The Nineveh Factor! part 3

We are told in the book of Jonah that the wickedness of this great city cried out for judgment. Jonah 1:1, “Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.” God said, “for their wickedness is come up before me.” Ellicott states, “the Hebrew implies especially evil-doing against others, that violence which in Jonah 3:8 is recognised by the Ninevites themselves as their characteristic sin.” Jonah 3:8, “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.” This was the decree by the King of Nineveh thereby the people of Nineveh acknowledged their great sin and repented in sack cloth and ashes.

Biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/wickedness
Ra' – adjective

Definition
1. bad, evil
    a. bad, disagreeable, malignant
    b. bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
    c. evil, displeasing
    d. bad (of its kind-land, water, etc)
    e. bad (of value)
    f. worse than, worst (comparison)
    g. sad, unhappy
    h. evil (hurtful)
    i. bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
    j. bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
       a. in general, of persons, of thoughts
       b. deeds, actions
2. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
    a. evil, distress, adversity
    b. evil, injury, wrong
    c. evil (ethically)

King James Word Usage – Total: 663
evil 442, wickedness 59, wicked 25, mischief 21, hurt 20, bad 13, trouble 10, sore 9, affliction 6, ill 5, adversity 4, favoured 3, harm 3, naught 3, noisome 2, sad 2, miscellaneous 34.

Gen. 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Gen. 3:22, “ And the LORD God said , Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat , and live for ever:”

Gen. 6:5, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Gen. 13:13, “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”

The same principle is illustrated in Genesis 4:10 in reference to Cain's murder of his brother, Abel. Genesis 4:10, “And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.” In the face of a righteous and holy God, this deed cried out for justice and justice being judgment. And again in Genesis 18:20 concerning the grievous, sinful and ungodly behavior of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18:20, “And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;” Such deeds of debauchery required the intervention and judgment of God. The same principle is applied to the crimes of Israel in Hosea 7:1-2, Hosea 8:13-14.

The word nefarious comes to mind as it is quite similar.

Nefarious (Adj.) not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable.

Synonyms black, dark, evil, immoral, iniquitous, nefarious, rotten, sinful, unethical, unlawful, unrighteous, unsavory, vicious, vile, villainous, wicked, wrong

Related Words base, contemptible, despicable, dirty, disreputable, evil-minded, ignoble, ill, infernal, low, mean, snide, sordid; atrocious, cruel, infamous, nasty; blamable, blameworthy, censurable, objectionable, obscene, offensive, reprehensible; corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, libertine, loose, low-minded, perverted, reprobate, scrofulous, sick, unhealthy; cursed (also curst), cussed, defiling, noxious, pernicious, pestilential, ugly, ungodly, unwholesome; banned, barred, condemned, discouraged, forbidden, illegal, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, unauthorized, unclean; disallowed; execrable, lousy, miserable, wretched; errant, erring, fallen, unprincipled, unscrupulous; improper, incorrect, indecent, indecorous, naughty, unbecoming, unseemly, vulgar; dishonest, dishonorable. (Merriam-Webster.com).

The connotation of this word describes the very essence of life in a disobedient and rebellious world. I truly believe that this is the way that God sees the hearts and conduct of fallen man.

The blood of 60 million aborted babies cry out from the ground for Justice just as the blood of righteous Abel. Their blood represents the innocent that have been taken by the evil powers of this world. The grievous, sinful and ungodly behavior of the nations of this world cries out for judgment just as the behavior of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.

It is noteworthy that the Word of the Lord to Nineveh was not against a person or group of people but against an entire nation. Nineveh was the seat of government for the Assyrian Empire. The issue before God was a system of wickedness which required repentance and change and it had to begin with the leadership at the highest level.

Conclusion:

The Nineveh Factor – Leadership/government is judged along with the people who have consented freely to such leadership/government. Repent and return to God!

The Elijah Moment – A nation is judged and along with the leadership is given the opportunity to repent! 1 Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” The Elijah moment is this: God was getting ready to administer His judgment upon this wicked government. He wanted Elijah to know that He still had large numbers who had not bowed to Baal. Elijah had a role in bringing God's plan to it's completion. He said go and anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, Jehu to be king over Israel and Elisha to be prophet in Elijah's place. 1 Kings 19:17-18. God uses whom He wills to bring about His plan! But we must have that Elijah moment!!! (see blog post titled “The Elijah Moment” - timefortheharvest.blogspot.com).

The Shaking – The Body of Christ is being purged all over the world. Only the true Christians will stand up and be counted for Christ. The popularity of Christianity has worn off. Only the blood bought who have been changed will have the spiritual fortitude to stand in the evil days ahead. It really doesn't matter the outcome of the election this fall (if there is an election). Who ever steps into the role as leader of this nation, will be a purging instrument for the Church in America. (see blog post titled “The Shaking” - timefortheharvest.blogspot.com)

Ra / nefarious – wickedness, evil – If God has held nations and empires accountable in centuries past, He will continue in the present. The decay of this nation is the result of decades of rebellion and disobedience. This nation has been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Judgment is here, even at the door. Repent and return to God.