National Sin

This mural, called "Tragic Prelude" by it's artist, John Steuart Curry, depicts firebrand Kansas abolitionist John Brown. Behind him are the devastations to come to the state.

Get dressed and lament, you priests. Wail, you who minister at the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my God, because no one brings grain offerings or drink offerings to the temple of your God anymore. Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.  Joel 1:13-14

 National sin. This is a concept that I was mostly unfamiliar with and gave very little thought to until recently. It’s not a new concept though, it goes back to Genesis, back to the beginning of nations.

 What is National sin? According to the Bible Hub it is, “the collective transgressions of a nation or people group against God's commandments and moral laws.” Basically, it is treating a nation as an individual and judging it according to its actions. Throughout the Old Testament, nations came under judgement and, sometimes, were spared because of their corporate repentance.

 In the beginning of the book of Joel, including our verses for today, Joel is calling the nation of Israel to repentance. They have turned away from God. He is not calling individuals to repentance for their individual sin, but a nation to repentance. He is calling the priests to repent for the sin of Israel. He is telling them to extend that to the elders and inhabitants of the land as well. They are called to fast and mourn in sackcloth over the state of their nation.

 I’m wondering how this passage applies to our nation, and therefore to me. Are we a holy nation that honors God? No. I definitely wouldn’t say that. Because of that are we subject to the judgement of God? Yes, I think that’s biblical. So, if our nation is called to repentance, which I believe it is, how should I be a part of that?

 My heart has been broken of the sins of our nation of late. I have avoided the news, fearing its effect on my mental and emotional health, but felt called to engage with it after a dear friend asked me some questions recently. As a result, I am devastated. If I owned sackcloth, or knew what it was, I’d be wearing it. Have I, personally, committed those sins? No, but that doesn’t matter. The sins were committed. I am a part of the nation that committed them. I need to be a part of the call to repentance, the confession of sin, the mourning of our corporate guilt.

Here's the Thing: I’m not sure what this will look like for me yet. I am praying about it. It may include some regular fasting, something I’ve never done spiritually before. It will certainly involve prayer. It will likely involve me sharing on my blog and calling others to this mourning and repentance as well. Will that make me friends, no, it will likely lose me many, but my best friend is Jesus and honoring Him is my first responsibility.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 6, 2025 at 6:36 AM

    I have been involved with a group of international Christian students, praying and repenting of sins of their nations, boy was this a very powerful day of prayer. We were about to break for lunch and I remember two Swiss girls who wouldn’t let us break until they had repented for the Swiss nation being neutral and not standing up for the Jews during the WW2. They just couldn’t stay quiet any longer. I also remember reading about Winston Churchill calling our nation to day of prayer, we certainly could do with it now!

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