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With all the talk regarding President Trump’s oath or lack of, I thought it would be interesting to examine oaths in the light of scripture. There are a few verses in the Bible that create the context for oaths, especially Presidential Oaths. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 immediately come to mind.
Now, Leviticus 26, like Deuteronomy 28, has long been recognized for its vivid depiction of blessings and curses tied to Israel’s faithfulness or disobedience. These prophecies were fulfilled so precisely in history that some modern scholars have argued they were written after Israel’s captivity.
Such critics often deny the possibility of predictive prophecy and assume these texts must be historical records rather than legitimate warnings and inevitable foretellings. Yet the evidence for historical cause and effect is strong, as even biblical skeptics acknowledge that the curses and blessings passages describe events that match Israel’s later experiences.
So beneath this debate lies a broader truth. The cause and effect debate. My premise is that these covenant warnings do not merely speak to historic ancient Israel but apply to all of us, to every nation and people who claim to be under God.
A Covenant for Every People
Modern nations in the West often adopt oaths and ceremonies that invoke divine authority. By doing so, they effectively place themselves within the same framework of blessings for faithfulness and curses for disobedience outlined in passages like Leviticus 26. These texts make clear that there is an unbreakable link between God, humanity, and even the land itself.
When people are faithful to God’s law, they experience seasons of prosperity. When they turn away, there is brokenness in everything from the weather to the productivity of the soil. This is not just a historical narrative but a call to responsibility… faithfulness means blessing. The obvious other side of that two-edged sword is that faithlessness means turmoil.
The Presidential Oath as Covenant
In the United States, the presidential oath of office places the entire nation under the covenant’s promises and warnings, whether society recognizes it or not. In its biblical sense, this oath does more than inaugurate a term. It invokes the blessings and curses of passages like Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 on that President and the people.
The nation acknowledges itself as a covenant people by speaking God’s name on such a solemn occasion. If it then breaks that covenant, the result can be national upheaval, the erosion of moral standards… all divine judgment.
In the same way that the British coronation service used to bind the monarchy to a sacred responsibility, the presidential oath weaves the very fabric of biblical covenant into the governance of the people. While this sacred dimension is often overlooked, it reminds us that all civic authority ultimately rests under God’s sovereign rule.
Our Bond with the Land
Scripture affirms that the created world is not neutral, merely existing for human activity. Leviticus 26 teaches that faithful people will flourish in health, work, and family life. At the same time, the faithless will experience disease, turmoil, and devastation. This principle extends to the natural realm as well. The land “enjoys its Sabbaths” in Israel’s exile, suggesting a deep interdependence between human obedience and the earth’s well-being.
In Romans 8:22–23, Paul says that all creation groans in anticipation of its renewal, longing for the day when humanity’s redemption will bring cosmic restoration. The world we live in is designed for God’s future purposes, not an abstract “static” reality. As a result, environmental disorder, increasing natural disasters, and social turmoil always hint at deeper spiritual issues. The natural order reflects that brokenness when God’s law, which includes principles of justice, mercy, and love, is discarded.
The Blessing and Burden of Memory
Human beings are unique in their capacity to remember and learn from the past. Memory fuels civilization, allowing families, societies, and cultures to build on previous generations. Through historical knowledge, we organize our present and prepare for the future. Yet the same gift can become a burden when guilt or fear blinds people to present opportunities or paralyzes them when faced with an uncertain future. An unredeemed heart can fixate on past mistakes and miss out on future growth and hope. Our past shapes our present and future, and it’s up to us to use it wisely.
God, by contrast, is outside of time and has no history of change. “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). For us, growth and transformation are possible precisely because we are not God. We live in time, and that temporal experience can be either life-giving or destructive. When fear prevails, nostalgia often takes over. Societies that dread the future frequently romanticize past eras, clinging to them as though they were free from sin and imperfection.
This longing for what never truly existed can become a very real form of idolatry, where the past is worshiped over the living God. The “great we were” is shorthand for this idolatrous fixation on the past, while the great “I Am” signifies the ever-present, unchanging God who offers a future of hope and renewal.
Escaping the Trap of Nostalgia
Look, history is full of examples of cultures that have become museums of their former glory. Old China exalted ancestral traditions, while parts of Europe idealized a romantic past. Regions of the United States evoke bygone “golden ages” rather than creating vibrant, faithful communities now. Such nostalgia can signify a loss of confidence in the providential present or an unwillingness to face a future that demands accountability to God. When people entrench themselves in the great “we were,” they most often reject the fullness of life promised by the great “I Am.”
Living in the Great “I Am”
From the burning bush (Exodus 3:14) to the teachings of Christ, God reveals Himself as the One who is ever-present. Those who live in communion with this unchanging God find that the best is always ahead because His purpose is redemptive.
Paul’s statement that “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth” underscores a world eager for renewal, not one locked in a futile cycle of repetition. When individuals and nations align themselves with God’s covenant, they move with a creation oriented toward hope.
All people must choose which way they will go. They can wallow in past failures and idealized memories or pursue a future shaped by divine blessings. The narrative of Leviticus 26 is not just ancient history… it is a timeless reminder that every land and every nation stands under God’s dominion.
Faithfulness is met with fruitfulness, while disobedience breeds downward disintegration. In a world of confusion and uncertainty, the call is clear. Abandon the great “we were” and embrace the great “I Am.” Why? It’s in Him that true renewal awaits.
Lastly, while the details of formal oaths are important and their consequences perhaps very real, let’s wait and judge President Trump’s actions. Keep asking yourself… is what he’s doing in line with Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26? It might make a great debate and discussion topic.
