KING JAMES

I'm reading my Mom's old King James Version of the Bible this year.  That may seem like a strange thing to do (to some of you), but I was raised on this version. 

Her copy includes "The Epistle Dedicatory", which was a letter written by the original translators to King James upon the completion of their project.  It begins:

TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, JAMES, by the grace of God, KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, etc.  The Translators of the Bible wish Grace, Mercy, and Peace, through JESUS CHRIST our Lord.

As the dedication continues, they refer to the king with the following terms:

• most dread Sovereign
• Your Majesty
• Your Highness

Their closing blessing:

The Lord of heaven and earth bless Your Majesty with many and happy days, that, as his heavenly hand hath enriched Your Highness with many singular and extraordinary graces, so you may be the wonder of the world in this latter age for happiness and true felicity, to the honour (sic) of that great God, and the good of the Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour.

The whole dedication is quite impressive as the translators commend the king for initiating this effort.  They seem to recognize the impact that this English translation is going to have on the world. 

And indeed, the King James Version (or Authorized Version) carried significant authority well into the ninteenth century.

What impacted me most, however, in reading this Dedication was the respect for the king and his desire to propagate the Gospel. 

We've come a long way since then. 

I recently read of a controversy in Congress.  A bill has been presented to add President Roosevelt's prayer to the World War II Memorial.  Many are against the bill because it tends to "establish religion".

My prayer:
God, help us this year to elect a president with faith in You and courage to lead this great country in prayer!