BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD
Rev. Bernt P. Tweit
Bible Readings
Certainly, as we come together to worship, on this the 4th of July, we have many freedoms. We think about our freedom. We think about our independence. We think about our flag. We might even think about some trivial things, like apple pie, family gatherings, hot dogs and baseball, and fireworks as well. But today, as we worship on this 4th of July, I also want us to remember how blessed we really are! How blessed we are physically speaking, and more importantly, how blessed we are spiritually speaking, as well.
When the author of this section of scripture wrote, (and we don’t know who it was), certainly he was talking about the Land of Israel, the Nation of Israel, and how blessed they were by God. After all, they were the chosen nation, through which God promised the Messiah would come. Maybe as the author was writing these words, he might have been thinking about some of those ways, in which Israel was physically blessed.
Possibly the crossing of the Red Sea and the Egyptian army being drown in the waters, as they came back together.
Perhaps the manna and quail that God provided in the wilderness.
Perhaps the Walls of Jericho, crumbling and falling down as the Israelites came to the Land that God had promised to them.
Maybe along with that was the spiritual blessing, as well, that they were the chosen nation, through which the Savior would come.
Today as we look at this verse, "Blessed is the Nation, whose God is the LORD," we can see it is God, who has created us and preserved us. Every time we confess our faith, with the words of the Apostle’s Creed and the First Article, we acknowledge that.
I believe in God the Father,
Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
Martin Luther goes on in his explanation to the First Article, to talk about some of those physical blessings that God has given to us. Martin Luther says, "God richly and daily provides us with food and clothing, home and family, property and goods, and all that we need to support this body and life, that He protects us from all danger, guards and keeps us from all evil, and all this purely out of Fatherly goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in us. For all which we are in duty bound to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true."
God certainly has physically blessed our nation. Let us just pause to consider a few of the ways in which He has blessed us. It was back in 1620, when the first immigrants, the Pilgrims, came over from Europe. That very first spring, in 1621, they planted their first crops. That fall they harvested their first crops. When they harvested their crops, they came together and said,
"The earth is the LORDS
and everything in it."
They were acknowledging that the harvest, that blessing, had come from God.
In 1776, just days after the Declaration of Independence had been signed; the Continental Army was still fighting for our freedom. General George Washington and his men of 8,000 were on the banks of the East River, near Brooklyn, NY. Coming upon him were 20,000 experienced British soldiers, who could have easily overtaken them. More British soldiers were coming in ships, as well. It was nighttime, and rain started to fall. The winds picked up and they stopped for the night. General Washington and his men were able to cross over the East River, a few at a time, in rowboats. And by the time morning came, they were all safely across. How God had physically blessed General Washington and his men, and preserved them!
How about more recently, as we look at the front cover of our bulletin, for this morning, to see timeless words from one of our presidents, President Abraham Lincoln. Go to the third paragraph there and see what he says about the blessings that have come to us.
"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, power, as no other nation has ever been."
Natural resources in our country are second to none. Natural beauty that we have here, as well. Certainly, we can go back to Martin Luther’s words, that God provides for us everything that we need to support this body and life.
"Blessed be the nation
whose God is the LORD."
Thanks be to God that He physically blesses us!
More important than that, is the spiritual blessings that God has given to us. How we are in need of great spiritual blessings, because of our sins. Again, looking at those timeless words from Abraham Lincoln, I am going to read the first paragraph and the fourth paragraph to see what one of our presidents said about our nature and our state.
"It is the duty of nations, as well as men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and their transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon,…and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord." "But we have forgotten God! We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us. And we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, to proud to pray to the God that made us."
How proud we sometimes become, thinking that we can do everything on our own, instead of depending upon God and everything He has done for us. And yet, even though we are sinners, God gives us great spiritual blessings. I want to quote two sections of scripture this morning. One is in the New Testament book of Galatians, Chapter 3. Here Paul makes a comparison between Abraham and ourselves. Paul says, "Consider Abraham. He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand then, that those who believe are children of Abraham."
The scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announce the Gospel in advance to Abraham. All nations will be blessed through you. So, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Abraham believed the promises of God, that the Messiah would come and save him from his sin. It was credited to him as righteousness.
The same promise that was given to Abraham is the same promise that is given to you, who believe by faith that Jesus is your Savior. All nations will be blessed through Abraham.
Consider these two verses from Psalm 32, (the chapter right before the one we are considering this morning). It talks about the spiritual blessings that we have. The same thing is mentioned three times in a row.
"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven.
Blessed is he who sins are covered.
Blessed is he whose sin
the LORD does not count against him."
That is the greatest spiritual blessing that we could ever have - our transgressions forgiven, our sins being covered, and God no longer counting our sins against us. How blessed we are to have forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven, because of our Savior Jesus’ death and His resurrection.
Because of those blessings that God has given to us, both physical and spiritual, what can we do out of response, in thankfulness, to Him?
First of all we can live a Christian life, in keeping with one of the scripture readings that we read for this morning.
A second thing that we can do is pray for our nation, for those in elected offices, and our President, that the decisions that they make are God pleasing decisions.
Thirdly we can depend upon God. We can depend upon God with our heart, our soul, and with our mind.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. Thanks be to God, this morning, for His physical and spiritual blessings!
On this Fourth of July I want to close with this one thought. It concerns the Washington Monument, in Washington D.C. Did you know that the Washington Monument is the tallest structure in Washington D.C., just a little taller than 555 feet tall? There is a law that no building can be built any higher than it. At the very pinnacle on the outside of the Washington Monument are two words in Latin. Lous Daio. Lous meaning praise. Daio meaning God. Praise be to God. The very highest point in our nation’s capitol gives praise to our God, on which this country was founded!
From the windows of the Washington Monument, you get a wonderful panoramic view of our nation’s capitol. To the north you can see the White House, to the east the capitol, to the south the Jefferson Memorial, and to the west the Lincoln Memorial. The Washington Monument stands in the crossroads. All five of those things form a cross, again reminding us on which our nation was built – built on God, salvation found in Jesus Christ.
This morning, as we gather to worship on this Fourth of July, that reminds me of our cross, as well. In Greek we have written: Jesus Christ conquers through the cross.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.
Happy Birthday, to our nation! May God continue to preserve our nation and to preserve us in our Christian faith until life’s end.
Amen.
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