The American war for independence was fought by
ill trained, over taxed, over-burdened Colonists who pledged to each other
their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor believing that this call for
independence was supported by a “firm reliance on the
protection of Divine Providence”.
It
was remarkable that America had won her independence. The ragtag colonists had pitted themselves
against the most powerful, best equipped military in the world at that time. And yet, they prevailed.
At his inaugural address George Washington declared:
No people can be bound
to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men
more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have
advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been
distinguished by some token of providential agency... We ought to be no less
persuaded that the propitious smiles
of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules
of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.1
Just about all of the founding fathers saw God’s hand in the making of
America.
Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying…
I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer
I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God Governs in
the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his
notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred
writings, that “except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build
it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid
we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of
Babel.2
John Adams said…
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
3
Contrary to the opinions of many, the majority of the
founding fathers of the United States had a deep and abiding trust in God. And who was this God? We get a hint from Benjamin Franklins afore mentioned quote. This was the God
manifested in the Hebrew scriptures.
The Bible refers to the eternal God of the Universe over
200 times as the “God of Israel”. Elsewhere
He’s described as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… the Patriarchs of the
Jewish people.
But why would the God of the Universe be so exclusive as
to focus on identifying with Israel? The answer to that question is far more involved than I can communicate in a simple
essay. Suffice it to say that God’s
identification with Israel is necessarily His plan for blessing the entire
world by ultimately trading in man’s plea for “tolerance” with the preferable
attribute of love which brings with it genuine peace.
Were the founding
fathers, therefore exclusivist? By no
means! George Washington was quoted as
saying
“The bosom of America is open to receive not
only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of
all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our
rights and privileges, if by decency and
propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.”4
(As an aside, note,
if you will, Washington’s words in bold.
I believe that that is a statement particularly relevant in this day.)
Against all odds, the United States was created with the blessing
and aide of Almighty God. This God has
certain characteristics of not only power, omnipresence and all of those
attributes that are universally assumed by monotheists, but of love and
intimacy, justice, kindness and absolute adherence to what would be universally
known as virtues. He manifested His
nature to us throughout scripture but most explicitly through the manifestation
of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah.
For the most part, it seems that what is commonly known
as “the Church” forgets the reality that the God they profess to worship
identifies Himself as the “God of Israel”.
It does tend to remember this fact once a year when it traditionally sings
“born is the King of Israel”.
The King of Israel died and rose from the dead not so
that we can with cavalier abandon take what He accomplished for us on the cross
for granted. Nor are we to put words in
His mouth and condone that which He, in reality and according to His Word, the
Scriptures, condemns. Historically when
we’ve condoned what God condemns, He’s punished us. Lincoln interpreted the Civil War as punishment
from God for not having eliminated slavery.5
The King of Israel died and conquered death so that we
might serve Him and obey Him, not so that we can pursue our own self-interests. If we fail at this task as individuals and
fail to encourage this as of foremost importance collectively we will certainly
lose the freedom that the God of Israel desires for all people, and
subsequently our “independence”.
1 https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals/inaugtxt.html
3 Ibid
4 Ibid
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