It seems the saga of the self-absorbed, ill-behaved congressman has finally come to an end.

The Anthony Weiner spectacle should be a national embarrassment, yet many have brushed it aside as a personal matter, an issue of no or little consequence. Truth is, this sad affair was a stark reminder that this once great nation, particularly its government and leadership, is in a rapid state of decline.

When it comes to our national leadership, the once universally valued traits of high standards, morality and self-discipline have all too often been replaced with greed, self-service and even varying levels of debauchery. Along with our politicians, leadership on every level is fast losing credibility. Sadly, most of today’s leaders in America’s military, education, culture, religion, and finance and business simply don’t compare to the standard of old. Added to this, the most important leader that is fast losing credibility is the head of the family—the father.

As we consistently witness irresponsible, undisciplined behavior, our trust and confidence is replaced by doubt and disappointment—and even a growing sense of hopelessness!

Though it is difficult to watch, this growing dearth of quality leaders is not a surprise to long-time Trumpet readers. In his book The United States and Britain in Prophecy, Herbert W. Armstrong showed that the Bible reveals how and why the United States of America became the world’s greatest superpower. Likewise, he showed that the Bible reveals why we are in the midst of such a swift decline today. America’s God-given blessings are being removed because of disobedience—we’re reaping what we’ve sown.

High-quality leadership, as Mr. Armstrong explained, was a blessing from God. In the same manner, the diminishing quality of leadership that prevails today is a curse!

For proof of this reality, all you need to do is turn to Isaiah.

Roughly 2,500 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah foretold of our current leadership crisis. In chapter 3, we find a detailed account of God’s judgment against the end-time descendants of Israel, which mainly comprise the U.S., the British Commonwealth and the nation called Israel today. Because of our disobedience, God said He would remove any and all leadership that provides societal strength, stability and confidence.

In the first three verses alone, 11 different types of leaders are mentioned as being removed by God: “For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away [t]he mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, [t]he captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.”

How many “mighty” men, leaders capable of “judging” righteously, with “prudence” and “honor,” do we have today? How many “cunning artificers” and “eloquent orators”?

The quality of our leadership is more like that prophesied in verse 4: “And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.” Too many of our leaders today, from both ends of the political spectrum, exhibit the immature, undisciplined behavior of children. Biblical commentaries identify these leaders as capricious and insolent—leaders who brashly serve their own pleasures rather than the needs of the people. The International Critical Commentary even says that their behavior is made to look ridiculous in order to humble our nations.

Considering recent headlines, could God’s prophecy be more exact?

God continues His judgment of these perverse leaders in verse 9: “The shew 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.” You know it’s the end time, God says, when you see immoral leaders showing partiality and openly parading their wicked vices. Just as it was in ancient Sodom, these leaders even celebrate their sins openly, with pride. The U.S. government, for example, recently recognized and celebrated June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month!

In verse 12, God addresses the leadership void that would arise in the home. “As for my people,” He says, “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.” Look around: The role of the father has been radically undermined. In fact, there is a raging and widely successful war on fatherhood. Today’s culture is one of out-of-control children, dominant women and weak-willed men.

In his booklet Isaiah’s End-Time Vision, editor in chief Gerald Flurry aptly describes this family condition as being upside down. Too many fathers are allowing their leadership to be usurped. In too many cases, either the wife is leading and making all the decisions or the demands of the children are giving direction to the family. In either case, the family is upside down because the father has abdicated his God-given role. The family is the building block of every society and nation. Upside-down families result in upside-down nations—which is exactly what we see today!

As Isaiah 3 states, our cursed leadership is leading us into error—our path is headed for destruction.

But there is hope! Through all this, God is teaching mankind a lesson when it comes to family and leadership. God wants us to learn that we can’t trust ourselves. To learn, albeit the hard way, that due to our faulty nature and evil, deceptive hearts, we can’t trust the laws of men, the governments of men and the leadership of men (Jeremiah 17:9-10).

When it comes to leadership, God is teaching us to trust Him.

When it comes to leadership, God is not a respecter of persons, but a respecter of righteousness and character. Character does count. Our once-great nation was largely built on religion and morality. Our Founding Fathers were governed by both private and public morality. Those men followed biblical laws that require care and concern for our fellow man. These men were great leaders because they acknowledged the supremacy of God.

Despite the difficulty we’re experiencing today, the time is fast coming when God’s laws will be the foundation in the life of every man, every family and every nation. God says He will write His law of love into our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). In the very near future, our leaders will obey and trust God and direct all others to obey and trust God. As a result, trust and confidence will be restored. Our prosperity, liberty and happiness will be unmatched!