The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, commemorates the "adoption" of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which declared the thirteen American colonies free from British rule. The Continental Congress voted in favor of independence on July 2, 1776, and two days later, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, a document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
Our Founding Fathers were a diverse group, with varying religious beliefs. We are blessed that all of them saw scriptural significance in their independence from England in various ways, often interpreting their struggle for liberty through a religious lens. Many of them believed that government was a sacred trust given by God to protect the inherent rights of people created in His image.
John Adams, our nation's second President, said, "The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity". Benjamin Franklin, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, wrote to Yale president Ezra Stiles, "I think the system of morals and [Jesus'] religion as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see." The Declaration of Independence itself reflects this belief in a higher power, referencing ""the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God"" and asserting that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.
They were drawn to passages such as Leviticus 26 or Deuteronomy 28 and loved Old Testament texts dealing with the idea of covenant. They could see divine parallels between Israel and the United States such as Lev. 26:3-18 "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land. "I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land. In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword. "I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you. You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, "who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high."
One cannot deny that in our nation's short history, we have experienced the blessings of a covent relationship with God.
They were also drawn to texts that describe the character and characteristics and, I might add, the blessings of a righteous ruler. Here I'm thinking of verses such as Proverbs 29:2 "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan," or Exodus 18:21 "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens," or 2 Samuel 23. You may recall that this text is David's dying declaration, his deathbed declaration where he speaks of what you should look for in a ruler. "Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel... "He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.'..."
Even more recent leaders have warned of the fragility of freedom and the constant need for vigilance and effort by each generation to maintain it:
Your Pastor,
Pastor Cleddie Keith
Our Founding Fathers were a diverse group, with varying religious beliefs. We are blessed that all of them saw scriptural significance in their independence from England in various ways, often interpreting their struggle for liberty through a religious lens. Many of them believed that government was a sacred trust given by God to protect the inherent rights of people created in His image.
John Adams, our nation's second President, said, "The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity". Benjamin Franklin, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, wrote to Yale president Ezra Stiles, "I think the system of morals and [Jesus'] religion as He left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see." The Declaration of Independence itself reflects this belief in a higher power, referencing ""the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God"" and asserting that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.
They were drawn to passages such as Leviticus 26 or Deuteronomy 28 and loved Old Testament texts dealing with the idea of covenant. They could see divine parallels between Israel and the United States such as Lev. 26:3-18 "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land. "I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land. In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword. "I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you. You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, "who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high."
One cannot deny that in our nation's short history, we have experienced the blessings of a covent relationship with God.
They were also drawn to texts that describe the character and characteristics and, I might add, the blessings of a righteous ruler. Here I'm thinking of verses such as Proverbs 29:2 "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan," or Exodus 18:21 "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens," or 2 Samuel 23. You may recall that this text is David's dying declaration, his deathbed declaration where he speaks of what you should look for in a ruler. "Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel... "He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.'..."
Even more recent leaders have warned of the fragility of freedom and the constant need for vigilance and effort by each generation to maintain it:
"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation." - Ronald Reagan in his inaugural address on January 5, 1967
Your Pastor,
Pastor Cleddie Keith