The year was 1858.  The young United States of America was being torn into two opposite directions.  There were those who supported slavery and those who were opposed to it.  The nation was in turmoil as it daily debated whether the use of slaves should be permitted.

During that year Abraham Lincoln was running for the US Senate in the state of Illinois.  On June 17 1858 he gave one of his most famous speeches called the "House Divided Speech."  The following words are part of that speach:

"If we could first know where we are, and whither are tending, we could better judge what to do, and how to do it.  We are now far into the fifth year since a policy was initiated with the avowed object and confident promise of putting an end to slavery agitation.  Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only not ceased, but has constantly augmented.  In my opinion, it will not cease until a crisis shall have been reached and passed.  A house divided against itself cannot stand.  I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.  I do not expect the union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided.  It will become all one thing, or all the other.  Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction, or its advocates will push it forward till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new, North as well as South."

Of couse we all know the end to that story.  Abraham Lincoln was defeated for the US Senate in 1858, he was subsequently elected as President in 1860, and then he led the nation into the struggle we know as the civil war.  Fortunately for us, Lincoln mustered the troops, rallied the Union soldiers behind him, and ultimately saved the United States from being fractured into two.

The nation of Israel in the 10th century BC was not as fortunate.  Following the death of King Solomon in 930 BC, Israel became divided.  The northern kingdom consisting of tne of the tribes of Israel became one kingdom while the remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin became the southern kingdom.  For a period of over 250 years, the nation of Israel was divided.  Ultimately, both kingdoms were defeated in battle and the survivors of the clash were carried off in captivity to Assaria and Babylon.

Abraham Lincoln was a man of deep faith.  I believe Lincoln not only had in mind the division of the nation of Israel when he gave that famouse speech on June 17, 1858, but also he had in mind the words of our Lord Jesus when he said, "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand" (Mark 3:15).

It seems now our country is a divided one.  So many issues of our day have separated our country,  Using Scripture as our guide, we see the problems that result when a nation is divided.  Please commit with me to daily be praying for our nation that we might once again serve our Lord Jesus as "one nation under God" and not fall into the division that caused the downfall of the nation of Israel.

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