God threatened to Israel would have a direct transference to other nations, since Deuteronomy is describing specific blessings and curses associated with the covenant that He had with Israel, which was unique, since He has not made any similar covenant with any other nation.

He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 147:19-20)

[darinhouston]

I listened again (4/22, about 40:25 to 41:11) -- it sounds like you were saying that a nation's debt is a sign of it being under God's curse (perhaps in other respects), and that not being in debt was evidence of His blessing... (I sent the snippet to you by email).

[steve]

Thanks, Darin. I had forgotten that conversation. Yes, I said, "I think a case can be made" that our economic woes indicate God's displeasure with the country.

[darinhouston]

That's definitely my impression.