By Robert Morgan
I now make it my earnest prayer that God . . . would most
graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love
mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility
and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics
of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion (Jesus Christ),
and without a humble imitation of whose example in these
things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.
—George Washington, in his letter to the governors of the thirteen new United States, June 8, 1783
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In his book Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers (Oxford University Press, 2017), Daniel L. Dreisbach observes that the leaders of the American Revolution repeatedly referred to Micah 6:8. “The literature of the founding era has numerous references and allusions to this biblical text,” he wrote. John Winthrop referred to this passage in his “City on the Hill” sermon. John Adams quoted it frequently. George Washington alluded to it in his farewell letter when resigning as commander in chief of the Continental Army.
It was also a key text used by George Duffield, a Presbyterian minister in Philadelphia who served as chaplain of the Continental Congress.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Founder Who Walked with God]
Duffield’s story is interesting. He was appointed pastor of the Pine Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in 1771, but when he arrived at his church on his first Sunday the door had been locked by a group opposed to his appointment. His supporters pushed him into the sanctuary through an open window, and thus he began his ministry.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, America’s Religious History: An Interview with Thomas S. Kidd]
The Colonies were in turmoil, trying to decide whether to sever their ties with England, and Duffield became a vocal advocate for independence. So many of the Founding Fathers crowded into his pews that Pine Street became known as the Church of the Patriots.
During the Revolutionary War, the British put a price on Duffield’s head, and when Philadelphia was occupied, his church was converted into a hospital and the pews were burned to keep the wounded British soldiers warm. Duffield put his gifts to work as chaplain of the Continental Congress and chaplain of the Pennsylvania regiment. He also counseled and comforted General George Washington at Valley Forge.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, History of the American Bible Society: An Interview with John Fea]
After the War was won and peace established, Congress appointed December 11, 1783, as a Day of Thanksgiving, and Duffield gave a powerful sermon praising God for his providence:
Who indeed hath heard such a thing? Who, but a few years back, would have believed the report, had a prophet himself declared it? . . . Who since time began, hath seen such events take place so soon? The earth has indeed brought forth, as in a day. A nation has indeed been born, as at once. . . . Let us look back, on what God hath done; and contemplate the prospect He opens before us.
Duffield went on to quote verse after verse in his Day of Thanksgiving sermon, verses that were on the lips of thousands of new American citizens, such as “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23) and “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth” (Psalm 115:1).
The verses rolled off his tongue like boulders down a hill, and he exhorted his audience to “Praise, therefore, Thy God, O America, praise the LORD, ye His highly favored United States.”
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Bible Honored in US House of Representatives]
He also exhorted his listeners to make sure their thanksgiving was not confined to an appointed day but radiated from their hearts all the time. “Let every heart glow with gratitude: And every life, by a devout regard to his holy law, proclaim his praise. It is this, our God requires, as that wherein our personal, and national good and the glory of his great name consist. And without which, all our professions will be but an empty name.”
Then, like so many other early American preachers, he referenced Micah 6:8 and reminded us of our greatest obligations as citizens of a great nation and as followers of God:
It is, that we love the LORD our God, to walk in his ways, and keep his commandments, to observe his statutes and his judgments. That a sacred regard be maintained to righteousness and truth. That we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Then shall God delight to dwell amongst us. And these United States shall long remain, a great, a glorious, and a happy people. Which may God, of his infinite mercy, grant. Amen.
To Duffield, Micah 6:8 represented God’s instructions to the new nation.
In a world adrift with moral confusion and ethical lapses, there’s no better instruction for any nation—or for any of us as individuals—than the proclamation of the prophet Micah. God isn’t as interested in our rituals as he is in our righteousness. “The LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NLT).
P.S. You might be interested to know it was George Duffield’s grandson, George Duffield Jr., who, in 1858, wrote the hymn Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.
The above article is excerpted from 100 Bible Verses That Made America: Defining Moments That Shaped Our Enduring Foundation of Faith by Robert Morgan. Copyright © 2020 by Robert Morgan. Published by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. thomasnelson.com. Pages 110-112. All rights reserved.
100 Bible Verses That Made America is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.
BIO: Robert J. Morgan is a writer and speaker who serves as the teaching pastor at The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville. He is the author of The Red Sea Rules, The Strength You Need, Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation, Then Sings My Soul, and many other titles, with more than 4.5 million copies in circulation. He is available to speak at conferences and conventions. He and his wife, Katrina, have three daughters and 16 grandchildren. Contact him at www.robertjmorgan.com.
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