Christian Nationalism I?

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance!

As we start this morning I want to note that we are taking a bird’s eye view of Scripture this morning more than a worms eye view. We want to get a sense of the satellite view this morning on what the Scripture teaches on nation-hood and people-hood …. particularly what it means to be a Christian people. This seems a fitting subject to see what Scripture has to say given that this year we are celebrating our semiquincentennial.

It’s also fitting to speak to given the fact that this has become such a riveting issue in the Reformed church in America today. You may not know this but at this very instance the Reformed Church is in convulsions over this subject …. particularly as to whether or not Christians should support the idea of America being a distinctly Christian nation. We just came off of the time of year when the Reformed denominations meet for their yearly grand pow wows and the animating subject of nearly all of these gatherings was the issue that we are taking up this morning. Because of that we will be continue to take up this subject intermittently during our semiquincentennial year.

So, we take up the text this morning, which we hope to develop in a macro sense,

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance!

First we want to note there that the Hebrew words for nation and people are being used almost synonymously. If there is any distinction between the two words “nation” and “people” here (and they are different Hebrew words) the difference is found in the fact that the word nation in this passage is to be understood as signifying any collective group of people bonded together by a common ancestor who acknowledge and worship the only true God, whereas the word “people” here looks specifically to Israel as the nation that God has uniquely chosen for Himself as His inheritance. In the OT this passage would have been true of no other people but the descendants of Abraham who were a nation of God’s people chosen by God.

St. Paul echoes this sentiment about the blessing of belonging to Israel in the Old Covenant when he writes,

What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the [a]oracles of God.

In the Old Covenant the advantage lay with Israel as the people of God. But the Old covenant saw a future day coming when other nations would have God as the Lord and so would also be counted as blessed. We note this here because there are more than a few exegetes in the Reformed world who would say that Psalm 33:12 could only ever be true for Israel. Israel ALONE could only ever be blessed because their God was the Lord. It is literally not possible, per these “theologians” that any future nation could be God’s inheritance.

However, if we turn to Isaiah 19 we see a promise that a day was coming when other nations would have God as their Lord and would be counted a people of God’s inheritance.

24 In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, 25 whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

Here we see the Spirit inspired prophet writing that in the course of history, as the Gospel would go forward other nations besides Israel would be people of God’s inheritance. Now, to undergird this as not being just my opinion allow me to cite a chap who I have cited before,

NT Reformed theologian Dr. Martin Wyngaarden offers here,

“Now the predicates of the covenant are applied in Isa. 19 to the Gentiles of the future, — “Egypt my people, and Assyria, the work of my hands, and Israel, mine inheritance,” Egypt, the people of “Jehovah of hosts,” (Isa. 19:25) is therefore also expected to live up to the covenant obligations, implied for Jehovah’s people. And Assyria comes under similar obligations and privileges. These nations are representative of the great Gentile world, to which the covenant privileges will, therefore, be extended.”

Martin J. Wyngaarden, The Future of the Kingdom in Prophecy and Fulfillment: A Study of the Scope of “Spiritualization” in Scripture (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2011), p. 94.

And again,

“More than a dozen excellent commentaries could be mentioned that all interpret Israel as thus inclusive of Jew and Gentile, in this verse, — the Gentile adherents thus being merged with the covenant people of Israel, though each nationality remains distinct.”

“For, though Israel is frequently called Jehovah’s People, the work of his hands, his inheritance, yet these three epithets severally are applied not only to Israel, but also to Assyria and to Egypt: “Blessed be Egypt, my people, and Assyria, the work of my hands, and Israel, mine inheritance.” 19:25.

Thus the highest description of Jehovah’s covenant people is applied to Egypt, — “my people,” — showing that the Gentiles will share the covenant blessings, not less than Israel. Yet the several nationalities are here kept distinct, even when Gentiles share, in the covenant blessing, on a level of equality with Israel. Egypt, Assyria, and Israel are not nationally merged. And the same principles, that nationalities are not obliterated, by membership in the covenant, applies, of course, also in the New Testament dispensation.”

