INTRO
One of the most, iconic symbols of our national heritage —the Liberty Bell —hangs magnificently in the city of brotherly love. You know, the Liberty Bell is a national treasure that cannot be valued based upon its alloy and weight. Instead, the value of the Liberty Bell resides in the countless millions that have looked upon it as a symbol of enduring freedom — a freedom which still rings today. Allow me to tease you with a bit of liberty-bell history.
In 1751, the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered a bell from a London foundry to commemorate the commonwealth’s fiftieth anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges: Pennsylvania's original Constitution. Penn wrote of the liberties afforded by a people who trust, solemnly profess, and worship — in his words — the “Almighty God being the only Lord of Conscience, Father of Lights and Spirits; and the Author as well as Object of all divine Knowledge, Faith and Worship; and in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World."
In August 1752, the bell arrived from Britain’s shores. However, its rim cracked upon the clapper’s first strike. So, two local foundry men, Pass and Stow, offered to recast the bell. Their first attempt did not fare well: the bell sounded horribly, and still it cracked again — despite their attempts to make the bell stronger. They refused to give up; and as such, the men recast the bell for a third time. Above their names, this declaration from Leviticus 25:10 is inscribed: “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."
While the bell did not shine magnificently or ring with a beautiful song, the bell served its purpose. As another pastor wrote, “[The bell] was never perfect, but that wasn’t the point. It became the physical manifestation of its message [declaring freedom for all.] Even with the crack, it proclaims liberty in perfect fashion.”
On this Fourth of July weekend, I thought it would be fitting to look at how God is fashioning us to be his liberty bell. Let’s begin by opening our bibles to Leviticus 25:8–10. READ LEVITICUS 25:8–10.
JUBILEE TIME
Per God’s decree, the Year of Jubilee was to be instituted every fifty years. The Jubilee was a year of emancipation and restoration for all Hebrews who— for whatever reason — became indentured servants to another. God’s intent was for all people to be equal. His law stated that no one was to take advantage of another; instead, his people were to love God and one another.
Jesus re affirmed the Father’s declaration. He said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you…. You are my friends if you do what I command…. I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…. This is my command: Love each other. (Jn 15:12–17).
But you know, we don’t always love one another very well. Thousands of years of never-ending oppression has continued; and that’s way the jubilee is so important.
Now, this word, “Jubilee” —Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “a year of celebration.” In the Greek Old Testament, the term is a combination of two words, meaning, a day for the blowing of trumpets, shouting, and the sounding of an alarm in order to grant to the land’s inhabitants freedom from their captors and the return of their land.
You know, the Liberty bell served like a trumpet (of sorts) in order to call the residents of Philadelphia to come and hear of their emancipation from England and King George. On July 8, 1776 the Liberty Bell was rung, summoning Pennsylvanians to hear the first, public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The Colonies believed the Creator equally endowed them as he had King George.
Yet, King George believed he was equal to none, and that it was within hid divine right to due as he pleased. Nay, said the Founders. They tried for years to reason with the king, but he wouldn’t listen. So, with a shout across the Atlantic, they drafted the Declaration of Independence and fervently rang the bells of liberty.
It was there way of effectively declaring, “This is our year of Jubilee. In God, we are all freeman. To you King George we proclaim God alone is King, and only by Him are we endowed with certain unalienable rights, among these being Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
THE BELL WAS SOUNDED
This ringing of the Liberty Bell, along with its inscription, resonates with the trumpet and shouts told within other Old Testament writings. The book of 1 Chronicles, chapter 15, tells the story of the time when Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. V.28 says, “So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.”
In Numbers 29:1, the same word for the blowing of the trumpets is used. God said, “On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.” What the bible is describing is called Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah, as some know it today.
Rosh Hashanah is a one-day celebration on the first day of the Jewish calendar’s seventh month; and it was initiated by God to celebrate the economic New Year. Now, even though we celebrate the New Year on January 1, really, we could say our country’s new year also starts on the Fourth of July. Our Independence Day is kinda like an American Feast of Trumpets.
