Israel and America
November 29th, 2005 | by Scott |I have a high view of Scripture. I hold unswervingly to the fact that it is the divinely inspired and inerrant word of God. Truths for life are contained in the sacred words of the Bible.
I also believe there is a danger in reading into the Bible messages that are not there.
Case in point: the belief that America is the new Promised Land.
The Old Testament tells a riveting, yet heart-breaking story, of God’s chosen people.
In a nutshell the story is this: I have a Promised Land for you. Do everything I tell you, follow My commands and I will prosper you forever.
Alas, the people of Israel, in their desire to be like other nations, chased after other gods. They turned their back on the one true God in pursuit of their own lust.
Because of their rebellion and wayward heart, they were defeated and led into exile, the presence of God having left Jerusalem.
Fast-forward 2400 years. Pilgrims settle a new land. A land teeming with opportunity and, yes, promise.
Somewhere along the line, in establishing this new land, many adopted the idea that this was Israel part deux.
That America was God’s second attempt to establish a Promised Land for His people. Those people now are the westerners, those fortunate enough to be born in the 50.
The problem is that this is not compatible with Scripture. Problems are manifest:
- This holds the, although never said, notion that God failed in His first attempt at nation building and needs to try again.
- It establishes an imperialistic eschatology that links the success of America to the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
- It diminishes the faith-life of devoted believers across the globe overlooking the spread of the gospel to all peoples.
As a result of this we have developed a rationale for our actions that elevate all that we do as being synonymous with the explicit will of God.
Because we are the new Israel:
- Our Destiny is Manifest
- Our Wars our Just
- Our dissenters are enemies
- Our sins are few
The danger of all this is to overemphasize the importance of nation over and above kingdom. It is to erroneously attach your location of birth with your spiritual heritage.
It is important to remember some key truths as American Christians:
- America needs God not vice versa
- We are Christians first, Americans second.
- America is not God’s chosen people. The church is God’s chosen people.
- We are blessed to live in this free country but blessings extend to all people.
- We are to be subject to the governing authorities but that does not mean we must never question misguided policies and actions.
- God is not a republican.
- Nor is He a democrat.
- We might be Americans by nature of our birth, but this world, this nation, is not our home.
- America is not the Promised Land, Heaven is.
Let us thank God for the benefits of living in a great nation such as this. But let us not mistake those blessings for more than what they are. Let us give unto Caesar what is his and nothing more.
Our allegiance must reside solely and primarily with God Almighty.
14 Responses to “Israel and America”
By MamaQ on Nov 29, 2005 | Reply
Nice one. This actually touches on a big conflict I have in my life, that being whether it is possible to be the kind of American I want to be and the kind of Christian I feel like I need to be. When I start paying you to be my personal theologian/spiritual adviser, I’ll spin it all out for you. It’s quite the conundrum…
By MamaQ on Nov 29, 2005 | Reply
Nice one. This actually touches on a big conflict I have in my life, that being whether it is possible to be the kind of American I want to be and the kind of Catholic/Christian I feel like the Church wants me to be to be. When I start paying you to be my personal theologian/spiritual adviser, I’ll spin it all out for you. It’s quite the conundrum…
By Dan on Nov 29, 2005 | Reply
Well said. This may be the one thing that is threatening Western Christendom the most, along with the pervasive slippery slope that follows - my nation is blessed, therefore my culture is ordained, therefore my actions are just. Whether it is war, sex, fame, or wealth, we’ve tried to make our vices virtuous for far too long.
By scott on Nov 29, 2005 | Reply
Mama, my fear is that Christian living and the pursuit of the American dream/ideals are at cross purposes. Spin it out for me any time.
Dan, welcome back. Although GW’s rhetoric was reassuring to me in the aftermath of 9-11 I believe we see that slope. The misquoting of such passages as a “city on a hill” being erroneously attributed to the American pursuit of capitalism is scary to me.
By Mike on Nov 29, 2005 | Reply
Scott–
I basically agree with most of what you said there, although I don’t personally know too many who hold to a hard core “New Israel” view of America. That’s a strawman that’s pretty easy to tear down. I know many more Christians who love their Lord and their country and who are constantly trying to find balance in the workaday world as citizens of two kingdoms.
So, what would it look like, in real life, for our allegiance to “reside soley and primarily with God Almighty?” Aren’t the terms “soley and primarily” mutually exclusive? If my allegiance is “primarily” to God then that would at least allow me some wiggle room to try to work out some system of prioritizing. But if my allegiance is “soley” to God, then what would this look like each morning when I get up and go to work for the U.S. Government each morning? The fact is, my allegiance cannot possibly be “soley” to God–I answer to Uncle Sam and countless other “powers-that-be” who impact my work.