Martin Wyngaarden
The Future of the Kingdom in Prophecy and Fulfillment: A Study of the Scope of “Spiritualization” in Scripture — pp. 101-102.

We note this because we are living in a time where scholars in the Church are influencing scads of people that it is no longer possible for a nation to be God’s people…. to be a Christian people. However, despite all their degrees and all their angst about Christian Nationalism we see that Psalm 33:12 while originally being uniquely applicable to Israel is, because of the finished work of Christ, which opened the gateway to Gentile Nations to raise the banner of Christ over their nation that it is now possible for Gentile Nations to find themselves Blessed and Happy because the God is their Lord who has taken them for His inheritance.

Now, some will demur at this point and suggest that with this teaching I am neglecting the Church as being uniquely God’s people. That is not a worthy objection because it is possible for a nation to be a Christian nation without itself becoming a church. A Christian nation, of course, would be characterized by having healthy Christian churches but a Christian church in a Christian nation will still be distinct since the Church is but a subset of the whole nation and would have the responsibility of preaching the whole counsel of God while wielding the keys (Word and Sacrament) that open and close the Kingdom of God, while the nation is the people considered as a whole in their various callings and jurisdictions. A Christian nation will not only have a Christian Church handling the Keys but another subset of a Christian nation will be a Christian magistrate who. in their jurisdiction handles the sword consistent with God’s special revelation and natural revelation read in light of God’s special revelation. In a Christian nation, blessed by the Lord, there are Christian churches minister grace according to God’s Word, Christian Magistrate ministering justice according to God’s revealed Word, and Christian families passing on the faith by way of educating and discipling the children of the Christian families.

So, we conclude, following Scripture, that Christian Nations can exist. Because that is so, as Christians we should advocate for a Christian Nationalism which agrees with our founding fathers who had as a battle cry, “No King but King Jesus.”

So, we see it is possible for nations today to be Christian. Because of this it was inevitable that our great liege Lord, Jesus Christ, left instruction to “disciple the nations.” Once a nation was discipled it would be a Christian nation. Now, by Christian nation we do not mean that the nation has asked Jesus into their hearts collectively. Neither do we mean that even a majority of the citizens or subjects will be Christian. What we mean by a Christian nation is the idea that the nation is being governed increasingly consistent with God’s law. A matter we will turn to shortly.

That Christian nations exist is also taught in Rev. 21 where we we see the nations entering into the new Jerusalem in Rev. 21, Christian nation by Christian nation.

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine [l]in it, for the [m]glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations [n]of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor [o]into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into [p]it. 

Yet, as I noted earlier, the Christian faith is running into stiff head winds on this matter in the Reformed Church. One of the most influential people in many quarters of the Reformed Church is a Professor named David Van Drunen and he has spoken on this matter saying,

“If you find Nationalism attractive, I’m not on board with you, but go for it. Just don’t slap the adjective ‘Christian’ in front of it (Nationalism) because you then put yourself in danger of 3rd commandment violation by taking the Lord’s name in vain (by) attaching Christ to this and I would say that Christ does not want Christian nations.”

Dr. David VanDrunen

He of Westminster-West fame

These kind of quotes could be many times repeated as coming from those reputed to be pillars in the Reformed Church.

Having teed this matter up let’s massage this a wee bit by continuing to focus on this idea of nation that we find in Psalm 33:12. This idea is found repeatedly in Scripture,

Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! – Ps. 144:15

Psalm 33:12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance!

Now we want to ask ourselves does Scripture teach us just exactly what a nation is and per a template provided by Dr. Bruce Waltke’s OT theology the answer is definitively “YES.”

“A nation consists of a common people, normally sharing a common land, submissive to a common law, and led by a common ruler.”

Dr. Bruce Waltke

An Old Testament Theology — pg. 149

I would only add to this that a nation also consists of a people having a common history.

