Why did the old Roman Empire collapse?

[powerpress]Don’t see the audio player? Click here.

According the historian Edward Gibbons, the Roman Empire did not fall because enemies invaded and defeated it. It fell because of the internal loss of moral and spiritual values. According to Gibbon, the empire collapsed upon itself. Years ago, ancient Israel was suffering terrible oppression. The Midianites would invade their land annually. They were so cruel that people had to hide in the mountains and caves. When they planted their farms, the Midianites would arrive at harvest time and rob them of all their crops, and take all their sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. The people cried out to the LORD for relief. God sent a prophet to tell them why they were having so much trouble. The prophet said,