“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” If you have been paying attention to the news in the past couple of years you know that there are those who object to the current wording of the pledge of allegiance. Specifically they believe the words “under God,” should be taken out. They argue that having those words in the pledge of allegiance establishes a religion for our country, which they say, is contrary to the First Amendment of the Constitution.
If you have been paying attention to the controversy you also probably have heard the response from conservative religious groups. They want the pledge of allegiance to be spoken with the words “under God” in it. “We are a nation under God,” they say. They point to the fact that our founding fathers started this country based on the belief in a Supreme Being. Some even take the argument a step farther and say that we were founded as a Christian nation and so the words “under God,” are appropriate.
So are we a nation under God? From the Scriptures the answer is “yes,” and “no.” Like all nations in the world we are under God’s power and control. In the second Scripture lesson for this morning the Apostle Paul reminded us of that truth. God has established all authority on earth and so we are a nation under God. However, there is no nation on earth today that can be considered as God’s chosen people. The invisible Kingdom of those who receive salvation through faith in Jesus spans the globe. Because of those facts we have to say that the United States is not a special nation “under God” in a way that is different from all other nations in the world.
To consider these thoughts more deeply before our 4th of July celebration let’s turn our attention to the Psalm for today. We will focus on Psalm 33:10-22. In this portion of God’s inspired Word we will receive several reminders about the nation in which we live and in what ways it is “under God.” We will also be comforted by the fact that as God’s children through Christ we can look to the One who rules the nations for all that we need for body and soul. You will find the verses that we will consider in our sermon printed on an insert in the worship folder. (Read text.) Through these words of the living and true God may the Holy Spirit lead us to:
“TRUST THE ONE WHO RULES THE NATIONS”
I. Trust that His plans for the nations will prevail
II. Trust in Him as our source of safety and blessing
When this Psalm was written there was one nation in the world whose God was the LORD. The citizens of Israel were God’s chosen people. They were a “theocracy,” because God was their ruler. But the temptation was always there for them to forget about God. In the First Scripture lesson for this Sunday we heard Moses warn the Israelites about becoming proud of their nation and their strength and ignoring the LORD.
Although Psalm 33 applied to the Jews in a special way its truths still apply to us. All that we enjoy in our country comes from God. The LORD still rules the nations and so he rules our nation. Our safety and the many blessings that we enjoy as citizens of the U.S.A. come from God. Like the Israelites of old we are reminded to trust the One who rules the nations. His plans for the nations will prevail. He is the real source of our safety and blessings.
I.
As we look at some of the happenings in our nation and around the world we might get the impression that things are out of control. Nations rise and fall. Wars and rumors of wars fill the news. But with the eyes of faith we see the truth that God is in control.
It is a great comfort for us to hear that the LORD still rules the nations. Psalm 33 tells us, “10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Although unseen the LORD unfolds history as “his story.”
So what are the LORD’s plans for the nations? And what are his plans for our nation? It might be better to ask what his plans are for the people inside this nation and all the nations of the world. He wants all people to be brought to faith in his Son. 1 Timothy 2:4 tells us that God, “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Romans 16:26 reminds us that God has given mankind his Word, “so that all nations might believe and obey him.” In other places the Bible tells us that God unfolds history with that goal in mind. God also wants the individual people in all the nations of the world to live their lives according to his will. Those nations that fight against God’s Commandments will find themselves on the losing end of history.
And there is blessing for any nation that obeys God’s will. Psalm 33 continues, “12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.” Once again we have to remember that there are no nations in the world today that were chosen by God in the same way as the Jews. But blessing does come to the nations that follow God’s commands. We have certainly seen that in the history of our United States of America.
Verses 13 and 14 of Psalm 33 remind us of the fact that God knows what is going on down here on planet Earth. “13 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; 14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” I suppose it is easy for us to talk about how bad things are in the world and even in our own country. People commit heinous crimes, immorality is on the rise, and violence is increasing. Those things are true. But what does the LORD see in our lives? With our thoughts, words, and actions we add our sins to the pile. God sees all the idolatry in our hearts, our dishonoring of his Name and his Word, and our disobedience to the rest of the Commandments. Perhaps we complain about the sexual immorality in our country but what we watch and read and hear contributes to the problem. We may talk about rampant materialism and greed but we participate in the race to keep up with everyone around us.
