04/05/2022 – An appeal to heaven
While having some much-needed tree work done on my property, the master arborist in charge of the tree trimming noticed my Appeal to Heaven flag flying over my shed. I have flown this flag ever since I owned the shed. The inquisitive arborist asked me “what does that flag mean?” I proceeded to explain both the back story and the flags meaning:
The back story – The phrase “An Appeal to Heaven” was coined by the British philosopher John Locke, back in 1690, as he refuted the theory of the divine right of kings, specifically the king of England.
He quoted, “And where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven”
He based his quote on 2 Corinthians 8:21 “providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”
Fast forwarding almost a thousand years from John Locke’s quote, the year 1775, just before our great nation was formed, General George Washington faced the powerful British Navy. General Washington had no Navy to speak of, he had no means to beat back the British. General Washington had exhausted all his earthly appeals and so he decided to take his case directly to the courts of Heaven and before God. Thereafter General Washington commissioned 6 small cruiser class ships, all flying the flag “An Appeal to Heaven”, with his faith in God and his resolve to win the battles ahead, the tides of war started turning in favor of the colonist. And a year later 1776, a new nation was born.
The meaning – I concluded my story to the arborist by saying, “even when you are unjustly ruled against, even when you are stripped of all earthly appeals. You can always appeal your case to heaven.” So, when you have exhausted all your earthly appeals; when you have no one to turn to. You can turn the tide by taking your case before the courts of heaven.
Today meditate on this scripture: Hebrew 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need.”