Forgotten Baseball

The Cubs did not win the World Series in 1918, and attendance fluctuated, with the low of 15,238 for the sixth game – and final chance for the Cubs. But it’s the first game in Comiskey Park that has a biblical lesson for us today. In the Wikipedia article, we read:

During the seventh-inning stretch of Game 1, the band began playing "The Star Spangled Banner" because the country was involved in World War I. The song would be named the national anthem of the United States in 1931, and during World War II its playing would become a regular pre-game feature of baseball games and other sporting events.

It wasn’t the national anthem then. That didn’t happen until 1931, so our nation has had more time without this national anthem than with it. Odd, then, isn’t it, that in confrontations over racism, it is controversial? My thought is that we’ve forgotten how it was perceived in 1918, if not the battle in which it was written.

So, how is that biblical? Try this verse:

Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. (Exodus 1:8 KJV)

The book of Genesis contains the story of Joseph, but Exodus opens years after Joseph helped Egypt’s Pharaoh feed nations during famine. Do you know that story? Could you find it easily in the Bible?

Moses was concerned about people forgetting the words God gave him, but God had a plan:

Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. (Deuteronomy 4:10 KJV)

With repetition:

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 KJV)

Even a third time – which to means adds importance and meaning:

Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 11:18-19 KJV)

What have we failed to teach our children? It’s not simply that a hundred-year-old song became our National Anthem, but that that event brought our country together during a dark time of world wide war. Men from many countries were dying far away from their homes, and there appeared to be no end to it. Making peace came at a great price. Ending what an anarchist’s bullet precipitated took years and took twenty million lives, as well as leaving 21 million injured.

We’ve forgotten that a mere generation later that was repeated with eighty-five million deaths. 85,000,000.  Because men did not teach their children that the cost of war includes death.

Today in the United States, most of the peaceful protests have ended in casualties. Some in deaths. The protesters see that as inevitable, and will continue to use the same methodology. They are told by their supporters that it is necessary when frustrations grow too long unreleased. But, I believe we’ve forgotten to teach generations why the anthem was important to people from 1918 through the 1950’s, and we've forgotten to teach them about God.

And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10 KJV)

There has been more than one generation – and not only in our country – who have not taught their children about the Lord:

And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10 KJV)

Have we been telling our children and our children’s children of the Lord’s work in our lives? Is there nothing in our lives that can be attributed to the Lord’s intervention? There certainly is in my life. Now, I’m concerned – not for my children, nor for the most part for my grandchldren, but I have great-grandchildren. I am blessed to say that each one of them knows their grandparents love the Lord and have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. That is a huge blessing, but is the world's view stronger?

I’m concerned that there are fewer people in the world that believe, that share their faith. I do see a remnant, but I also see a falling away. There can be two outcomes, as I see the biblical teachings, one is a revival with more people sharing God’s love and His word – or, His return. Are you prepared for either occurrence?