July 14 - Revolutionary Fury: The Storming of the Bastille
Repurposing Our Past for God's Glory
This is the day the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed by revolutionaries in 1789, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.
Yesterday's attempted assassination of President Trump remains foremost in our minds. We extend our prayers to the victims, the injured, and their families. I wrote today's article long before this event occurred. I think today's historical event is a good example of why we study the past.
"The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes." - Psalm 118:22-23 (NIV)
This Date in History
On July 14, 1789, Paris was a powder keg of revolutionary fervor. For months, tensions had been building between the common people, burdened by heavy taxes and food shortages, and the opulent monarchy of King Louis XVI. The air was thick with anticipation as if the very cobblestones could sense the impending upheaval.
In the working-class district of Faubourg Saint-Antoine, a crowd began to gather. Their angry murmurs grew into a roar. "To the Bastille!" someone shouted, and the cry was taken up by thousands of voices. Just two days earlier, the fiery young lawyer Camille Desmoulins had ignited revolutionary sentiment with his impassioned speech at the Palais-Royal, setting the stage for this historic day.
The Bastille, a medieval fortress-turned-prison, loomed over eastern Paris like a stone giant. Though it held only seven prisoners that day, it stood as a potent symbol of royal authority and oppression. The revolutionaries were after something far more valuable than captives – they sought the gunpowder stored within its thick walls.
As the mob approached, the Bastille's governor, Bernard-René de Launay, found himself in an impossible situation. With only 82 invalides (veteran soldiers) and 32 Swiss guards at his command, he faced a sea of angry Parisians armed with muskets, pikes, and righteous fury. De Launay attempted negotiation, but the revolutionaries' patience had run dry after years of perceived injustice.
The siege began in earnest around 1:30 PM. Revolutionaries used axes and brute force to break down the outer gate, pouring into the outer courtyard. The din of battle filled the air – musket fire, the clang of metal on stone, and the shouts of the wounded. Among the attackers was Pierre-Augustin Hulin, a former soldier whose military experience proved crucial in organizing the assault.
As the afternoon wore on, the tide turned decisively in favor of the revolutionaries. Some of the Bastille's defenders, sympathetic to the cause, turned their guns on their fellow soldiers. By evening, De Launay, realizing the futility of further resistance, ordered the drawbridge lowered.
The fall of the Bastille was swift and decisive, but its aftermath was chaotic and bloody. De Launay was seized and dragged through the streets, ultimately beheaded by the crowd. His head, along with those of several other defenders, was paraded through Paris on pikes – a grisly harbinger of the violence that would characterize much of the revolution to come.
News of the Bastille's fall spread like wildfire. When King Louis XVI, at his palace in Versailles, was informed of the event, he reportedly asked, "Is it a revolt?" His aide, the Duke of La Rochefoucauld, replied, "No, sire. It is a revolution."
Indeed, the storming of the Bastille became the spark that ignited the French Revolution. It galvanized the people, shook the foundations of the monarchy, and sent shockwaves across Europe. The event would be commemorated annually as Bastille Day, becoming a powerful symbol of liberty and the birth of modern France.
In the days that followed, the Bastille was systematically dismantled, its stones repurposed or kept as revolutionary souvenirs. But its fall had built something far more enduring – a new conception of citizenship, popular sovereignty, and the rights of man. The world would never be the same.
Historical Context
The storming of the Bastille occurred against a backdrop of profound social, economic, and political upheaval in France. In the decades leading up to 1789, the country had been grappling with a series of crises that set the stage for revolution.
France's involvement in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) had left the nation deeply in debt. This financial strain was exacerbated by a series of poor harvests in the late 1780s, leading to widespread food shortages and inflation. The burden of these economic woes fell disproportionately on the Third Estate - the common people - who were already struggling under a regressive tax system that exempted the nobility and clergy.
An absolute monarchy dominated the political landscape, with King Louis XVI at its head. However, the ideas of the Enlightenment that spread across Europe began to challenge traditional notions of divine right and absolute rule. Philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu advocated concepts such as social contract theory, separation of powers, and individual rights, which influenced a growing segment of the French population.
In May 1789, in response to the mounting crises, Louis XVI convened the Estates-General, a general assembly representing the three estates of the realm (clergy, nobility, and commoners). This was the first time the body had been called since 1614, highlighting the extraordinary nature of the situation. However, disagreements over voting procedures led to a deadlock, prompting the Third Estate to break away and form the National Assembly, vowing to give France a constitution.
The weeks leading up to July 14 saw rising tensions in Paris. The king's dismissal of popular finance minister Jacques Necker on July 11 was seen as a provocative move, sparking protests and leading to violent clashes between demonstrators and royal troops. Rumors of an impending military crackdown on the National Assembly further fueled the unrest.
