“If there is famine in the land, or blight, windstorm, mildew, locusts or shearer-worms; or if their enemy comes to the land and besieges them in any of their cities — no matter what kind of plague or sickness it is; then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all your people Israel makes — for each individual will know what is plaguing his own conscience — and the person spreads out his hands toward this house; hear in heaven where you live, and forgive, and act, and, since you know what is in each one’s heart, give each person what his conduct deserves (because you, and only you, know all human hearts)…” – 1 Kings 8:37-39
There’s an interesting nuance I want you homies to catch in the passage above.
Notice how the Lord deals with individuals who are in the midst of widespread disasters due to national sin.
What is a national sin anyway?
Isn’t it simply a group of individuals who come together to sin against the Lord?
Honestly, there’s never gonna be a point where every member of the group turns around and repents.
So Solomon prays that God will deal with each member of the group on an individual basis.
This reveals one of the many mysterious ways the Lord deals with His human creation.
He deals with each of us individually, but at the same time, also collectively, as distinct nations.
Salvation (and forgiveness) is an individual matter, while freedom from oppression is a national one.
There’s an inspiring takeaway here.
What I’m getting from this is that you can get caught up in a national disaster…
Yet if you repent, you will be rescued individually while everyone else will be swept away by the tribulation.
I can’t guarantee that’s what will happen.
Yet I have experienced individual deliverance in many past situations in my life while those around me fell into disaster.
And I’ve seen this exact phenomenon play out with other folks as well.
The point is the Lord does make a distinction between those who are His and those who aren’t.
The preservation of Israel throughout history is one sign testifying to this fact.
Ya feel me?
Done.
This teaching reminds me of one of the major reasons for the difference between Jews and Christians when it comes to the Messiah: Jews have always seen the Messiah as a national salvation whereas Christianity teaches it to be an individual relationship.
And yes, I believe that God will save those who are righteous but in the midst of an unrighteous country with sinfull leaders, but that salvation may not be a physical one.
We read how when God was angry with the nation, be it Israel or Judea, or both, that when he directed punishment that ALL were subject to the tsouris. Old men, young men, women, children…everyone, rightoues or not.
I believe the salvation God will bring to the righteous who are suffering from the sins of their leaders is the spiritual salvation: they may be killed in the action, but they will avoid the second death.
God works on a spiritual plane of existence, and only occasionally on our physical one, so when he says live or die, he means after this worldly existence is over.