Who were these men, and what was their message?
Four-thousand years separated the utterances of Moses and George Washington who brought to the people the same prophetic message:
“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Moses)
Moses’s message came to pass for both houses of Israel. The king of Assyria carried the Norther Tribes into exile in 722 BC, and the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.
“Since 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” (Washington)
George Washington’s message is coming to pass now. The time has now come for the nation of America.
God’s providence has played an vital role in the rise and fall of ancient Israel and the current events in the United States.
The Siege of 2020 – Sneak-Peek (Providence)
Both Moses and George Washington, in their words to the people, declared blessing on one hand and curses on the other. In their words, the people’s allegiance to and trust in their creator would be the determining factors in the whether they would see blessing and prosperity or a curse on their lives and the land that supplies their needs. It should be of no surprise, then, what the destiny of both nations would be.
American history records many examples of where the people or their leaders have recognized God’s providence in the events happening around them. The following is one account during the War of Independence.
One incident revealing God’s supernatural care occurred shortly after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in August of 1776. During the fighting, British General Howe and his army of 32,000 men had inflicted heavy losses upon the American army but had not succeeded in capturing or destroying it. General Howe then prepared to attack the 8,000 American troops on Brooklyn Heights.
The British army had Washington surrounded in a great semicircle with their backs to the nearly mile wide East River. Here an amazing thing occurred, for General Howe remained in this position for two days and did not attack. Had he attacked, victory would have been certain for the superior British force.
The American army could have easily been surrounded by the British, but providentially, adverse weather conditions kept British ships from sailing up the East River. As a result, the American army was able to escape.
To make sure the British did not discover their retreat, Washington set out to evacuate his army in great secrecy. Even from his own troops. He sent orders for every rowboat, sailboat and sea-going vessel to be collected in the area. At eight o’clock on the night of August 29, 1776, the evacuation of the troops began.
The day before, about one thousand men had come over to reinforce Washington’s army. Part of these reinforcements included Glover’s regiment of Massachusetts fishermen. These men, some of the best mariners in the world, manned the boats that were evacuating not only the troops, but all of their supplies, guns, carts, cattle and horses.
A heavy rain was falling as the evacuation began and the adverse winds, which hindered the British ships, continued. In this weather the sailboats were of little use and only the few rowboats were employed in the retreat. At this rate evacuation seemed impossible, but at eleven o’clock the northeast wind which had raged for three days amazingly stopped and the water became so calm that the boats could be loaded with extra weight. A gentle breeze also arose from the south and southwest which favored their travel across the river to New York.
However, as the adverse weather left, a new problem was created. Under the light of a full moon, the British were sure to see the American troops nearby. Yet miraculously, the Americans retreated all night without being heard or seen. God’s hand was surely upon the army and, as was stated in their newly ratified Declaration of Independence, their “firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence” was proving invaluable.
One may question a leader’s profession of faith in the God of the Bible, and rightly so as many do not live up to the task, or his understanding of the ordinances within the holy book. True, many preachers have risen in fame only to fall in disgrace and shame. Nevertheless, biblical principles, when implemented and observed, work. The divine ordinances are honored by the divine, whether the person, entity, or nation lives a righteous existence or not. This is the context for the following recognition of the many leaders who formed the signatories of the US Constitution.
Stay tuned for the next sneak-peek!