Waltke breaks this down to observe that we see the common people as defining a nation as observed in Gen. 12 where God promises to Abraham to make of him a great nation. The idea here is simple. It will be the physical descendants of Abraham who will comprise, exceptions notwithstanding, the people of Israel.

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. Gen. 12:2

The idea that a nation is descended from a common ancestor is consistent with the etymology of the word nation which comes from the Latin nātio, meaning “birth,” “origin,” or “a race/tribe of people”. Literally translating to “that which has been born,” it derives from natus (past participle of nasci,) meaning “to be born.” Consistent with this is the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines nation, “as its etymology imports, originally denoted a family or race of men descended from a common progenitor.”

So, consistent with Scripture and consistent with etymology in order for a nation to be a nation one pre-equisite is having a common people and by common people is meant those descending from a shared ancestory.

We will underscore this by quoting from Sam Francis,

“Every real nation is a people of a common blood and descended from the same common ancestors.”

Samuel Francis

Israel was a nation because they descended from Abraham. Moabites were a nation because they descended from Moab. Edomites were a nation because they descended from Esau.

Waltke following Scripture goes on to say that in order to have a nation people a common people must have a common law. The common law for Israel, of course, was Constitutionally the ten commandments and then as applied in the case law for Israel, coming to us today as what the Westminster confession calls in Chapter 19 the general equity.

Israel was a common people having a common law. Law is defined as the command of the Sovereign power containing a common rule of life for the subjects. The Sovereign in any social order is the source of law. For Israel the Sovereign was God and God was the source of law. If nations desire to be Christian nations this should remain to be the case. Our civil order law by the rights of God’s sovereignty should find themselves reflecting God’s law in Scripture.

Of course this idea is contested today. The surest way to raise a army against you in the modern Reformed Church to say that Christian nations should be ruled by God’s Law-Word. What modern Reformed Churches desire instead is to be ruled by anything but God’s law. But inasmuch as God’s law is given up for other law sources in that much we serve other gods since the sovereign in any social order is the source of law. Should we be ruled by laws not derivative of God’s Word we become a religious nation belonging to another god.

The very first written code of laws for Massachusetts, under the charter of 1629, was drawn up by a minister. And the instruction of the civil court, appointed to frame the laws of the commonwealth, was to make them ” as near the law of God as they can.” ” They had great power in the people’s heart,” says Winthrop. ” Religion ruled the state through its ministers.”

Ministers were selected as agents to obtain charters and petition the king and Parliament, as well as to direct the character of the civil government at home. “The clergy were generally consulted on civil matters, and the suggestions they gave from the pulpit on election-days and other special occasions were enacted into laws.”

Benjamin Morris
CLCCIUS — p. 135

This idea of being ruled by God’s law is what puts the adjective “Christian” behind the noun “Nationalism.” Christian Nationalism finds a common people being ruled by God’s Law. However, we are now neither a common people nor are we ruled by God’s law. With the rise of multiculturalism/multiracialism we are now a people who no longer have shared ancestors nor are we ruled by God’s law. So, it is questionable, per the Scripture’s standard of “Christian nation” whether we are any longer either a nation or whether we are Christian. Our Law is increasingly law based not on God’s revelation but on the whims of men. Because of antinomianism most churches and their members today have in effect echoed the chief priests of old saying, We have no king but Caesar.

Keep in mind that a people/nation can never escape belonging to some God and from embracing some religion as their state religion. This is due to the fact that all Governments are in the business of legislating, enforcing, and adjudicating laws. All laws, in turn are based in some morality … some idea of right and wrong. All morality in turn is determined by some religion. Because of that all Governments and so all nations are hopelessly religious. It is never a question of “if religion” it is only a question of “which religion.” Some will have Christian Nationalism, some will have Hindu Nationalism, some will have Islamic Nationalism, some nations will follow Chemosh, Molech, Ashtoreth or Baal. But all nations, if they are not Christian, will be religious. Religious liberty thus is a myth, and always has been.

Given that I’ll end by repeating Psalm 33:12

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance!