MARKS OF A FALLEN SOCIETY
(By Emerson Blythe)

Mostly from the Old Testament.

When the Children of Israel fell from right standing with God, it is interesting to see what the results were.

Defeat

Knowledge taken away

Women and children lead

Bad weather

Insects

Diseases

(Isa 3:1-5)  "For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. {2} The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, {3} The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. {4} And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. {5} And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable."

BSB:
This verse depicts the rulers as childish, weak, incompetent men who were leading the people astray. The intention may not be to criticize a particular leader (e.g., Ahaz), but to show the prophet's contempt for all the existing leadership.

(Isa 3:8-12)  "For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory. {9} The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. {10} Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. {11} Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. {12} As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths."

An explanation:
(Isa 19:16)  "In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it."

(Psa 2:1-5)  "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? {2} The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, {3} Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. {4} He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. {5} Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure."

Knowledge taken away when God forsakes:
(Isa 29:9-14)  "Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. {10} For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. {11} And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: {12} And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. {13} Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: {14} Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."

(Jer 8:7-9)  "Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. {8} How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. {9} The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?"

(Hosea 4:1-7)  "Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. {2} By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. {3} Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. {4} Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. {5} Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. {6} My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. {7} As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame."

(Mal 2:8-9)  "But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. {9} Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law."

Another look: Disease, famine &  Pestilence
(Exo 15:26)  "...If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee."

(Deu 7:12-15)  "Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: {13} And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. {14} Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. {15} And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee."

(Deu 28:1-6)  "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: {2} And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. {3} Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. {4} Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. {5} Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. {6} Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out."

(Deu 28:15-25)  "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: {16} Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. {17} Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. {18} Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. {19} Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. {20} The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. {21} The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. {22} The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. {23} And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. {24} The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. {25} The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth."

(Deu 28:37-50)  "And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee. {38} Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. {39} Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. {40} Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit. {41} Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. {42} All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. {43} The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. {44} He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. {45} Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: {46} And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever. {47} Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; {48} Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. {49} The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; {50} A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young:"

(Deu 28:58-61)  "If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; {59} Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. {60} Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. {61} Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed."

CLOSING:
When a society falls from the favor of God, the consequences are drastic, and catastrophic.

If it happened with God's people of old, then why would the same principles not hold true of us today?

Can we not also see some of these things taking shape in our society today?

What can we, as individuals, do?

Sometimes God judges nations and societies.  As members of the community, there is little, but some, we can do to affect the society in which we live.

But ultimately, when it comes to the final analysis, God judges by individuals.
	In the antedeluvian world, there was Noah.
	In the sinful cities of Sodom & Gomorrah, there was Lot.
	In Elijah's time, when he thought he was the only faithful one left,
	  God had 7000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal.

If we want God's blessing and God's care, it is up to us as individuals to remain faithful to Him.