Greetings,
The British never stood a chance. There was no way they were going to retain control over the 13 colonies in America. It was God’s will that America become an independent nation and not just one of the “company of nations” of the British Commonwealth. The imposition of taxes from Britain became a major issue, but the true basis for the Revolution was the promises of God to Abraham’s descendants
The signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 proclaimed to the world the separation of “a people” (the United States) from “a multitude of nations” (the British Commonwealth). America emerged as a new sovereign nation. These descendants of Manasseh developed into “the freest, most creative, productive, and richest nation in the history of mankind” (New American). This was just as God had promised.
There is an interesting characteristic of Manasseh that is revealed in the name. “Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: ‘For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house’” (Genesis 41:51). The implication is that God caused Joseph to forget the bad things that had happened to him (like being sold into slavery by his brothers). God removed any impediment of the past to build something new and better through him. This is “positive forgetting” caused by God.
As part of the wording on a plaque mounted on the Statue of Liberty we read, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” People who initially came to America came to make a better life, a new start to escape the conditions of “the old country.” America was largely made up of people who moved away from toil and oppression. “The connotations in Hebrew of the name ‘Manasseh’ include the idea of moving, or migrating, and of forgetting the past in order to make a new start” (To Rule the World, p 63). This was part of God’s blessings upon a part of Abraham’s descendants.
With the blessings came responsibilities. One was not to “… forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you … “(Deuteronomy 4:23). The covenant required Israel to keep His statues and commandments, so that it would go well for them and their children after them. The modern-day descendants of Manasseh have largely forgotten God – and continue to do so, finding no relevance for Him in their lives. Jeremiah had a message from God to the religious leaders of His people: “Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name …” (Jeremiah 23:26-27). The positive forgetting of the past in order to make a new life has long ago evaporated. The descendants of Manasseh are simply forgetting God and almost none have a clue as to where they came from and what God had done to bless their lands.
As a result, God makes it clear He is going to forget His people. “Therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you and forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and I will cast you out of My presence” (Jeremiah 23:39).
The time to enjoy God’s abundant birthright blessings is running out.
Brian Orchard
