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THE
AMERICAN FLAG
Mac
Hammond
Our Christian Heritage
This country was founded as a Christian nation; it is based on the
Christian precept. We have a Christian heritage to maintain in this
nation. That's why this country came into existence.
It came into being because our forefathers wanted to be able to go
someplace where they could worship God free from the control of state
dictators.
They didn't want to worship God as the English monarchy said they must, or
other governments in the old country said they must. They wanted to
worship God - with the liberty to worship him - as they pleased.
That's why America was sought out. This country was founded on that basis,
for that reason. And we have a Christian heritage that dictated much of
what they constitution says. The outline of our freedoms and our liberties
and our rights as Americans…much of that is based directly from the
Christian/Judeo ethic. And the problems that we're experiencing now as a
nation is primarily because we've pulled away from those precepts, values,
and standards.
You can even see this Christian heritage represented in the design of our
national flag. I've shared some things about the flag before, but they
fascinate me. The flag represents this nation - the United States of
America. Old Glory. Why do you think it's called Old Glory? Glory is the
manifested presence of God, is it not? This country was created by God to
be a habitation for his presence. And that's why it's called Old Glory.
That isn't a nickname that was casually given to represent the flag.
Look at Psalms 60. This scripture deals with natural and spiritual truths.
It deals with present concerns and future concerns. So I don't have any
problem believing that the verse I'm going to look at with you now relates
in some context to the formation of America - the flag that we call Old
Glory.
Look at verse 4: "You have given a banner to those who fear You"
(NKJ). A banner is a flag. God has given a flag to those who fear him.
That means to reverence, to be in awe of… "That it may be displayed
because of the truth."
But I want you to listen to the Amplified Bible's rendering of this verse:
"You have set up a banner for those who fear and worshipfully revere
You [to which they may flee from the bow], a standard displayed because of
the truth."
I believe this is a prophetic word from the Lord, talking about the birth
of the United States of America, a place to which people can flee from the
bow, from oppression, from tyranny, from bondage and from servitude. A
place where peoples from all over the world could flee. A standard
displayed for one reason…because of the truth. And this is the truth. So
even in our flag, we see our Christian heritage.
Consider the construction of our flag for a moment. Artistically,
symbolically, or however you want to view our flag…is it just a
coincidence that we have a flag made up of red, white, and blue colors? Is
it coincidental that the flag of this nation contains stripes and stars?
Red, White and Blue
We see, first of all, the focal point of our flag - that being the stars
which are set on a blue background. Of course, we know from the Word that
blue is the color of heavens and is representative of the grace of God.
It's significant that the most basic color and the center point of our
flag is the grace of God. The blue represents the grace of God. Think, for
a moment, of all the different songs that we sing - patriotic songs and
others - about how God has poured out his grace on this nation. It's true.
But the stars are also significant. It's not only interesting to me to see
that the stars are set on a blue background, which represents the heavens-
and the grace of God - but the stars are representative of a number of
interesting things as well.
Stars of the Heavens
Stars are representative of people in Scripture…but not just any group
of people. You remember what God told Abraham? He said "I'm going to
make your seed as the stars of the heavens." Now most Bible scholars
will agree that in the two references to the posterity of Abraham - his
seed being as the stars of the heavens and the sands of the sea - most
scholars agree that the sands of the sea refers to his natural earthly
offspring or seed who would be the Jews, or the nation of Israel. And that
the "stars of the heavens" referred to the spiritual seed of
Abraham, which is the church.
Do
you think it's coincidental that we have seven red stripes and six
white stripes on our flag? Seven is the number of God in
Scripture, and six represents mankind.
- Mac Hammond |
Of course, we're told in Galatians that "if you be Christ's, then are
you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." So we see
then how the seed is being referred to in Scripture, the same spiritual
seed represented by the stars in heaven. So, isn't it something that our
flag's focal point is a field of stars on the blue background representing
the grace of God? Isn't that wonderful? We are that posterity. We are that
spiritual seed of Abraham. Right here in America… nowhere else in the
world has that been realized more than it has been realized in America.
Over the last century, over 95 percent of the Gospel that has gone forth
into this world has either originated in America or been financed by
American people - 95 percent! This is the place, more than any other place
on earth in the history of mankind, where the seed of Abraham - that
spiritual seed - resides.
So, again, it isn't coincidental that the center point of our flag - our
banner - is the field of blue, populated by stars that represent the
people of this nation who are not only Americans, but the seed of
Abraham…that is, those who are Christians, those who are the children of
God.
Just a Coincidence?
And it isn't coincidental that there are 50 stars either. The number 50
has a lot of important applications in Scripture.
For instance, 50 is the year of Jubilee. Is it not? You know what happens
in the year of Jubilee? Everyone is forgiven. Debts are wiped clean.
Slaves are returned from bondage to their ancestral homes and given back
their belongings that they once had but perhaps lost when they went into
servitude or bondage. The captives are set free in the year of Jubilee.
And that is represented by the number 50. So do you think it is of any
significance that our flag has 50 stars on it? Is it also coincidence that
50 is the number of Pentecost? That's what Pentecost means - 50.
Pentecost. 50 days after the Passover, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
was given! Pentecost is what 50 means.
And is it any wonder that this nation was the modern day location of the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in this day and age on Azusa street at the
turn of this century? The Holy Spirit was poured out. And the Pentecostal
revival began. Is that coincidence? Of course not.
Is it coincidence that we're responsible for either taking or financing
the Gospel into such a large percentage of the world? Of course not. It's
the Holy Spirit that empowers us to be effective witnesses. It's the Holy
Spirit that makes it possible for us to share our faith and to preach the
Gospel into all of the world.
So it's not coincidental that 50 is also the number of Pentecost. You
might say to yourself, "Well, we've only had 50 states here for the
last few years…it was 48 states until not too long ago. Hawaii and
Alaska were added to make it 50."
Well isn't it interesting that the Bible says "I will pour out my
spirit…" When? "In the last days." So that is simply
another indicator that as our flag added its last two stars - again, the
number 50 representing Pentecost - that truly we're in the last days. And
I believe this [nation] is going to be the place where that spirit is
poured out in its fullest measure because we have been raised up by God to
take this Gospel into all the world.
So none of these things are coincidental. It's all a part of the flag that
represents us as Americans. But there's no point in stopping there.
The Stripes of Jesus
We see stripes on the flag. The Word says, "By the stripes of Jesus
you were healed." Do you think it's coincidental that we have seven
red stripes and six white stripes on our flag? Seven is the number of God
in Scripture. Seven represents God, and we have seven stripes. And red is
the color of blood. So we have seven red stripes on our flag. And we know
it's by the stripes of Jesus that we are healed. It's by his shed blood
that we've been made pure which is what the color of the six white
stripes stands for. White represents purity. And six, coincidentally, is
the number of man; it is representative of mankind.
So we have six which represents "man" in scripture, made white
or pure by virtue of the seven red stripes, seven being the number of God
- having spilled his own blood and taken stripes on his back for our
redemption.
Is this coincidental? Of course not! It is part of our heritage. This
nation is a Christian nation. It's based on the Christian precept. It's
based on the Christian/Judeo ethic. And it is only to the extent that we
preserve and take the steps to guard and defend that Christian heritage,
that we will once again see this nation's problems begin to depart from
this land. We need to display the American flag in light of the truth of
God's Word, and not let anything or anyone force its removal from our
land. And the prosperity that has made us the greatest nation on this
earth, will continue.
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