One Nation Under God
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Sermon Delivered 6/30/02
When I was in first grade we began each class day by
reciting The Pledge of Allegiance. I would ask you to recite
it with me this morning. (Please stand).
"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."
In June of 1954 an amendment was made to the 1942 act
of Congress establishing the Pledge of Allegiance in this Nation. Then
President, Dwight David Eisenhower said this about adding "under God" to
the pledge.
"In this way we are affirming 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 resource in peace and
war."
President Eisenhower recognized something that two
judges on the Nineth Circuit Court of Appeals missed, that our heritage
has been that we ARE ONE NATION UNDER GOD!
Our founding Fathers recognized the profound truth that
our rights, yea our freedom comes from God. This is acknowledged in The
Declaration of Independence…
"We hold these
truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Thrice more in The Declaration God is
referenced! It says in the first paragraph, "the Laws of Nature and
Nature’s God." Then God is called "the Supreme Judge of the world.
Finally, in the closing sentence it says, "And for the support of this
Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine
Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes
and our sacred Honor."
Our Rights/Freedoms Do Come From God
God is the author of physical life.
Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became
a living soul."
God is the author of spiritual life. Ephesians
2:4-5 "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he
loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together
with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)"
Life, both physical and spiritual come from Almighty God.
The Bible says, "Except the LORD build the house, they
labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman
waketh but in vain." Psalms 127:1
If fact, liberty is the reward of those who obey God
and keep his commandments; it is not the product of the ingenious minds of
men. Benjamin Franklin realized this. On June 28, 1787 a debate was raging
in the Constitutional Congress concerning how each state would be
represented in the new government. On that day, 81 year old Franklin make
the following motion –
Mr. President:
The small progress we have made after 4 or 5 weeks
close attendance & continual reasonings with each other - our
different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last
producing as many noes as ayes, is methinks a melancholy proof of the
imperfection of the Human Understanding…
In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it
were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to
distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we
have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of
lights to illuminate our understanding?
In the beginning of the Contest with G. Britain,
when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room
for Divine protection. – Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were
graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must
have observed frequent instances of Superintending Providence
in our favor.
To that kind Providence we owe this happy
opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our
future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful
Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?
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 (see Daniel 4:17). And if a sparrow
cannot fall to the ground without His notice (Matthew 10:29), 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 labor in vain that build
it.(Psa 127:1)" 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: We shall be divided by our partial
local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves
shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages (see Deut.
28:37)….
I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth
prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our
deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we
proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city
be requested to officiate in that service.
Liberty is the blessing of God and our founding
fathers knew it! I dare say that is why George Washington took his oath of
office, placing his hand upon Deuteronomy 28 (opened to that
portion at his request).
Deuteronomy 28:1, 13 & 15 says, "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: 13 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: 15 But it shall come to
pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God,
to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command
thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and
overtake thee:"
Liberty is the blessing of God! Now, let’s move on the
pursuit of…
Psalms 33:12 says, "Blessed is the nation
whose God is the LORD…" Do you know what blessed means? The Hebrew
word rva eh’-sher
means happiness.
A nation will be happy when Jehovah is acknowledged and
magnified in that nation. But what form will that happiness take? I would
turn your attention to the first 14 verses of Deuteronomy 28 again. But
also I would point you to Proverbs 29:2 "When the righteous are in
authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the
people mourn."
We have many unrighteous people in authority in our
nation these days, among whom, in my opinion are Judges Goodwin and
Reinhardt. They refuse to "Praise the Power that hath made and preserved
us a nation" and no doubt would expunge our nation motto: "In God is our
trust" as Francis Scott Key wrote in our National Anthem. I believe it is
time to use every legal means to rid ourselves of men like them and
pressure our legislators to appoint righteous people to positions of
authority. I believe you should do your part so "one nation under God" is
not just lip service.
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