As we have seen in Scripture, God has called some of our best known men in history only to be given reasons by them why they could not complete God’s request.
For example, Jonah:
“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are. But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD” – Jonah 1:2-3 NLT
Or Moses:
“’Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.’ But Moses protested to God, Who am I to appear before Pharaoh” – Exodus 3:10, 11
Yahweh God seemed to call His people to launch into the unknown and in the process exhorted them to be girded with courage and strength.
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” – Joshua 1:6 NIV
We not only see how God called biblical heroes but he also called godly men in American history— brave men and women who faced challenging and dangerous situations.
Paul Revere was such a man!
He was not only quick to get involved in community affairs but was also willing to lead, despite great danger.
Revere was the 3rd of 12 children and also fathered 16! This pretty much puts a hole in the excuse that we often give for having too many family obligations to keep us from standing up against tyranny.
April 19th, 1775, marks the day of the first military engagement of the Revolutionary War. Seven hundred British army regulars were sent to confiscate military supplies thought to be stored in the Massachusetts village of Concord, and to capture patriot leaders, Samuel Adams and John Hancock who were reported to be staying in the village of Lexington. Previously, Paul Revere arranged for a signal to be sent by lantern from the steeple of North Church in Boston— one if by land, two if by sea—to alert the countryside of any advance of British troops. Two lanterns had been hung briefly in the bell-tower indicating that troops would row “by sea” across the Charles River to Cambridge, rather than marching “by land” out Boston Neck.
On the night of April 18, the colonists were signaled to the British mission, and the lantern’s alarm sent Revere, William Dawes, and Dr. Samuel Prescott, on the road to warn of the British column making its way toward Lexington. On the way to Lexington, Revere alarmed the countryside, stopping at each house and arrived in Lexington about midnight. As he approached the house of Pastor Jonas Clark where Hancock and Adams were staying, a sentry asked that he not make so much noise. “Noise!” cried Revere, “You’ll have noise enough before long. The regulars are coming out!”
Pastor Clark was asked, “Are you ready?” He replied, “I have trained them (men in his congregation) for twenty years for this hour.” He wasn’t exaggerating. In 1755, Pastor Clark had been ordained pastor in Lexington. He had drafted instructions for the colony on resisting the Stamp Act of 1775. (The Stamp Act was the first colonial tax to be paid directly to England, not their-own local legislatures).
He also drafted Lexington’s boycott of English goods in 1774, giving clear instruction of the doctrine of interposition. This doctrine stated that the only lawful way to resist tyranny was to do so under duly constituted authority. Clark taught from the Bible that true liberty was a result of covenanting with God under the rule of law—God’s law.
No doubt Paul Revere was empowered by the strength of this righteous cause and therefore put himself along in danger for the sake of liberty.
Revere was eventually arrested by a British patrol, and was held sometime and then released.
Interesting footnotes regarding the Midnight Ride made popular in Henry Longfellows poem:
1) Revere borrowed a horse from Deacon John Larkin as he did not own his own.
2) There were at least two other riders, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, who also spread the alert.
3) Paul most likely did not shout the famous quote “The British are coming!” but rather in conversational tones said “the Regulars are moving,” which was code for the British.
Besides being a father, Paul was a successful businessman, silversmith, and artist.
After the war, Revere opened the first rolling copper mill in the U.S. To this day the high quality of Revere’s copper works can be seen in things like Revereware pots and pans and church bells.
When you pull out your Revereware or are fortunate to hear a church bell chime, remember the brave and courageous patriot Paul Revere and resolve to be brave and courageous yourself!
An Action to Take: Write or email your congressman about your particular concern over a controversial issue like Same Sex Marriage, Abortion, etc.
Thanks for reading!
Rick Hunt