And yet in spite of it all the one who rules the nations still provides all that we need and more. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 5:44. Talking about his Father he said, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” James 1:17 states that, “17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” That is why we trust the One who rules the nations. His plans for the nations will prevail.
And we can rest assured that God’s number one plan for the world, which is that it be remade as he created it, will also be accomplished. Through faith in his Son Jesus many people from across the ages have been renewed in the image of God. And on the last day we will see God’s final plan put into effect. Without fail everything will be brought under the rule of Christ. Once again that is why we trust in the One who rules the nations.
In 1989 as I was backpacking across Europe I spent a week with my relatives in Germany. One day my cousins took me to an old village on the border between West Germany and East Germany. There was a road that led out of the village and had once crossed a small bridge and entered into another village. When Germany was divided one half of the bridge was destroyed. Large fences with razor wire had been erected on the East German side of the border. I asked my cousins if the fences would ever be taken down and Germany reunited. “Not in our lifetime,” they said. Shortly after I left the Berlin wall came down. The “Iron Curtain” that had descended on Eastern Europe soon fell as well. In recent memory the Soviet Union also collapsed. Although still very communist China seems to be softening toward the West and toward some freedoms for its people. How can things change so rapidly in the nations around the world? God is in control. And what has happened as these changes have taken place. God’s Word has spread. Our synod an many other Christian churches have done mission work in Russia and in Eastern Europe. In the summer of 1991 as I was working at a church in Upper Michigan many students from China who were studying at Michigan Tech came to Bible classes. The Good News of what Christ has accomplished has reached the hearts of many more people in the past 20 years due to changes in the governments of the world. Again and again we see how God’s plans prevail over the nations. Psalm 33 encourages us to trust the One who rules the nations. The future is in his hands as his plans for the nations prevail.
II.
Since the LORD rules history the Psalm writer reminded God’s people that their safety and blessing were found in him alone. Psalm 33 continues, “16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.” The Israelites could look back on their history and see this truth. How did a nation of slaves escape from one of the most powerful armies on earth? The LORD protected Moses and the Israelites and then drowned Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea. And when the Israelites reached the Promised Land how did they conquer its fortified cities? They blew trumpets and the walls of Jericho fell. And in the years that followed many other powerful armies were defeated through the Lord’s power.
After reminding God’s people of where not to look for safety and blessing the Psalm writer directed the attention of his people to the LORD. “18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.” The message to God’s Old Testament people was clear. Trust the One who rules the nations. Trust Him as your source of safety and blessing.
As we look at our nation it would be easy to have confidence in our military and government security forces. We have the best-trained and most powerful army in the world. But the attacks of September 11th showed us that we are still vulnerable. Around the world we are still fighting terrorists. Although we give thanks for the men and women who serve in our military we trust the One who rules the nations! Psalm 127:1 gives us that reminder, “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” God is the ultimate homeland security force. We pray to him to keep us safe.
Tomorrow as we celebrate the 4th of July I hope we all give thanks for the nation in which we live. God has indeed blessed us. But as fears arise about the economy, or the weather, or about our industries and agriculture may we always turn to the LORD. He is the one who gives us prosperity. We look to God for his blessing on our farms and factories. Listen again to Psalm 33. “18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.” Safety and blessing come from the One who rules the nations.
Although the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance have been controversial it is worth noting that they were a rather late addition. The original pledge written in 1892 didn’t include those words. After a few other revisions it wasn’t until June 14 (Flag Day), 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved adding the words “under God.” As he authorized this change he said: “In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.” President Eisenhower realized that the real strength of our nation is not seen but found in the spiritual realm. And that is one of the lessons we learn from Psalm 33. It leads us to trust the One who rules the nations! He is our source of safety and blessing.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Are we a nation “under God”? Yes. Like all nations we are under God’s authority and power. His plans for the nations of the world will be accomplished through us or in spite of us. And yet our beloved nation is not a nation “under God” in any special sense. May these reminders that we have received from Psalm 33 be in our hearts and minds today and tomorrow as we reflect on our nation. Let’s give thanks for our nation but then put our trust in the One who rules the nations. Trust that His plans for the nations will prevail. Trust in Him as our source of safety and blessing.
Let’s read the closing verses of Psalm 33 together. May it be both our confession of faith and our prayer. “20 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” Amen.
