When Nations Forget That God Judges Righteously

 My opinion — Larry G. Truitt, Ramblings of a Country Preacher

“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” — Psalm 9:17, KJV

I have watched the news from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, and I keep coming back to a question that ought to trouble every American Christian. How long can governments use their power to destroy lives, and how long can the people who put them in office excuse what they do, before the Lord calls them to account?

What changes when the leaders change?

When I listen to the political debate in Israel, I wonder how much would change for a Palestinian family in Gaza if a different leader took office. The question I want answered is whether those seeking power would end policies that destroy homes and uproot families, allow relief to reach those who need it, and recognize that Palestinians have a right to live in safety and dignity. A family that has lost its home has little reason to celebrate a change in leadership if the policy that cost them their home carries on.

This raises a hard question about voters' responsibility. A 2024 Pew survey found that about four in ten Israelis thought their country's military response against Hamas was about right, 34 percent thought it had gone too little, and 19 percent thought it had gone too far. That tells me there was substantial public support for the military response at the time. The survey measured views of that military response, and the differences among Israelis were real. The people who have spoken against the suffering in Gaza deserve to be heard.

Elected leaders bear responsibility for the orders they give. Voters bear responsibility for what they knowingly endorse and what they are willing to excuse. I apply that same rule here at home. If I keep rewarding a politician who defends a policy I know is wrong, I have a question of conscience to answer myself.

What are we doing in Syria?

I believe the Israeli government bears grave responsibility for its conduct in Gaza and for decisions that have widened conflict in the region. Other governments and armed groups must answer for their own deeds. My first duty as an American is to ask what our government is doing. What are we paying for, what are we arming, and what are we encouraging? When Washington backs military action, what does it do to protect civilians and end the fighting?

I have asked, What has Syria done to us? There is a distinction worth making. U.S. Central Command said its January 2026 strikes in Syria targeted ISIS following a deadly ISIS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces near Palmyra. American and Syrian forces were both attacked. That leaves Congress with questions it ought to answer in plain English. What is the scope of our mission in Syria? Under what authority does it continue? What would bring it to an end?

And when leaders speak of war with Iran, or justify further strikes in Lebanon, I want to hear what they have done to keep the fighting from spreading. The families who bury the dead will live with the consequences long after the men who made the decisions leave office.

What have we made of our Christian witness?

I am grieved when I hear American Christians defend almost anything the Israeli government does because they believe prophecy requires their support. The prophets of Scripture spoke plainly about the sins of their own rulers. Amos cried, “But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24). If we take the prophets seriously, we ought to be willing to ask the questions they asked about power, justice, and the treatment of the poor.

A Palestinian mother grieving her child deserves the same compassion as an Israeli mother grieving hers. A Lebanese family driven from home and an Iranian family afraid of the next strike are our neighbors in the sense Jesus taught. I cannot read the parable of the good Samaritan and imagine that the Lord expects me to check the wounded man's nationality before I stop to help him.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). I have preached that verse in times of peace. I had better be willing to preach it when people are cheering for war.

The election and the judgment of God

I fear that this American election may hasten our downfall if we send men and women back to Washington with the understanding that they can widen wars and excuse the suffering of civilians and still count on our votes. I want to know where a candidate stands when loyalty to a party or an ally costs innocent lives. That question matters to me whether the candidate has a Republican or a Democratic name beside theirs.

I believe the course both the United States and Israel are taking bears the marks of what Scripture warns will bring nations into judgment. When rulers grow proud, when innocent blood becomes a matter of little consequence, and when religious people bless what they ought to rebuke, I hear the prophets' warnings. As I consider these events in light of end-time prophecy, the one thing I can say with certainty is that God sees what nations do and will judge righteously. The timing and manner of that judgment are in His hands.

Peter wrote that “judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Before I point my finger at Jerusalem or Washington, I had better ask what I have excused, whose suffering I have overlooked, and whether I have prayed as earnestly for peace as I have argued about politics.

My prayer is that God will have mercy on the families caught in these wars, that He will give our leaders the courage to seek peace, and that He will give the church the courage to speak when those leaders do wrong. And may He start with me.