Now, I don’t want to step on the toes of anybody who’s Jewish, or in any way diminish the Jewish holiday. Just the opposite is true. I think there’s a mild parallel between the Feast of Trumpets, and the celebrating our nation’s independence.
God decreed a national holiday of remembrance, celebration, feasting, and worshipful sacrifice. Following his statutes, Israel blew the horns, and took a national holiday on that day. Likewise, we too remember, celebrate, and feast on the anniversary our founders rang the bells of liberty and they shouted out their declaration of our independence.
If only we could ring the Liberty Bell again today. You know, maybe we can —in a different kind of way — if only we think of ourselves like our nation’s Liberty Bell.
MOLDED TO RESOUND LIBERTY
The bible tells us, God molds us as his children for his will. Romans 9:20-21 says, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”
You know, we’re one, universal church; however, we’re not perfect, and unfortunately we’ve split too many times to count. I wonder if it’s because we talk back to God -- just a thought. Anyway, we’re kind of like the Liberty Bell; we’re flawed, and we got some pretty big cracks. However, just because we’re not perfect — well, not yet anyway — that doesn’t mean God isn’t continually remolding us to be in the image of his son, so that he can ring us like the Liberty Bell, so that we too can declare freedom for the captives.
Consider this analogy. As Pass and Stow smelted and remolded the liberty bell two times in order to form the best bell they could, God likewise is doing the same with us. Jeremiah 11:3-4 says, “Tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: “…when I brought [your fathers] out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.’ I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
As God also smelted the early church during the times of Roman oppression, God likewise smelted our fore parents in times of foreign oppression. He brought them out from captivity — not from Egypt and Pharaoh; not from Rome and Caesar — but from Great Britain and King’s George’s tyranny.
The founders trusted that God the Father would deliver them and bring them into the Promised Land. With their belief, they placed their allegiance with the Lord Jesus and declared that the bells of liberty would continue to ring loud for all seeking refuge in this great country.
You know, Jesus is also calling us, as Christian patriots in our age, to place our allegiance with him by ringing liberty’s bell. But here’s the irony —if we’re too cracked, we can’t ring freedom’s bell. Think of it like this. Of the seven churches in the book of Revelation, only one gets it right; the other six, well, not so much. Of those, the book of revelation says this. I’m going to paraphrase.
The church in Ephesus abandons their love for God. The Church in Smyrna is afraid of pressing into the difficulties of truly following Jesus Christ. The churches in Pergamum and Thyatira teach that sexual immorality is just fine, and to live according to the lustful desires of materialism. The Church in Sardis wants to be called the faithful, but their works lack. And lastly, the church in Laodicea is lukewarm — meaning, they’re wishy-washy in their faith beliefs and actions.
But, like I said a minute ago, one gets it right — and that’s the church in Philadelphia: the church of brotherly love. Of them, Jesus said: “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
Isn’t it ironic that in his final revelation to the church, Jesus applauds the people who rang the bells of liberty in the city of brotherly love —just as our founding fathers declared freedom for the captives and rang our nation’s Liberty Bell from Philadelphia’s freedom square?
Dear friends, like our nation’s patriots of ages past, God wants to ring us as bells of liberty from steeples on high. Despite our flaws, he’s molding us to do his will, in order to love upon our community with brotherly love. Here’s how that can look.
On this Fourth of July, blow your trumpet and declare to all in our valley that we are free, and free indeed in Jesus Christ. Shout freedom aloud — even though we are flawed. We are works in progress, and with God’s help we can be the patriots God wants us to be, as those who proclaim liberty for the captives.
Let’s be that kind of patriot: let’s be a people who stand up and proclaim liberty for all in our land, by declaring to our neighbors, “You too can be free.” Let me ask you in closing: won’t you let God ring you as a liberty bell on this Fourth of July?
