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.