Also, how does “let us give unto Caesar and nothing more” take on flesh and bones? What would the quality of my work look like if I applied that principle to my daily work as a physician? How would that guideline be of assistance to my Christian friends in Iraq who daily must make morally ambiguous decisions–often in the blink of an eye–as they carry out the duty that is set before them each day?
I guess my point is that pithy aphorisms may have their place, but I’m not sure how useful they are for folks “in the trenches” for whom the tension between Caesar and King Jesus is a palpable daily reality.
By scott on Nov 29, 2005 | Reply
Mike,
thanks for chiming in. You are right, the tension of living between two kingdoms is something that all of us must work out. However, as we are working through the OT you would be surprised at the number of those who fall back on a “New Israel” mentality.
Thanks for pointing out my grammatical errors.I think the word that I was looking for there was “chiefly.”
I believe that our commitment to country must never go beyond what we can reconcile with Scripture. If your work as a physician can be done within your allegiance to God then all else is gravy. If your duties to country lead you to break allegiance to God then the decision is clear.
By Tracy on Nov 29, 2005 | Reply
While I mostly agree with what you say, I think it can come awful close to being ungrateful for the freedoms, rights, and daily living that we do have in America.
I know you aren’t saying that its all bad, but this line of thinking is so close to those who are willing to equate how miserable our social culture is compared to others around the world.
I also think that this opinion must be held by such a small group of people, and people who haven’t truly thought through the issues. So, to me the question is how do you approach someone who does think that we are chosen/selected/extra-blessed? It must equate with talking to someone who can justify telling a slightly racial joke and not consider themselves racist.
By Tracy on Nov 29, 2005 | Reply
And to continue with what Mike brings up, how does this come into play tangibly in real life? At work, I could conceiveably get fired for saying ‘God bless you’ or anything along those lines, let along spreading the gospel. Does that mean that my allegiance is more to Ceasar than God’s? That is a provocative question.
By Dan on Nov 30, 2005 | Reply
This notion was planted in Colonial minds before this country was one, and was further cemented with the “Manifest Destiny” push toward the west in the 1800’s. And if you visit the Christian Coalition’s website, notice the language about the “historic” election of 2000, which is generally felt (by them) to be the work of millions of Christians, if not the divine work of God.
I’m not going to pick apart Scott’s critics on his site, but he and I have had our agreements and disagreements, and I still appreciate his “pithy aphorisms.”
By Chris Campbell on Nov 30, 2005 | Reply
I liked what you wrote/said…and I’m too simple to try and pick apart what you wrote. HOWEVER…I do believe that Texas is about as close to the “promised land” as you can get. And, of course, Abilene IS Jerusalem.
Peace!
By scott on Nov 30, 2005 | Reply
It’s funny. When I wrote this I thought it would be one of those posts that no one would respond to.
Tracy, you know I’m not ungrateful. But to say that I am blessed solely by virtue of being American is just a variation of a prosperity gospel that runs counter to scripture. And Dan is right, this mentality is much more pervasive than we typically acknowledge. Granted, it has morphed into the idea among half the electorate that Republicans are God’s chosen people but it is pronounced none the less.
I do believe that we have a responsiblity to question rather or not we are faithful. That may mean acknowledging that we are not all we purport to be.
Tracy, Paul made tents, Peter fished. There was a day job. The tension is when you are expected to operate counter to your convictions that the tension emerges.
Dan, thanks for the defense. You know I tend to get a little “pithy.”
Chris, if Abilene is Jerusalem then Somebody has a strange sense of humor.
By Mike on Nov 30, 2005 | Reply
Scott–
Hey, just trying to stir the pot a little and draw out your thinking–I’m not trying to pick a fight (or cause any domestic strife! ;-))
I love pithy aphorisms–I use them myself quite frequently (just ask my kids).
By Jason Bybee on Nov 30, 2005 | Reply
Scott, don’t have time for a full-fledged analysis (plus you’ve had several of those posted here already). But it’s enough to say we’re kindred spirits. Thank you for articulating my thoughts for me…pithy though they may be. Love you, bro.
By Dan on Nov 30, 2005 | Reply
I’ve brought this thread over to Whacking Brasco for a more thorough investigation into the concept. There’s a lot here to deal with, and WB is made for that type of analysis. So don’t blame Scott, and proceed over at your own peril… 8^D