The United States Constitution
This one document commands the respect and admiration of our entire free world. Its brilliance as a governing tool is truly extraordinary. Can anyone dispute that the greatness of our land is due to the system of government our Constitution established.
The words of its preamble still send chills through the hearts of millions who owe our founding fathers so much:
“We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Again, a little history of some of the thoughts that went through the minds of the men who drafted this document can provide us some insight into how important the Bible was in the conception of the Constitution.
We turn to The Rebirth of America to capture a most telling incident:
“In the summer of 1787 representatives met in Philadelphia to write the Constitution of the United States. After they had struggled for Several weeks and had made little or no progress, eighty-one-year-old Benjamin Franklin rose and addressed the troubled and disagreeing convention that was about to adjourn in confusion.
“ ‘In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a super-intending Providence in our favor … Have we now forgotten this 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 man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, 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. I firmly believe this…
“I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning.”1
Once more we see how the Sacred Writings, the Bible, played an important role in influencing the minds of the men who were to establish the greatest nation in the world.
The history of the beginnings of our great country is so fundamentally tied to the Bible that it is almost as if the two have become one. History itself leaves us with no doubt that the Bible was a key element molding our nation into the great country it was destined to become.
In God We Trust
Most Americans are probably unaware that they are almost constantly carrying this phrase with them, wherever they go throughout the day. In 1864 our government leaders acknowledged the important role God played in making our nation great by placing the phrase “LIBERTY – IN GOD WE TRUST” on every coin minted.
It was as if they were paying tribute to God for the blessings He had already bestowed upon them, as well as showing confidence that He would continue to bless them in the future. The next time you put your hand in your pocket or pocketbook, pull out a coin, any coin, and see how each one you choose proudly displays such an important part of our American heritage.
Listen to Your Leaders
But the Bible didn’t have just Benjamin Franklin’s endorsement as a valuable aide to governing a nation. Men such as John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge also recognized its influence, wisdom and need to be read, not just by the elite, but by all the people of our land.
For one book to have the sixth, seventh, sixteenth, twenty-sixth, twenty-eight, and thirtieth Presidents of the United States of America strongly recommend it is quite an endorsement indeed. If the Bible were to have a book jacket and the following six presidential quotes listed, I dare say the Bible just might have made the Book-of-the-Month choice selection:
“The first and almost the only Book deserving of universal attention is the Bible.”2 – John Quincy Adams
“Go to the Scriptures…the joyful promises it contains will be a balsam to all your troubles.”3 – Andrew Jackson
“All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated through this Book; but for the Book we could not know right from wrong. All the things desirable to man are contained in it.”4 – Abraham Lincoln
“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”5 – Theodore Roosevelt
“…The Bible…is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and spiritual nature and need of men. It is the Only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation.”6 – Woodrow Wilson
“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.”7 – Calvin Coolidge
Another President by the name of Ronald Reagan, recognized the incredible knowledge, wisdom and value of this one book by paying it tribute: declaring the year 1983 “The Year of the Bible.”In tomorrow’s conclusion of this devotional series, we will continue to share more exciting stories of just how America’s foundation and the Bible were intricately entwined.
1 The Rebirth of America (Philadelphia: Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, 1986), p. 31.
2 The Rebirth of America (Philadelphia: Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, 1986), p. 37.
3 Ibid., p.37.
4 Ibid., p.37.
5 Laurence J. Peter, Peter’s Quotations-Ideas for Our Time (New York: Bantam Books, Inc., 1989), p. 43.
6 The Rebirth of America (Philadelphia: Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, 1986), p. 37.
7 Ibid., p.37.