July 3, 2017
Psalm 33:12, 16-18
(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)
In 1954, at the urging of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Congress passed a law that the words “under God” be added to the Pledge of Allegiance. Originally published in the September 8, 1892 issue of The Youth’s Companion, and written by Francis Bellamy, this first offering of the Pledge was as follows: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and Justice for all.” The words, “the flag of the United States of America” were substituted for “my flag” in 1924. Since 1954 the Pledge of Allegiance has been thus recited:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all.
Why was “under God” added? What was President Eisenhower’s thinking behind the recommendation of adding this phrase? When he signed the bill into law on June 16th, 1954, the president made this statement:
From this day forward …school children will daily proclaim…the dedication
of our nation and our people to the Almighty….Especially is this meaningful as
we regard today’s world. Over the globe, mankind has been cruelly torn by vio-
lence and brutality and, by the millions, deadened in mind and soul by a mater-
ialistic [communistic] philosophy of life. Man everywhere is appalled by the
prospect of atomic war. In this somber setting, this law and its effects today have
profound meaning. In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious
faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen
those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful re-
source, in peace or in war.
And what does it mean to be “one nation under God”? Consider what is written in Psalm 33:12, and 16 through 18 (our featured Scripture):
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and the people whom He
has chosen as His own inheritance….No king is saved by the multitude
of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is
a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who
hope in His mercy.
Although America has moved more and more toward being a secular nation, it does not change this eternal truth: Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD! This Psalm was written originally applying to Israel. Truly, Israel was the people whom [God]…chose as His own inheritance! The beginning of the nation is recorded in Genesis 12:1 through 3, when the LORD called Abram (later Abraham) out of Ur of the Chaldees. The nation came into full fruition when, through Moses, God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land of Canaan! (Read the first fourteen chapters of Exodus, and Joshua chapter 3).
But there is a lesson of warning to be learned! Israel remained a favored nation as long as God was their LORD! When they departed from faithfully following Him they lost His blessing, and eventually lost their land (see II Kings 17L5-23; II Kings 25:1-21) and nationhood! (Research the Roman conquering and disbursement of the Jews in 70 AD).
There have been five great national societies throughout history:
• The Assyrian Empire:
▸ Old Assyrian Empire – approximately 1750 to 1418 BC – 332 years.
▸ Middle Assyrian Empire – 1365 to 1133 BC – 232 years.
▸ Neo Assyrian Empire – 1055 to 612 BC – 443 years.
• The Babylonian Empire – 605 to 539 BC – 66 years.
• The Medo/Persian Empire – 538 to 330 BC – 208 years.
• The Grecian Empire – 336 to 30 BC – 306 years.
• The Roman Empire:
▸ The Roman Republic – 509 to 27 BC – 482 years.
▸ The Roman Empire – 27 BC to 476 AD – 503 years.
While there is controversy over the beginning and ending dates of these national societies listed, the point is, they had a beginning, and they had an ending! America had its founding in 1776! It has continued now for 241 years! How long will this country continue to last?
• George Washington (our first president) gave us this wise quote in his Thanksgiving Proclamation on October 3rd, 1789: “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor….”
• John Adams (our second president) wrote a Presidential proclamation for a national day of prayer:
…the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the
protection and the blessing of Almighty God…the national acknowledgment of
this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him, but a
duty whose natural influence is favorable to the promotion of that Morality and
Piety.
• Benjamine Rush (Signer of the Declaration of Independence) wrote:
The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in
religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can
be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.
• Calvin Cooledge (our 30th president) said:
The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the
teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in
these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.
America will last as long as Christians realize and pursue the truth of verses 16 through 18 of our featured Scripture:
No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered
by great strength. A horse [the ultimate weapon of modern warfare back then]
is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Be
hold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in
His mercy.
Though presently true Christians are in a minority in America, we need to plead with God to send revival to our land! We are the most blessed nation upon this earth at this time! If we are to continue in these blessings, we need to seek national awakening toward the LORD and His truth through Jesus Christ! Only then will we be One Nation Under God!