Chapter 3
IMPORTANT HISTORICAL NOTES
Division by Nations
Soon after the flood the peoples of the world, in rebellion against God, determined to unite in an effort to build a city and a tower, to become mighty as god upon the earth. God intervened by confusing their language. From here the nations of the earth were established, providing a barrier for Satan’s ambitious plan to unite mankind in rebellion to God’s rule. History shows us the persistence of Satan to inspire men to fulfill his goal of a one world government. Up until now he has failed with every attempt, yet he persists. Globalism is again gaining momentum in our day. The underlying philosophy that is often obscured is the replacement of the rule of God by a world government. Those with insight understand that it is Satan that is behind this movement and his desire is to exercise dominion over the pinnacle of God’s creation, Man.
There are two despised enemies of Satan’s plan, the Hebrew people and the Church. Even after the Jewish rejection of Christ as Messiah, God still has a plan for the Children of Abraham. As long as they can be identified as a people they stand as a witness of the righteousness of God. They have been attacked from without and within, yet a remnant still remains.
The Church likewise has suffered from attacks from without and within. The most vicious attacks have been from within. Yet there remains and continues to rise up a people faithful to the righteousness of God, an uncompromising people who have put their trust and confidence in their Lord Jesus Christ.
A Nation Set Apart
“Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Ge 12:1-3 NAS95)
History only records two nations that have been birthed on the foundational Law of God, nations whose king was to be the Lord himself. Of these two, Israel is the only one created in purity of source and purpose. It was on God’s initiative that Abram was chosen, separated, and commissioned. Abram accepted God’s call and stepped forward in faith and obedience, following the direction and guidance from God.
From the outset until our present day God has used this nation to reveal to the world the righteousness of God, the sinfulness of man, and God’s plan for redemption. God has taken and preserved this small nation and a small piece of ground as a witness and reminder to all the earth of the eternal truths. This tiny nation preserved outside of their homeland for two thousand years, now is becoming established on their God-designated land. Their very existence continues to confound the World. Their existence defies all explanations, except one, God. King Frederick the Great once asked his physician Zimmermann of Brugg-in-Aargau, “Zimmermann, can you name me a single proof of the existence of God?” The physician replied, “Your majesty, the Jews.”
From Abram, to Moses, to David and Solomon, to the destruction of Jerusalem, to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, to the rejection of the Messiah, to destruction and dispersal, to the holocaust, to present-day Israel, God has used Israel for his purpose. Israel has been God’s source of revelation to the whole world. God’s intention is blessing. Man’s rejection brings a curse. Israel has been an example of righteousness and blessing, sin and judgment, and a source of blessing and a source of judgment. Through Israel God has given us the Law and the Prophets, a revelation of righteousness and judgment. Most importantly God has used Israel to reveal His love and mercy. God has laid out his plan for forgiveness, redemption, restoration, and eternal life through His Son Jesus, the Christ.
Those nations that have been a blessing to Israel have been blessed. Those nations who have cursed Israel have been cursed. To this present day the ramifications of actions for or against Israel have had their consequences. When Israel prospers the whole world is afforded opportunity to share in those blessings. When they are oppressed the whole world suffers.
Diaspora and the Church
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.” (Mt 21:43 NAS95)
Israel had been entrusted with the Word of God. But when the Word appeared to them in human form, a form easily understood, they rejected Him. Make no mistake, Jesus was not saying He was taking the kingdom away from the Jews and giving it to the Gentiles, because He gave the kingdom to a group of Jews. Jesus was addressing the chief priests and Pharisees and their leadership of the Nation of Israel. The kingdom of God on earth was now directed through the disciples since God established the Church on the day of Pentecost. Under God’s direction the Church broadened its appeal to the Gentiles also. As the Apostle Paul later stated, God broke down the barrier of separation and of the two made one; one shepherd, one flock. Under the leadership of the Apostles, God’s kingdom on earth multiplied producing the fruit of that kingdom.
The significance of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection, is so profound and important that all of man’s existence is now measured from the time of His birth. God’s plan for the redemption of mankind was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Jewish nation that had been so instrumental in bringing this to pass was sent into the Diaspora (the scattering abroad of the Jews from their homeland). The birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost began an outreach of evangelism that continues to this day.
With the Diaspora, the nation of Israel faded to the background for about two thousand years only to reappear in our present generation. The Church had phenomenal expansion during the first couple of generations following Christ’s resurrection. Persecution and opposition seemed to mark its very existence, and at times accelerated its spread and strengthened its members.
