August 1619 marked the arrival of the first slave ship in Jamestown, Virginia. This event was the fulfillment of a prophecy to the Israelite people of the Kingdom of Judah as recorded in Deuteronomy 28.
For centuries we’ve been told that our history began on the coast of that English colony here in America. We were stripped of our culture, our name, our national identity and given a version of our God that has kept our people in mental slavery to this day.
The true history of our people reaches back to the days of Noah after the flood through the lineage of his son Shem. Sin perverted the world causing a permanent separation between God and His human creation. However in His infinite mercy, God chose a people to be His own obeying, Worshipping and serving Him in the beauty of holiness and sharing His gospel of redemption of mankind to the world.
Due to the disobedience of our ancestors we were denied the promise of generational blessings and instead cursed with generational suffering. Here are just a few scriptures highlighting the things that have and continue to plague our community.
“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.”Deuteronomy 28:15-18 KJV
“Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.” Deut. 28:30
“Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.” Deut. 28:32
“And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee.” Deut. 28:37
“Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.” Deut. 28:41
“The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:” Deut. 28:43-45
“And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.”Deuteronomy 28:68 KJV
But just as our history did not begin with slavery, it also shall not end with eternal suffering.
Again, God in His infinite mercy at the request of our ancestor king Solomon in the book of 2 Chronicles 7:14, allowed a way of escape from the punishment of our disobedience.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:12-16 KJV
Saints our history lies within the pages of scripture. Our coming together for worship is more than just a religious practice or tradition. Serving God is the end of our state of perpetual suffering. It is revelation of our history and culture. It is the return of the nation of Israel to our responsibility to evangelize a fallen world. It is a return to our God.
This was your moment in black history. I pray you study to show yourself approved and study to know the truth of who you are.
