Lesson 130: Ancient Landmarks

Kentucky Chaplain David Chaltas

Maybe it was a dream or maybe it was a vision. At any rate, I was awakened from a dead sleep with the following in my mind’s eye. I was standing on a hallowed hill overlooking the sacred soil where my ancestors were buried. I saw six men with six hammers come out of the woods and begin smashing the tombstones. I saw them take six knives from their pocket and cut down the flags of our ancestors and then I saw them coming towards me: six determined men to remove from me my love for my country. I yelled out, “I shall cling to these memories until I am no more!” And their answer came, “That is our intent!” Then I was awakened by a gasp of terror, as I jumped from my slumber and fell to my knees in thanksgiving that it was only a dream.

The Bible is quite clear about the preservation of our landmarks and memorial stones honoring our ancestors. In Proverbs 22:28 the Holy Book states, “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” In Joshua chapter 4, starting with verse 4-9, the message is again vivid. “4Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5And Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' 7then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever. 8And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the LORD told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. 9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.” Both passages show that we are to honor and respect the markers or our ancestors. Yet today, there is a great movement in the name of political correctness, which would remove those markers, desecrate the graves and diminish the values that the Bible belt holds so dear. America has strayed from its covenant with God and our wondrous founding fathers’ vision. The honorable and Christian known as General Lee is being attacked by those that either don’t know of his greatness or have knowledge and wish it not to be known to the common man. The Southern culture is being attacked on several fronts, when all we wish it to be allowed to share with pride our heritage and pass the torch to future generations represented by our children. What is the best way to destroy a nation? History teaches us that it falls from within. We first see our symbols being attacked and defiled, then our buildings, followed by our cemeteries and ending with the removal of our God from the forefront of what we do.

We are a faith-based people in a faith-based society. Our symbols, such as the church, the cross, the cemeteries; all represent the essence of our heritage. Once we allow it to be taken from our lives, we soon discover the end of joyful living and the beginning of sinful survival. Let us not allow God to be sidelined. Let us not stand for the removal of our sacred symbols. Let us resist all temptation to compromise our heritage for the sake apathy. Remember Under God! Remember In God We Trust! Remember the Founder of the Feast! Remember the Ancient Landmarks of our Fathers! Pray for your neighbors. Pray for Dixie. Pray for America. Pray as our Lord taught us, as we say: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13) Your Obedient Servant, The Old General