The expanding Church faced many perils. Foremost of these perils came when it was embraced by kings and rulers. Compromise and subtlety have often been marks of the attacks from Satan. Once the exclusive Lordship of Christ in the Church was compromised it became a tool in the hands of kings to rule their people. In spite of this perversion of the mission of the Church, the message of the gospel survived, even if at times it had to go underground. God’s Word does not return to Him void. There remained a remnant of the faithful, and the mission of the Church continued at various paces and places throughout history.
We can look at this period of time from the first century Christianity until the Reformation from several perspectives. Indeed, volumes have been written of the interaction of Christianity and society through this time period. At times it seemed to restrain rulers and at times it seemed to enable them in their quests to conquer and dominate the world around them. My point in mentioning this time is not to delve into the multifaceted interactions of the Church at different places at different times. I simply wish to point out that the world was a different place because the Church was here. The Church was a reminder to the world of that which does not change. A reminder that there was a law that was higher than the rule of kings on earth.
The Church’s institutions at times became corrupted, aligning themselves with evil men. But through it all God’s Word was preserved. At times the light seem to flicker, but never was entirely extinguished. There were always enemies that seemed intent on destroying God’s Word. But God’s Word remained unchanging, faithful, and true. It continued, often behind the scenes, to uphold and inspire faith and hope.
Reformation
Even in the darkest times there were always those voices, inspired by God, calling men to repentance. And there were those in every period of history that heeded that call and in their generation stood as testimonies of God’s mercy and grace. As the Church rose to political heights it also descended to spiritual depths. Organizations that claimed to be the Church of God became the persecutors and tormentors of the children of God.
It was on the testimonies and mangled bodies of these witnesses that God was able to reignite the gospel to a sick and dying world. It was the powerful, never changing, Word of God that ignited the reformation of a people who carried God’s name but knew Him not. With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, the Word was able to bypass those who would pervert it and make it into the hands and hearts of the people. It took the world by storm and created divisions and conflicts. Efforts to quell these movements were unsuccessful as they began springing up all over.
It is only looking back on these events that we can see how the timing of these events would be so significant in opening the door of freedom for mankind and the spreading of the gospel. As the truth of the Word of God was being revived a new land was being opened up to plant a new nation. A nation founded on the principles of faith and freedom. As the kings of the earth sought to control, restrain, and manipulate the revivals sweeping the world, God opened a door for a new beginning.
A Nation is Born
For about one hundred years men had been sailing to the Americas in quest of wealth and fame. They came with the sword, sometimes even in the name of the Lord, to conquer and pillage. They found gold and silver and peoples to enslave. Through conquest they established their little kingdoms. But there was an area that did not capture their attention, for it was not rich with gold and silver but covered with forests.
It was in this area that small groups of settlers finally began to arrive. Most of these groups were not seeking wealth and fame, but they were seeking freedom to live out their faith. Away from kings and princes, traditions and restrictions, these men drew up simple Biblically based charters to govern their settlements. These simple agreements created a pattern that became the foundation for government in the development of the colonies that grew up around them.
Removed from the oversight of oppressive government man’s potential became unbridled. Individual freedom restricted only by the Law of God transformed this wild untamed land into thriving colonies. Of course as time progressed the prosperity of the colonies drew the attention of the rest of the world. The combination of equality and freedom created an environment filled with opportunity and potential on a scale unknown in the established countries of the world. Of course this environment had its own peculiar problems, for this country became a magnet for all sorts of characters.
The discovery by Europeans of the Americas opened these vast continents to them for discovery and collision with the societies that had developed apart from them. But the area that later became the United States was unique in all of the many areas of conquest and colonization. So unique was the founding of this nation, that it later became the model that transformed, not only the Americas, but impacted the entire world. The rapid rise of this nation caught the world’s attention is such a way that many people in many places tried to mimic it. Despite the popularity of its example it was never duplicated and remained unique of all the nations of the World.
Eventually the United States stretched from sea to sea, but what was spread across this vast land mass began in those few simple settlements on the Atlantic coast. This was only the second time in all of human history that a nation had this unique opportunity to begin new upon a foundation of dedication to God and His Word. Israel of course being that first nation establish upon the Word of God. Now for the first time in three thousand years small groups of pilgrims were freed from the oppression of kings to begin a new nation established on the Word of God.
This small beginning allowed for the development of law as a form of government. These were laws that were agreed upon by the community, rather than laws being imposed upon them from a hierarchy, tradition, or king. There have been other societies that have had this opportunity to a limited degree. But what made this situation unique was that the law that united these people was the law that was handed down to them from God, through Moses, and ratified by Jesus Christ. This law had its foundation in an authority higher than any man on Earth.
