God Bless America!
A Republic: If You Can Keep It
On September 17, 1787, James McHenry, a Maryland delegate attending the Constitutional Convention held in the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall), closely observed the final deliberations from the men in the room. He watched as the men affirmed and signed their names to the “instrument,” as referred to by James Madison. Of the 41 men attending the convention during that session, 38 signed the Constitution, and the group's secretary, William Jackson, signed his name, attesting to its authenticity. McHenry later told the story of a woman who asked the 81-year-old signer of the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin, an important question. “Well, Doctor, what have we got: a republic or a monarchy?’ ‘A republic,’ replied the Doctor, ‘if you can keep it.’” Why did Benjamin Franklin’s response to the woman sound so cynical? Was there something he knew that others didn’t? Perhaps he spoke of human nature and the biblical foundations upon which this newly formed republic rested. It's important to remember that these framers of the Constitution were Deists of the Enlightenment Age. These men believed that God Almighty created the universe and established natural laws but did not interfere in the daily lives of man. They believed in reason, skepticism, and individual religious liberty. Therefore, the new republic and the Constitution upon which this nation was founded adhere to these fundamental truths held within its Judeo-Christian context. Benjamin Franklin knew that although the “instrument” was written to act as a foundational guide for present and future generations, there would be those who would want to change or misinterpret its meaning. Those who would be tempted to change one of the greatest documents ever written are incapable of learning the lessons of past generations and would foolishly repeat them. Franklin understood the importance of the new republic—it would no longer be in submission to the whims of a distant monarch. The Revolutionary War against Britain was the battle cry against tyranny.
Years earlier, even when young colonists were fighting against the British, there continued to be loyalists to the English king living in the colonies who were strikingly similar to the ancient Israelite Elders who went to the Prophet Samuel to request that he anoint a king to rule over them. In 1 Samuel 8:6-21 (NIV), the Bible details that encounter and God’s command to Samuel. “But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods . . . listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve . . . Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and . . . others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war . . . He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
During the tumultuous years, which included the signing of the Constitution, the country was embroiled in a bloody war with Britain. In the early winter of 1776, the men of the Continental Army felt as if the cause for liberty had been lost. Their morale was low. Men were deserting the ranks daily. On the night of December 25th, just as he was preparing his men to fight the next day, General George Washington ordered his captains to read Thomas Paine’s latest pamphlet, “The American Crisis,” aloud to the troops to encourage them not to give in to fear but to fight for the cause of liberty. The following is an excerpt of what his men heard the night before their skirmish with the British at the Battle of Trenton:
“These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph . . . I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake. Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it.”
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not be like “summer soldiers” or “sunshine patriots” who feel secure and safe in our homes as we sit in judgment of the actions of others. We must not be distracted by propaganda about personalities or offended by mean words! Our liberty is once again on the line! We no longer have the option of sitting this one out. God is calling for us to be a light among the nations! Let Us Pray for God (our Father) to Bless America and the Republic for which it stands. Let us recall those challenging words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” and start by exercising your fundamental right – to vote to keep our republic! It is our sacred duty on behalf of those who fought and gave their lives for our liberty. And let us remember that the true King of Kings is still on His throne!
Scriptures used in this module:
Psalm 113:4 (KJV) Psalm 121:1-4, 8 (ESV)
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT) Psalm 72:12-14 (BSB)
Ephesians 1:3 (ESV) Revelation 14:15-19 (NIV)
John 3:16-17 (NIV) Leviticus 26:3-4 (NLT)
Psalm 106:3 (NIV) Psalm 65:8-10 (NLT)
Psalm 40:4 (ESV) Psalm 1:1-6 (ESV)
Isaiah 30:18 (ESV) Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
Deuteronomy 11:25-28 (ESV) Mark 8:34-37 (ESV)
Matthew 5:6-12 (ESV) 2 Corinthians 9:10 (ESV)
Psalm 116:1-2 (NLT) John 4:35-38 (ESV)
Daniel 9:4-14 (NIV) Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)
Psalm 46:1 (ESV) Galatians 6:7-8 (ESV)
Ephesians 3:20-21 (BSB) Hosea 10:13 (ESV)
1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV) Luke 6:38 (ESV)
Psalm 33:6-12 (NIV) Joel 2:23-24 (ESV)
Acts 17:26-27 (NIV) Amos 9:13 (NKJV)
Psalm 22:27-28 (ESV) Proverbs 18:9-11 (NIV)
Job 12:23 (NLT) Matthew 24:35 (NIV)
Proverbs 14:34 (NLT) Romans 8:37-39 (ESV)
Isaiah 44:3 (ESV) Psalm 108:13 (NIV)
1 John 5:3-5 (NIV) James 1:12-14 (ESV)
