In Micah 4:4 we read: "But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it." Further, there are other passages in the Bible as in 1 Kings 4:25, Zechariah 3:10, and 1 Maccabees 14:12 that echo this particular passage which speaks of the peace and serenity that each of us is entitled to while living within the confines of a nation that professes its love for freedom and the brotherhood of mankind to which all are granted equal and inalienable rights.
This particular biblical passage was a favorite of George Washington, the father of our country, and therefore is of particular interest for us to meditate upon. The fact that George Washington should find poignant meaning behind these words should say a lot to us, because Washington was not only our first President, but also the General and Commander in Chief of our armed forces; however, when it came time to reflect upon what this country meant to him, and the wisdom that he wished to impart upon us, Washington did not bring forth any of the notable biblical passages of battles, wars, and conquest, but instead found peace and serenity in knowing that the battles that were fought were for the opportunity for each man that in his day he would be able to luxuriate in peace, under the shade and guidance of our Creator, without fear that this serenity would be disrupted by outside forces or even by the State, itself.
George Washington was well aware that the peace and serenity that each of us desires deep within our psyche, could never come through the sword, but only through giving each and every American the opportunity to live in a land that embraced true freedom as well as opportunity. George Washington and the patriot forces fought a long and protracted battle against the British forces, suffered through embarrassments, defeats, and privations, yet were able to ultimately prevail against the greatest earthly military power of that time. While some, given Washington's position, might have luxuriated and bask upon the glory of such an improbable victory, Washington did not, as he saw himself as a man of the people, and for the people, to which the overarching objective of the war was for the United States to free itself from the stifling domestic interference from abroad, and to give to the people of this great land, the opportunity for them to enjoy the fruits of their labor without the meddling of an empire that had treated them as wayward children.
As America's supreme military leader and later as the head of its Executive branch of government, Washington did not dream of empire and conquest, but recognized instead that the greatest gift that we could give to all of mankind was the example that we demonstrated in our behavior and in our life, that a country that truly embraced the creed that all men are created equal, would not make it its policy to place its boot upon the neck of others, but instead would affirm that each of us is entitled to domestic tranquility and the serenity of sitting under our own fig tree, without fear of disturbance.