A DIFFERENT PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE –

The compilers of the Psalter wanted to make sure that before the pilgrims left to return home, they pledged to God their loyalty and dedication as His messengers of good news. They wanted to make sure that the pilgrims did not fall into the trap of becoming so dependent on the good graces of those in power that they begin to rely on them and shift their dependency and loyalty to them instead of to God. So they chose this psalm written by an exile who returned home to help rebuild the Holy City, making it a place where God was worshiped once again as the ruler over all the earth. This would make them real devotees of God who did not seclude themselves from all appearances of evil in a self-absorbed lifestyle. Rather, they would walk by faith and not by sight; they would not shy away from encounters with evil. So they chose this psalm that begins and ends with a ringing, “Hallelujah!”

“O Hallelujah! Yes, let my soul praise the LORD Eternal my God. As long as I can breathe I will celebrate the LORD Eternal; yes, as long as I’m alive I will sing songs of praise to my One True God. Don’t make a mistake by putting your trust in political big shots to save you, they have no such power. After they die they end up in the grave, and the promises they made expire with them. Count your blessings if you are one of those who have placed their hope in the LORD Eternal, and your Sovereign God is your benefactor; the One who made everything and owns everything and can be trusted for eternity; the one who seeks justice for the downtrodden and gives food to the hungry; yes, the LORD Eternal who sets loose those that are bound; the LORD Eternal who restores sight to the blind; the LORD Eternal who lifts the burden of those bent over with cares; the LORD Eternal who loves those who live right; the LORD Eternal who watches over those who’ve lost their way; the LORD Eternal who gives encouragement to the orphaned and the widowed, but does not keep the evil-minded from becoming despondent; the LORD Eternal who will reign forever, the One True God of all believers, generation after generation. O Hallelujah!” Psalm 146:1-10

Reflection: In 1892, a Baptist minister named Francis Bellamy, assistant editor of “The Youth’s Companion,” a national family magazine published in Boston, Massachusetts, wrote out a pledge to be used one time at an upcoming Columbus Day event. It went like this: “I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Thirty-one years later, in 1923, the National Flag Conference of the American Legion liked his pledge so much they expanded the word “Flag” to read “Flag of the United States of America.” In 1942, at the beginning of WWII, it was formally adopted by Congress as a pledge, and in 1945 when WWII came to an end it was given the official name of “The pledge of Allegiance.” Then in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill that added “one nation, under God.” But the Pledge of Allegiance now faces unprecedented opposition from atheists, liberal civil rights groups, and activist progressive judges because they see it as a religious pledge. They accuse the government of violating the mythical separation of church and state provision which does not exist in the constitution. No doubt the psalmist faced similar opposition in his day, but he remained unshakable in his commitment and loyalty to God, making this psalm a candidate for today’s believers to put their hands over their hearts and say, “I pledge allegiance to the cross of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to the kingdom for which it stands. One body, under God, in Christ, with salvation and eternal life for all who believe.” The psalmist refused to accept any so-called benefits offered him by way of compromise, violating his beliefs. Through the Spirit he saw into the future and made the decision to go with God. So the next time you face a similar moment of truth, just remember: you can invest your life into something that’s designed only for the short run, or in something that guarantees it for eternity.