Honor Our Heritage

Higher Learning

Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old, Unless You have utterly rejected us And are exceedingly angry with us. Lamentations 5:21-22 (NASB)

I have had the privilege of continuing my education after completing high school in many different ways. I had the privilege of an apprentice school in the shipyard. Later as a member of our armed forces, I learned electronics. I am tremendously grateful for these opportunities. However, the one I cherish the most is my college experience at Campbell University. When God called me into the Gospel Ministry, I was encouraged to prepare and college was the way to accomplish it. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to continue learning.

Learning is part of our heritage. It comes in different shapes and sizes tailor made for each of us. It is part of our common experience as people created in the image of God. With the education experience in mind, what do Harvard, Yale, and Princeton all have in common? Yes, they are “Ivy League” schools, but that is not it. They were all established at the same time. No. Harvard is the oldest established in 1636; Yale was established in 1701 and Princeton in 1746. All of these schools are very expensive. Yes, but that is not it either.

These schools were each birthed in an era when our founding fathers believed the Bible when the Psalmist said “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12). Harvard’s founding purpose was “every student’s main aim is to know God and Jesus Christ, and to recognize that Christ is the foundation of all learning.” Yale said “God is the source of all wisdom” and they required all their students to attend daily public prayer services both morning and evening. Princeton boldly proclaimed “Cursed is all learning contrary to the cause of Christ.” Sadly, all of these schools have drifted far from their beginnings.

When Thomas Jefferson was president, he served as the head of the school board in Washington, DC. It is interesting that in the beginning of his first term he wrote the letter to the Danbury Baptist Association where he used the phrase for the very first time, “a wall of separation between church and state”. Yet Jefferson insisted that two books be used in the schools: the Bible and Watts Hymnal because it was rich in Bible teaching. This is a completely different understanding than what the courts are using today.

The United States of America was birthed out of a deeply held conviction for God’s Holy Bible. It is evident that our fore fathers believed that all learning and most certainly any formal education must begin with an understanding of the Bible. On what deeply held conviction do we educate our children today? When we look for a school of higher education, what are the qualities for which we look? The Bible says in Proverbs 1:7 (NASB) “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Sadly, most of us look for the wisdom of men rather than the wisdom of God.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,

The country I love so much is playing the fool. We are playing the Fool! We have banned Your instruction in the schools and are no longer allowed to publically ask for Your guidance in the public arena. Forgive us! I pray that we repent before it is too late. Give me the bold courage to live Your teachings unashamedly so that others will come to know You as Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.