It was these simple organizations of Christians that established the foundation of the nation that was to follow. There were business organizations that also tried to establish themselves in this new land. And of course there was the long reach of the kings of Europe. But what had begun by those simple pilgrims had taken root. The freedom and security that was experienced in a God-centered society created benefits for all and created a level playing field. Prosperity came and with it many new challenges.
Revolution?
One hundred and fifty years after the founding of the colonies the trade and interaction between Europe and American had increased dramatically. But it still was a long distance between them. That distance created a real disconnect between those who lived in Europe and those in the American Colonies. Generations of people had grown up in American Colonies that were ever expanding into the frontier. Freedom, self-government, and self-reliance had become a way of life for many of these people. It was the Seven Years War that focused much of England’s attention on the Colonies. The war had been costly and England began to impose taxes to extract more money from the Colonies.
As the tax burden began to fall on the citizens of the Colonies the realities of the great divide between Europe and the Colonies was laid bare. This was much more than the divide of a vast ocean. The common people of the Colonies had, over decades of time, experienced more freedom and equality than anyone of their European cousins. Parliament’s referral to the Colonies as plantations and the colonists as subservient individuals struck a nerve in the colonies inciting rebellion.
The usual focus on the rebellion in the Colonies is on the taxes, the economy, and the lack of representation in Parliament. But there was also a push from England to rein in the religious freedom that the colonists had for so long enjoyed. Today we have a hard time imagining how prevalent and influential the church was in the life of the colonists. The resistance message was coming from the pulpit as well as from the pub, and England knew it.
There have been many revolutions and revolutionaries who have used this Revolutionary War as an example and an excuse for their own rebellion. But this revolution was different than most in that it was not an attempt to revolutionize their government and way of life, rather it was a fight to preserve what they had achieved over the last 150 years. The bondage of a strict overseer was bearing down on a society that had experienced the taste of freedom, and it created a firestorm.
Revival
Christianity and the Bible were foundational to many of the early settlements. If we examine the early charters and laws that were enacted in the Colonies it becomes obvious how much influence the Biblical precepts had in fashioning the laws of the land. But as the Colonies developed and prospered these societies became increasingly materialistic and worldly. This is a typical pattern that is evidenced throughout man’s history.
In the 1730’s revival began stirring in America and Europe. In 1740 George Whitefield visited the Colonies and the ensuing revival swept across them. The effect of this “Great Awakening” was instrumental in setting the stage for the Church’s involvement in the quest for independence from England. Stirring up the precepts of the Biblical foundations of the Colonies played a huge role in defining the foundation of the ensuing republic. The justification for rebellion against the King of England was an appeal to higher power, the Creator God and our Lord Jesus Christ. After all, had not the Creator granted to all men unalienable rights that the King had usurped?
Independence
Against all odds those bold men and women that had risked all, appealing to the mercy of the Most High God, were granted independence from England and the kings of Europe. The next few years the Colonies had to grapple with the ramifications of what that meant. Freedom from England did not mean freedom from responsibility. It was obvious that the only way this new nation would survive would be to establish a permanent bond. It was with this understanding that the Continental Congress met with representatives from the individual Colonies.
The war for independence had brought the Colonies together in a way that spanned their borders. Especially amongst the younger generation they had begun to think of themselves as Americans. But as they came together they came as representatives of their own states. Their purpose in coming together was to draw up a binding agreement to govern their future relationship together. But after a time of partisan squabbling it was beginning to seem impossible. Finally, a senior statesman arose and suggested that they take a break, go to church, and pray for guidance from above. At last there was agreement for something, and they adjourned.
What happened next can only be described as a miracle. When they reconvened, the perspective had dramatically changed, and the document that came out of that meeting created a foundation for this fledgling nation that has preserved us till this day. July 4th 1776 the Colonies had declared their independence from England. But it was the Constitution and its Ratification that took place between 1787 and 1789 that established the United States of America and the rule of Law.
John Adams would later say: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Looking back people fail to understand what was clearly understood in this day. We may assume that a nation was founded without a king. But that is not entirely true. One of the phrases of the day was: “We will have no king but Jesus”. And many of this day viewed Jesus as their king. Their government was the rule of law, outlined in the Constitution and directed by the inspired Word of God. The King of their country would not rule through kings and governors, but through an individual’s heart, conscience and the Bible. Morals would be dictated through law and not though dictators. Judgment would be handed down based upon that law and not the whims of tyrants.
