The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
So begins our Declaration of Independence, which Congress approved on July 4, 1776. That sacred document did not leap out of a vacuum. Men with intentionality and foresight created and approved the Declaration of Independence. It is a profound document and exists as the birth certificate of American liberty and government. For a full reading of the Declaration go to this link: https://www.ushistory.org/declaration/doi_reading.html.
I am in awe of the men who made our bold Declaration almost 250 years ago. What courage they had! What wisdom and foresight! They knew human nature, and they knew the word of God. The signers of the Declaration began the process which would shape a government based on the scriptures so that they and their posterity could live freely.
The Declaration lists more than “taxation without representation” in its grievances against the king. Unjust taxation is listed seventeenth in the twenty-seven grievances. Take time to read the whole document. There were more pertinent issues.
But let’s pause for just a moment and let me give you a brief timeline of the Declaration. As I said, this didn’t just happen, the Declaration was a well-thought-out document with purpose and intentionality.[1]
- June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of VA puts forth the resolution for independence.
- June 11, 1776, The Committee of Five was appointed to draft a statement presenting to the world the colonies’ case for independence. The Committee was composed of John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson.
- June 11 – July 1, 1776, The committee drafted the Declaration
- July 2-4, 1776, The Lee resolution was adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies (New York did not vote). Immediately afterward, Congress began to consider the Declaration. The delegates made some alterations and deletions to it on July 2, 3, and the morning of the 4th.
- July 4, 1776, The Declaration of Independence was adopted and printed
- July 5, 1776, Congress dispatched copies of the Declaration
- July 8, 1776, Ringing the “Liberty Bell” and Col. John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence to the gathered Philadelphian crowd.
- July 9, 1776, Washingtonordered that the Declaration of Independence be read before the American army in New York
- August 2, 1776, The delegation signed the Declaration
In a letter to John Adams on July 20, 1811, Benjamin Rush reminisced about the events thirty-five years before. Listen to an excerpt from the first paragraph:
“Do you recollect your memorable speech upon the Day on which the Vote was taken? Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the house when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress, to subscribe what was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants? The Silence & the gloom of the morning were interrupted I well recollect only for a moment by Col: Harrison of Virginia who said to Mr Gerry at the table, “I shall have a great advantage over you Mr: Gerry when we are all hung for what we are now doing. From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.” This Speech procured a transient smile, but it was soon succeeded by the Solemnity with which the whole business was conducted.”
In a Letter from John Adams to H. Niles, 13 February 1818 Adams explains the Revolution (excerpt):
“But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations… This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.”
The Framers of our government understood that America is more than a nation with borders; it is an idea that comes from God’s heart into people’s lives. Some have called it an experiment in freedom, and to some degree, that is true. However, we must not lose sight of the biblical foundations of our nation. America did not start with a few delegates sitting in a pub complaining about the oppressive king. America began in the pages of scripture with the guidance of God. These men knew it, and we have forgotten it.
There is so much we can say about the marvelous Declaration of Independence. Let me read my favorite part. Listen to their God talk. This was no secular document as some have said:
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The truth of scripture rings forth in the words of our Declaration. Psalm 33:12 (NKJV) reads:
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
We proved it when we adhered to God and demonstrated the converse by forgetting God. We need God in America again, and we need to reaffirm that for which our ancestors willingly gave their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
Take time this Independence Day to remember from whence we have fallen. Remember the courage of those delegates who put everything on the line so we could be free. Muster your courage to incorporate the truths of God into your life, and then into the life of our nation. This is more than a day off, much more.
Keep The Light of the Declaration of Independence Burning!
[1] “Creating the Declaration: A Timeline.” America’s Founding Documents, National Archives, 7 Oct. 2021, www.archives.gov/founding-docs/timeline.