To dip into Scripture once again, let’s take a look in Deuteronomy. As you know the Pilgrims and Puritans, then later, our Founding Fathers established our country as a Christian nation. In doing so, they entered into a covenant relationship as the Israelites did and set forth in Deuteronomy 28. I will elaborate on this concept in future postings, but let’s start here with some particular, pointed verses from this chapter, and I think you will see what I mean. I won’t recite the entire chapter; you can read that for yourself, but let me just highlight some of the portions that I believe will strike a chord with you. See if you recognize our own nation in these ancient words of warning from Moses:
Deuteronomy 28:1-14:
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto Himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in His ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee. The Lord shall open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in His season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Doesn’t this sound like the America many of us grew up in? The America of our parents and grandparents, that “Greatest Generation” who fought evil enemies around the world and turned back the tide of socialism, communism, and fascism? We celebrated and enjoyed the blessings of our freedoms, American ingenuity, productivity and prosperity. And we were united, together, One Nation, UNDER GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Most every American knew and revered the Lord God. We worshiped Him. He was welcome and WANTED in our homes. We sought His wisdom, His righteousness and His blessings. We kept the Sabbath day holy; it wasn’t a day of football, cursing and drinking; it wasn’t a day of casual carousing and indulgence of carnal appetites. It was a day of reverence, and rest, and remembrance of the blessings bestowed upon us by God, our Heavenly Father. Young women sought a “Good Christian Man,” and young men yearned to find a “Good Christian Wife.” “CHRISTIAN” was the key. It was something to be desired and sought after. But those days are gone.
Unfortunately we have fallen far from the nation of our grandparents, but honest history will show that America was the shining example for the world as a whole. We had those blessings! We are seeing them falling away these days – and we’ll examine that next time – but in the meantime know that we can attain that standing again if we return to the God of the Bible in the United States.
God bless you all.
