An Evil Generation

Some generations are more wicked than others, for not all run to the same excess in evil. Yet how true it is that man left to himself can only go in the way of sin. Man, as fallen in Adam, has a propensity to sin. He drinks in iniquity like water and if not restrained by some inward or outward restraint will grow worse and worse. It is very clear that man of his own volition will never give up sinning. The carnal heart of man delights in what is evil and corrupt and consequently will go on in the ways of sin and death unless delivered from those ways by the mighty power of God. “The heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked who can know it?” This is the testimony of God’s Word and is proved day by day in the godless lives of men and women, of old and young. We read in the Word of God how God “looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.” The conclusion he came to is recorded in Holy Writ: “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” This is the solemn state of man as separated from God by sin, with a mind alienated from God His Maker, and a will that knows only how to do evil. There is no inclination towards good in the fallen heart of man. Before that can be, a new heart must be put within him.

Not all generations are equally evil and wicked. Some generations have restraints put upon them, external restraints that keep them from much evil in which they would engage were it not for these restraints. Where the Word of God is sounding forth in the midst of a people, that Word cannot but have a restraining effect upon the people of that generation. As the Word of God, and particularly the law of God witnesses in the consciences of individuals so it puts a restraint upon them preventing them going to the same extremes in evil to which they would otherwise go. Where there are many of the children of God in a generation, their witness has a restraining effect upon their fellow men which prevents these persons doing evil in the same way as they would do it if these godly persons were not among them. Where there are righteous laws in a generation these laws have a salutary restraining effect upon the men of that generation. It is good that it should be so, as otherwise the generation would become more and more openly wicked in their desires and practices. God also puts His restraining grace upon men so that they are not allowed to do the things they would do if that restraint was not there. How terrible a world it would be if there were no restraints upon men. How impossible a place it would be for man to live in, as evil would be continually breaking out on every hand.

Yet how clear it is also that there are generations in this world that are clearly marked out for their wickedness. At such times evil reaches a great height and men are exposed to the wickedness of the wicked at such a time in no common degree. Sometimes, it is true, the wickedness of the generation has been confined to certain areas of the world, as in the time of the cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah. God had to say of their sin that it was very grievous, and of Sodom it is recorded that “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” Such was the state of Sodom and Gomorrah when God in judgment poured down vials of His wrath upon them, for we read: “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and He overthrew those cities.” At other times it is the whole generation that is wicked. We have an instance of this in the old world. Of that time we read: “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.” It was this that provoked the Most High to send a flood upon the earth to destroy man from the face of the earth, only Noah finding grace in the eyes of the Lord. What sudden and swift destruction came upon the old world, for God is not mocked; but, what a man sows that shall he also reap.

A further instance of part of a generation being found wicked in God’s sight, is the land of Canaan before the children of Israel came to dwell in it. At an earlier period the Lord had to say to Abraham that the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. But the time came when it was full — for there is a limit which the Lord sets beyond which He will not allow a people to go without bringing upon them swift destruction. Such was the state of the nations of Canaan when the Lord gave them into the hands of the children of Israel. The evils practiced by these nations had reached great depths of depravity, therefore the Lord would destroy them. They were devoted to slaughter because of their heaven-provoking sins. The children of Israel were given specific instructions: “Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them.” Their end was that they be destroyed utterly. Such is the reward of sin in a nation or in a generation. So it was also with the children of Israel themselves when they fell into idolatry and every manner of evil and sin. They were given over in large measure to the sword of their enemies. They had to learn by bitter experience that it is an evil thing and a bitter to sin against God.

We see something of the progression in sin and iniquity that overtakes a people left on record in God’s Word in the first Chapter of Romans. Here is recorded the state of the heathen nations before the gospel of God’s grace reached them. It was a progression in sin and a being given over more and more to sin by the withholding of restraining grace from men. Men may provoke God to withdraw His restraints from them. So it was here. “When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man.” “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.” This was not the end for we read that “they changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.” As a consequence God gave them up to vile affections. But this was not the end. We read further that “as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind.” How low will man sink if the Lord withdraws His restraints is evident from the description of this people who were filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, etc. This is man in all the evil of his fallen nature when he is left without restraint. Surely such a people constitute an evil generation.

But we must ask ourselves how it is with our own generation. Are we any better than they? Is this present generation a God-fearing generation? Or must we say that it is in large measure a God-forsaken generation—a generation which has provoked the God of Heaven to withdraw in a great measure His restraining grace from us. The evidences are all too patent for us to see that we have forsaken God and that He has forsaken us. Our sins, as a generation, are crying out to heaven for vengeance. If God will visit us as our sins deserve, then who will stand? What instruments of destruction there are in the hands of men, if God in His wrath will permit men to use them for the execution of His wrath! What sudden destruction would come upon this evil generation if our cup comes to be filled up—and how much it has the appearance of being steadily filled up. Also the judgments of God are already abroad in the earth in wars and pestilences and famines and in many other ways. When the Lord arises to shake the earth terribly then who shall stand? We are in the midst of an ungodly generation. The question arises as to whether we are part of that ungodly generation or whether we are of those who sigh and cry for the abominations that are done in the land. What need there is to plead with Habakkuk in this ungodly generation when he said: “O Lord, I have heard Thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.” -YPM

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