Pastor's Corner July 2020

Pastor’s Corner

July 2020

    One of the most recognizable symbols of freedom in the United States is The Liberty Bell.  It is on display in Philadelphia, PA and owned by the city, although the National Parks Service is its custodian.  In 1751, the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the bell to commemorate the commonwealth’s fiftieth anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges, which established the colony in the New World.  In August 1752, the bell arrived from Britain, but its rim cracked the first time it was rung.  Two local foundry men, John Pass and John Stow offered to recast the bell.  Their first attempt did not go well.  It sounded bad and it cracked again even with their attempt to make it stronger.  They recast it again with satisfactory results.  The bell’s initial purpose was to alert citizens about public meeting and proclamations and to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions at the State House, now known as Independence Hall, where the bell hung at the time.  The bell did not receive its special designation until the 1830s when abolitionist societies adopted it as their symbol for freedom and dubbed it “The Liberty Bell”.  Its trademark crack happened sometime in the early 1800’s despite folklore that says it occurred to announce The Declaration of Independence.

    The bell is cast with the inscription, “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” which is the King James Version of Leviticus 25:10.  In the bible, this verse is in reference to the year of Jubilee.  The Law that God delivered to Moses specified that, after occupying the Promised Land, every fiftieth year was to be a year of jubilee during which there was to be no sowing or reaping, and during which all land was returned to its original owner’s heirs and all slaves were returned to their families.  

    It seems apparent to me that God desired His people to trust in His provision.  Just like during the wilderness experience when every 6th day there was enough manna provided that they didn’t have to gather on the Sabbath, in the Promised Land God, would provide enough in the 6th year that they didn’t need to sow in the 7th and every 48th year would produce enough for the 49th and 50th.  In addition, land reverted to descendants of the original owners and slaves were released from indenture.  If the Jewish Nation had been obedient and holy and trusting as God desired, the Heavenly Father would have blessed them with amazing provision and peace.  I’m not picking on the Israelites because we don’t do all that the Lord asks of us.  The Liberty Bell’s inscription should challenge us to, "Proclaim liberty (“So if the Son makes you free, you are free indeed” John 8:36) throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof"!          

Martin A. Wells