According to Wikipedia, "a direct source of literary
inspiration for The Course of Empire paintings is Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812–18).
Cole quoted this verse, from Canto IV, in his newspaper advertisements for the
series:
There is
the moral of all human tales;
'Tis but
the same rehearsal of the past.
First
freedom and then Glory – when that fails,
Wealth,
vice, corruption – barbarism at last.
And
History, with all her volumes vast,
Hath but one
page..."
These
paintings depict human history, apart from any influence by God. History cries
out, "Come Lord Jesus!"
The Savage State idealistically symbolizes the
innocence of humankind in a sparsely inhabited natural habitat. But the
shopworn phrase "Nature, red in tooth and claw", first penned by
Alfred Lord Tennyson, suggests that life this close to nature was a continuous
struggle for survival. This is not the innocence of Eden. Man (Adam) was
already not walking with God in the cool of the morning.
The
Pastoral State depicts farms and sheep folds and families, seemingly at
peace with nature. Perhaps the structure in the distance is a temple. Does this
come close to fulfilling the original directive to Adam to cultivate and keep
the garden? (Genesis 2:15) The verdant meadows and relaxed stances suggest that
humankind has risen above subsistence. This scene evokes idyllic peace.
Was
Israel in Canaan during the rule of the judges and prophets the golden age of
Israel? Every man did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6 and 21:25 )
The context of these verses suggests that few actually listened to the priests
or prophets. In the first case, brazen idolatry violated the law of Moses. In
the second case, tribal leaders searched the Law to find a way to avoid
annihilating the tribe of Benjamin. Even in times of abundant grace from God,
humankind's heart wanders.
The
Consummation of Empire shows a government of power, and an economy
flourishing with abundance to excess.
Opulence hints at decadence. The orderly procession attending the
emperor connotes a teeming population in step with the government. This is
likely closer to depicting Solomon's reign than David's, since David often
seemed to shun ceremony. The temple is now dwarfed by government and commercial
architecture. Most link this to the height of the Roman Empire, which the
architecture suggests.
The
lack of reference to God does not imply that all this is sinful or evil, only
that people's hearts and minds are focused elsewhere. The problem with
forgetting God is that the walk away from the virtues that He commands is
subtle. After the wellspring of the virtues is gone, virtues dissipate as
liberty becomes license. The collapse of public and private morals ushers in
the next phase. God blesses those who serve Him. Natural cause and effect bring
the consequences to those who walk away.
Storm
clouds overshadow Destruction.
How many capital cities thought unassailable have been sacked, pillaged, and
plundered? Although the architecture suggests Rome in 410 AD, Rome was sacked
multiple times: 387 BC, 410, 455, 546, 1084, and 1527 AD. Biblically we tend to
focus on the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. This
outcome after moral decadence is inevitable. Prophets were God's voice to plead
with Israel to return to Him and His ways. The destruction of the northern
kingdom in 722 BC should have been an object lesson, but a few generations
later the southern kingdom followed suit. If Israel failed, can any nation
succeed?
Desolation.
Not even hunters or farmers. In the words of Jeremiah:
How
lonely sits the city that was full of people.
She
has become like a widow who once was great among the nations!
She
who was a princess among the provinces has become a forced laborer!
She
weeps bitterly in the night and her tears are on her cheeks.
She
has none to comfort her among all her lovers.
All
her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.
(Lamentation
1:1-2, NASB)
Our
nation was founded on the principle that a representative democracy with
limited powers could best enable we the people to achieve the objectives stated
in the opening sentence of the U.S. constitution. In history, other governments
have rested on the divine right of kings, the power of a police state, or a
claim of a mandate from God. None of these seem to be able to sustain the practice
of public and private virtue in the midst of peace and prosperity. The core
source of social well-being does not and cannot come from government, which can
regulate external behavior (to some extent) but cannot change hearts. For all
the bravado and bluster of politicians, it is the hearts of people that must
win the victory over self-satisfaction, self-centeredness, self-indulgence,
self-sufficiency, self-will, and self-justification.
All
of this exemplifies that we are not living in the kingdom of God on a national
or political plane. If we always experienced the immediate presence of Christ
in our individual lives, the power of His love and holiness would inspire and
empower us to live out the divine attributes He commands, even in peace and
prosperity. One day, He will write His law on our hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33) But
that is not going to happen on a national basis until the millennium, when the
promise that every one will know the Lord will be fulfilled. (Jeremiah 31:34)
Our hearts long for that day. Come Lord Jesus! Your kingdom come, Your will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven!
