The image depicts the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, a momentous event in their escape from the oppressive rule of the Egyptian Pharaoh. This scene is drawn from the following Biblical passage:
Exodus 15:3: “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.”
Exodus 15:4: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.”
Encircling the scene is a powerful quote attributed to Rev. John Knox: “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”
John Knox, the fiery Scottish reformer, played a pivotal role in the Protestant Reformation and was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Known for his unwavering defiance of despotic rule, Knox was a staunch advocate for the idea that God’s authority superseded earthly powers, especially tyrannical governments. His beliefs deeply influenced the English-speaking Protestant world, including the Scottish Covenanters, who resisted royal oppression, and later echoed in the English Civil War. Knox’s influence stretched across the Atlantic, where many American colonists, particularly those of Presbyterian or Puritan backgrounds, saw in his teachings a moral justification for resistance against British rule.
The American Founders, many of whom were of English descent, were undoubtedly familiar with Knox’s ideas and the broader Protestant tradition of resisting tyranny. The American Revolution was not merely a reaction to unjust taxation; it was the culmination of a deeply ingrained belief in the rights of men to resist oppression. It was a cause that stirred the very souls of the people, rooted in a tradition of liberty, divine justice, and the right to govern oneself under God.*
*Benjamin Franklin’s Great Seal Design
The image depicts the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, a momentous event in their escape from the oppressive rule of the Egyptian Pharaoh. This scene is drawn from the following Biblical passage:
Exodus 15:3: “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” Exodus 15:4: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.”
Encircling the scene is a powerful quote attributed to Rev. John Knox: “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”
John Knox, the fiery Scottish reformer, played a pivotal role in the Protestant Reformation and was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Known for his unwavering defiance of despotic rule, Knox was a staunch advocate for the idea that God’s authority superseded earthly powers, especially tyrannical governments. His beliefs deeply influenced the English-speaking Protestant world, including the Scottish Covenanters, who resisted royal oppression, and later echoed in the English Civil War. Knox’s influence stretched across the Atlantic, where many American colonists, particularly those of Presbyterian or Puritan backgrounds, saw in his teachings a moral justification for resistance against British rule.
The American Founders, many of whom were of English descent, were undoubtedly familiar with Knox’s ideas and the broader Protestant tradition of resisting tyranny. The American Revolution was not merely a reaction to unjust taxation; it was the culmination of a deeply ingrained belief in the rights of men to resist oppression. It was a cause that stirred the very souls of the people, rooted in a tradition of liberty, divine justice, and the right to govern oneself under God.*