July, 2007

Dear Friend,

The eyes of the world were once again turned toward Philadelphia on the fourth day of this month as our nation celebrated another birthday, our 228th, in fact.

Every visitor to Independence National Park in the Old City section of Philadelphia wants to see the Liberty Bell which serves as the symbol of the United States of America's birth as a nation.

Just recently I walked by "the Bell" in its closely guarded pavilion and enjoyed a close-up look at this icon of freedom.  As I, and all the other visitors around me, pondered the inscription on it-"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."-I couldn't help but wonder how many people know the source of those words.  Would it not be a surprise to many to know that this is a quotation from Leviticus 25:10 in the Old Testament and that the context is God's instruction to Israel concerning the Law of the Year of Jubilee, a law specifically designed to keep Jewish inhabitants of the Promised Land from exploiting one another?  A key verse from the same passage in this regard is Leviticus 25:17:

Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God; for I am the LORD your God.

The blessings of democracy and freedom so cherished as a nation are deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian principles upon which this country was founded, to which the inscription on the famed bell is incontrovertible testimony.

We who love the Lord recognize the way in which He has used the nation of Israel since He first called Abram out of Mesopotamia.  We also recognize that He is not finished with the Jewish people, nor has He ceased to love Israel in a very special way.  It is for this reason that we seek to faithfully share the most important message of all with our Jewish friends, the message of the Messiah.

May God's richest blessings rest on you and yours.

Sincerely in Messiah Jesus,

Rev. Roger L. Wambold,
General Director