Today’s the Fourth of July and I always like to celebrate our nation’s struggle to gain freedom. It’s a story every school child knows, and we all know someone who’s fought to defend it.

But what we may not understand is the spiritual heritage and mandate resting on our nation. It originated with our ancient Old Testament patriarch, Abraham. Because Abraham was righteous in worshiping the true God of Israel and not the idols surrounding him, and because he was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord on faith, God made some profound promises to him:

• He would inherit a Promised Land – Canaan in Israel – in mortality and in eternity.
• He would have a posterity too numerous to count that would bless all other nations.
• His posterity would be prospered and protected as long as they were righteous and refused to worship idols.

Both this blessing and its associated “curse” are described in the Book of Deuteronomy, summarized as follows:

If the children of Israel are obedient, they will be blessed temporally and spiritually—If they are disobedient, they will be cursed, smitten, and destroyed; diseases, plagues, and oppression will come upon them; they will serve false gods and become a byword among all nations; fierce nations will enslave them; and they will eat their own children and be scattered among all nations. (Chapter Heading, Deuteronomy 28, LDS King James Bible)

In Old Testament times, Egypt was the big world power, and Assyria was the country by which disobedient Israel was punished for idolatry. Israel ultimately was destroyed as a nation and scattered throughout the Earth.

George Washington, our first president, invoked these blessings on America in his Inaugural address and subsequent official prayer:

. . . it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being Who rules over the universe, Who presides in the councils of nations, and Whose providential aids can supply every human defect – that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes.  . . . We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained;  (Click HERE for full address)

Furthermore, Abraham Lincoln invoked these ancient promises and protections during our nation’s greatest struggle for survival, the Civil War. Some quotes:

I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side. . . . Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it. . . . It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.  

In our day, America is the world power, and the nations who wish us harm are modern counterparts to Assyria who can potentially remove our freedoms. See the writing of Isaiah scholar, Dr. Avraham Gileadi for further enlightenment. Are we, as a nation, living in such a way as to preserve our national security from adversity and attack? What do recent natural disasters and the events of 9-11 say to us?

Let us not be drawn into the idol worship of our day, and may we see the Lord’s hand in providing and protecting our precious freedoms!

George Washington Taking Oath of Office
Courtesy Wikipedia