Our Constitution was established with checks and balances. Attached was the Bill of Rights defining boundaries of government interference. Yet there was and still remains one great weakness in our system. That weakness is that the ultimate responsibility for maintaining our Republic rests on the heads of its citizens. Our history reveals that as our citizenry strays from the commandments of God, so goes the safeguards of the Nation. Revive the moral atmosphere, and the Nation recovers. We now sit on the precipice of annihilation for we as a nation have lost our moral compass, the Word of God.
A Nation Set Apart
I have set the United States in a unique category as one of two nations that was founded on and established on the Law of God. Today both nations present a very diverse and complicated picture. Yet if we go back to their roots we will see their godly foundations. With Israel it was Abraham, a man who separated himself from his kin and country. At the direction of God he traveled to a foreign land to found a nation and people who would be a testimony of God’s grace and mercy. They were a nation that was intended to bring blessing on all the nations of the earth. We all know how this turned out. In spite of Israel’s ups and downs God used this nation to fulfill His plan of redemption for mankind through Jesus Christ. Even today Israel’s very existence is a testimony of God’s mercy and grace.
Likewise, the Pilgrims and like-minded settlers came to the Americas, separating themselves from kin and tradition to found a nation that would bring glory to God. A study of their writings reveals their intent was to build a nation founded upon the Word of God. Their vision was that this Nation would be like a city on a hill, a pattern to be followed, and a blessing to those nations that they had come from.
In many ways their vision has been fulfilled. Every nation on earth has been blessed by what has come forth from the shores of the United States. The prosperity and blessings that we have experienced inspired peoples around the globe to try to emulate the success and rise of our nation. No other nation has been as instrumental in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. At times there were those who acknowledged that America had become great because it was good.
But that road to greatness was not always smooth. There are some dark times in our history as America strayed from their righteous roots. It seems like each generation had to face up to their accountability to their foundation. Freedom has its risks. The pilgrims had sought for freedom to live righteously. Wisely they recognized early on that being governed by righteous law was the only way to preserve that freedom.
The miracle of the United States still lies in the blessings that come from heaven above. We have always been a nation separated out of the other nations. God’s plan for the United States was to be a blessing to the whole world, and we have been. There has never been a more generous nation than that of the United States. Again, this goes back to our roots, and our foundation in the Holy Scripture.
Pride and Prejudice
“Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Pr 16:18 AV)
The Scripture is full of knowledge and wisdom. The instructions for peace and happiness are contained within its pages. But there are also warnings about the consequences for violating the laws that govern the Universe. The problem is that if we do not seek wisdom from its pages, then we will not find wisdom. Neglect breeds ignorance. Ignorance breeds foolishness.
Failure to acknowledge the source of our blessings, leads to forgetfulness. A proud and haughty people are those who have forgotten where they came from. And when those blessing have been withdrawn that we have for so long been recipients of, then we are faced with a dilemma; will we humble ourselves, or will we stiffen our neck? Will we appeal to the source of goodness, or will we go down wallowing in our own stinking pride?
It was in the midst of one of the greatest crisis this Nation ever faced that President Lincoln rose up and appealed to the Nation to recognize the source of our difficulty, and that was pride.
“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!” Abraham Lincoln
Even in our relatively short history we can see a pattern that reveals the relationship between godly living and heavenly blessing. True morality is based upon the Law of God. Right and wrong are not just ideas, but are based upon the spiritual laws that govern the universe. There are consequences when we violate the physical laws, and there are consequences when we violate the spiritual laws. Pride (that unholy attitude of the heart), when it rises up, deceives us into thinking that for some reason we can rise above the Law and it will not affect us. It took the extreme cataclysmic events of the Civil War for Abraham Lincoln to fully understand this reality. Time has dulled this principle in our thinking since then, but its truth remains.
As a nation we are again in great crisis. This time the crisis is much deeper, for the foundation of our nation has been undermined. The great building blocks of our nation have been compromised. No longer do we as a nation recognize our godly foundation and the reliance upon the blessings of God for our continued existence. We have become a nation of many gods, and many of our people have put their faith in government. Now, in times of crisis the people look to the government, and not toward God.
It seems as if the majority of our population is deluded by illusion. They have been convinced that they are gods. They have assumed authority for determining what is right and wrong. They perceive themselves as an evolved people in an evolved society and have presented a new morality of their own making. Truth is on trial and scores of people have been convinced that truth is relative, that there are no absolutes. Each man is encouraged to live in his own little world, ignoring the ramifications of ignoring reality.
Again, as so often seen in history, pride has lifted its ugly head and serves to blind people to the realities all around them. Pride finds its encouragement in the lies that continue to blind people. They seek refuge in the promises of those who orchestrated the calamities that they face.