Today is the day we as a nation celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday. Dr. King was born on January 15, but it is today January 19 in the year of 2009 that we celebrate Dr. King’s Birthday.

Today is a day of prayer. Today is a day of reflection. Today is a day of celebration. Today is a day of action. However, in all our prayers, reflections, celebrations and actions let us not miss the hand of God in this time of our nation’s history.

Dr. King was a young preacher who had a calling from God on his life.

Dr. King was a priest. He ministered to our soul. He marched against segregation. He was jailed to free us from racial discrimination. He was a drum major for justice. However, most of all, Dr. King was a prophet. In Washington, DC, he said, “I have a dream.” He said, “Let freedom ring.” He said, “One day his four children will be judged not by the color of their skins but by the content of their character.” In Memphis, TN, he said, “I’ve been to the mountaintop.” He said, “I’ve seen the promise land.” He said, “I may not get there with you but we as a people will get to the promise land.” He said, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

Dr. King was the Moses of his generation!

Just like the Moses in the Bible, God sent Dr. King to say a word to Old Pharaoh. He told the old Pharaohs of the Old South, people like Bill Connors, George Wallace and Lester Maddox, to Let My People Go! Dr. King led the Exodus out of the Egypt of America. The Red Sea parted and Blacks got their Civil Rights and Voting Rights. The song says, “Go down Moses, way down in Egypt land. Tell old Pharaoh to let my people go!”

After being set free, just like the Children of Israel, we as Black people went into the Wilderness for 40 years. Dr. King was assassinated and we had to bury this mountain of a man. Unlike the Moses in the Bible who led his people for 40 years in the Wilderness, Dr. King was gone. However, the prophecy of God had gone forth. For 40 years, we suffered. Richard Nixon implemented law and order but it brought forth contempt for the law and a reduction of order. Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon but had no vision for the people. Jimmy Carter tried to do the right thing but did not stand firm for the right. Ronald Reagan said he wanted America to be a thousand points of light with a trickle down theory for the economy but he put the light out on civil rights, employment rights and human rights, and nothing trickled down to the people but despair and the slogan of “Just say no” to drugs. George H. W. Bush said read my lips “No new taxes” but made sure that those who were taxed the most were at the bottom of the barrel with their lips pouting out. Bill Clinton brought some hope to America as morning came to America through the man from Hope, AK but his human failings and his conservative moorings limited his work for the people. George W. Bush came in on a dark cloud having not won the election, 911 occurred as he failed to see the warnings, he created a war in Iraq looking for non-existing weapons of mass destruction, over 5000 of our children have died in the war for no good reason, and our economy is in the worst shape since the Great Depression. We were in the Wilderness!

Now some 40 years later, God has sent another man to take us into the promise land. His name is President Barack Hussein Obama.

President Obama is a young politician who has a calling from God on his life.

President Obama is a lawyer. He is a professor. He is a community activist. However, most of all President Obama is a warrior. He said, “He’s fired up and ready to go.” He said, “Yes we can.” He said, “We as a people will get to the promise land.” He is ready to take his people and America to the promise land. President Obama is the warrior who will lead us all into the promise land. He said he is of the Joshua Generation.

President Obama is the Joshua of his generation to our people and our nation!

Just like the Joshua in the Bible, God is sending President Obama to take the land of milk and honey. For Joshua in the Bible, the battle began at the walled city of Jericho. Jericho is in the middle of Canaan Land. Washington, DC is in the middle between the Northeastern and the Southeastern states of America. Joshua first major victory occurs in Jericho as the walls came tumbling down. President Obama’s first major victory will occur in Washington, DC as the walls will come tumbling down. However, just like the Joshua in the Bible, President Obama will face obstacles. Joshua in the Bible was defeated in the battle at the little city of Ai. This occurred because Joshua underestimated the battle at Ai and his followers stole things in Ai that God said was only for God’s use. In addition, Joshua in the Bible made a mistake when he unknowingly cut a treaty with his enemies. This occurred because Joshua did not spy out the land completely to know who his enemies in Canaan Land were and who his friends beyond Canaan Land were. However, Joshua in the Bible had more victories than defeats and he conquered Canaan Land.

Just like Joshua in the Bible, President Obama will have his share of defeats, mistakes and missteps but in the end, he will be victorious. God is telling President Obama to be strong and of a good courage. He will have more victories than defeats and he will conquer this Canaan Land of America. The song says, “Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.”

In the end, we as a people will find out that it was never our Moses, Dr. King, or our Joshua, President Obama, who really brought us out of the land of Egypt in America or put us in the Promise Land in America. In the end, we as a people will learn that it was always the Captain of the Lord’s Host (Army) working through we the people who will put us in the Promise Land. The Captain of the Lord’s Army will lead us into the promise land because the Captain of the Lord’s Army is none other than Joshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. His Jewish name is Yeshua ha Masheah. His Greek name is Iesus Christos. His English name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ will win the war to take the Promise Land and we as a people will fight the good fight of faith and win the battles in the Promise Land.

So do not miss the hand of God at work right now!

Today, January 19, 2009, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Moses to America. Tomorrow, January 20, 2009, we honor President Barak Hussein Obama, the Joshua to America. Dr. King and President Obama are linked back to back.

God is making it crystal clear that he is linking the leadership of the Moses to America back to back with the leadership of the Joshua to America just like the book of Deuteronomy is linked back to back to the book of Joshua. Make no mistake, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy and Joshua states:

Deuteronomy 34:1-8 (Moses goes to the mountaintop to die – Dr. King)
1 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,

2 And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea,

3 And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar.

4 And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

Deuteronomy 34:9 (God’s hand is on Joshua – President Obama)
9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Joshua 1:1-8 (God encourages Joshua – President Obama – to be strong and of a good courage)
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,

2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 5 (The Captain of the LORD’s Host – Jesus Christ – is the true leader of Joshua and the Children of Israel –President Obama and We as a People)
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?

15 And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

God’s hand is directing the transfer of the anointing from Dr. King to President Obama. This is a handoff of glory, honor and power to let the world know that God is in control.

Just as the prophet of God said in 1968 and the warrior of God has repeated in 2008, “WE AS A PEOPLE WILL GET TO THE PROMISE LAND!

Rev. Dr. George St. A. Ferguson, Sr.

Professor

Canan Bible College

North Chaleston, SC