God & Country - A Biblical View

Definition:  blending Faith and Patriotism - honor or nation AND the God who gave it.
The people putting this together had high recognition that God had a mighty hand in establishing the nation.

Biblical examples.... of men who qualified as patriots.

#1.  Jeremiah - preached destruction under 5 kings for 40 years!! - condemnation by the hand of God.
Jer. 5:26-31, 19:7-9  Not a popular message.
But known as "the weeping prophet" - which led to him writing Lamentations.  He wept over his people and his nation.

#2.  Ezekiel - preaches the message of Jeremiah's letter to the people exiled in Babylon.
Jer. 29:4-7 - deported into Babylon.  Ezekiel - not popular either.

#3.  Daniel (carried away in the first exile) - served Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, & Darius as a favored advisor, yet  ... Dan. 6:10, 9:1-3 - patriot of Israel

#4. Nehemiah - faithful servant of Persian King Artaxerxes - (100 years after the return) - Neh. 1:1-4, 2:4-6 - don't know if he'd ever been to Jerusalem

#5.  Jesus - Matt. 23:37-38, 24:1-2 - total desolation 35 years later

#6.  Apostle Paul - Apostle to Gentiles!!  - Rom. 9:1-5, 10:1


These men shared some common national views ... that serve as Biblical models for us.

(1)  They loved their nation - (why did Jeremiah weep??)
Therefore:
(2)  They sought the good of their nation -
which = why in every instance = "return to the LORD"
Additional:  they loved enough to give back - most of these men died martyrs.
Example:  Declaration of Independence signers:
56 signatures - their fate?
5 captured and executed as traitors
12 had their homes ransacked and burned
 2 lost sons in the colonial army
 9 of the 56 fought and died of wounds or hardships of the war
several others lost their businesses and personal holdings to the British Army
Francis Lewis saw his wife jailed for being married to a patriot - she died in that jail
Thomas Nelson authorized the shelling of his own home - which was occupied by British as a headquarters
Carter Braxton lost his shipping fleet to British navy.
British soldiers looted the property(s) of at least 8 others.
Point =  they sought the good of the nation at their own expense.

Example:  statement by JFK - "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"

BUT  (3)  they put God before their nation
   (a)  the nation is NOT the Lord    (b)  the nation is temporary!
Phil. 3:20, 1 Pet. 1:3-4

(4)  they recognized the sins of their nation AND owned selves as part of the problem!!  Dan. 9:4-8

(5)  They believed God would RIGHTLY judge their nation - whether judgment = blessings or curses ... it'll be RIGHT!!

(6)  They believed in God's good will toward their nation - in fact ... toward ALL nations!!  Jonah 4:1-3

and so... John 3:16-17, 1 Tim. 2:1-4 - this is the heart of God.

(7)  They believed God would not abandon their nation  (His people)  Jer. 29:10-14
short range pessimist / long range optimist

put together ... (8)  they always held forth HOPE for their nation.  Lam. 3:19-24  The prophets never ended on gloom and doom, but on hope!

OBSERVATIONS???
How can I make a difference?  I'm not a prophet - statesman - wealthy - influential ... only a drop in the bucket!!

On one hand - you may be only a drip, however, you are called to be a Faithful drip!!  Do what God calls you to do - drips accumulate and make a difference when all together.

Closing Scripture:  Matt. 5:13-16