In this volatile atmosphere, the storming of the Bastille took place, serving as both a culmination of long-simmering tensions and a catalyst for the sweeping changes that would follow. The event marked a decisive shift in the balance of power, signaling the end of the ancien régime and the beginning of a new era in French and European history.
Did You Know?
The key to the Bastille, a symbol of royal oppression, was given to George Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette in 1790. This historic key still hangs in the central passage of Washington's Mount Vernon estate, serving as a tangible link between the American and French Revolutions.
Learn More
Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution - Simon Schama
The Oxford History of the French Revolution - William Doyle
The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction - William Doyle
The Days of the French Revolution - Christopher Hibbert
Today’s Reflection
The fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, marked a pivotal moment in history, symbolizing the end of an oppressive regime and the birth of a new era. As the dust settled on that fateful day, the imposing fortress that once symbolized tyranny lay in ruins. But the story of the Bastille didn't end with its destruction. In the days and weeks that followed, Parisians began dismantling the fortress stone by stone, repurposing its materials for new construction across the city. What was once a tool of oppression became the building blocks of a new society.
This transformation of the Bastille's stones echoes a profound spiritual truth. As the Psalmist writes, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes." Psalm 118:22-23 (NIV) Just as the rejected stones of the Bastille found new purpose, God specializes in taking the broken, rejected pieces of our lives and transforming them into something beautiful and purposeful.
Consider for a moment the parts of your past that you'd rather forget - the failures, the pain, the mistakes that haunt you. In our human wisdom, we might see these experiences as useless rubble, fit only to be discarded and forgotten. But in God's economy, nothing is wasted. He is the master builder who can take even the most painful chapters of our story and repurpose them for His glory.
The Bible is replete with examples of God using people's past sins and failures as powerful tools in their future ministry. From deceivers to persecutors, from adulterers to doubters, Scripture shows us time and again how God doesn't simply forgive and forget our past but often uses those very experiences to shape us for His purposes. These biblical accounts remind us that our mistakes and shortcomings, when surrendered to God, can become the very things that make our testimonies powerful and relatable to others.
Perhaps you've experienced betrayal that left you feeling worthless and discarded. God can take that pain and use it to cultivate in you a deep well of empathy for others who are hurting. Maybe you've struggled with addiction, and you feel that those years were wasted. But in God's hands, your journey to recovery can become a powerful testimony, offering hope to others trapped in similar struggles.
The Psalmist's words remind us that God's ways often confound human expectations. The very things that the world might reject - our weaknesses, our struggles, our imperfections - can become the cornerstones of our testimony. It's through our brokenness that God's strength is often most clearly displayed, as the Apostle Paul realized when he wrote, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
This divine alchemy, where God transforms our pain into purpose, is indeed "marvelous in our eyes." It's a process that often defies logic and exceeds our limited understanding. We may not always see how God is working in the moment, just as the Parisians dismantling the Bastille might not have fully grasped the symbolism of their actions. But with time and perspective, we can begin to trace the threads of God's redemptive work in our lives.
The challenge for us, then, is twofold. First, we must be willing to offer up to God even those parts of our past that we'd rather keep hidden. Second, we need to cultivate eyes of faith that can see potential where others see only ruins. This requires trust in God's character and His promises, believing that He is able to work all things together for good, even when we can't see how.
Let us be encouraged as we reflect on the transformation of the Bastille's stones and the spiritual truth it mirrors. Our God is in the business of redemption and repurposing. He takes the rejected stones of our lives - our failures, our pain, our shortcomings - and builds them into a testimony of His grace. In His hands, nothing is wasted, and everything can be reimagined for His glory.
Practical Application
Reflect on a past mistake or painful experience you've been trying to forget. Write it down, then prayerfully consider how God might repurpose this "stone" in your life. Could it foster empathy for others? Might it inform a unique ministry? Use this reflection to craft a brief testimony, focusing not on the pain itself, but on how God has or could use it for good. Keep this testimony as a reminder of God's redemptive work in your life.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, Master Builder of our lives, we thank You for Your redemptive power. Help us trust You with the broken pieces of our past, believing that in Your hands, nothing is wasted. Give us eyes to see the potential in what we once saw as ruins. May we be living testimonies of Your grace, showing the world how You can transform even our deepest regrets into cornerstones of faith. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Supplementary Study
"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."
This verse beautifully illustrates God's role in shaping our lives. Just as a potter can reshape clay into something new and beautiful, God can take the raw material of our past and mold it into something purposeful and glorious.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
This well-known verse reminds us that God's plans for us are ultimately good, even when we can't see it. It encourages us to trust in God's ability to use our past, present, and future for our benefit and His glory.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
Joseph's words to his brothers powerfully demonstrate how God can repurpose even the most painful experiences for good. This verse shows that God's redemptive work can extend far beyond our personal lives, impacting many others.
Final Thoughts
God's redemptive power transforms not just our souls but our stories. The broken pieces of our past, like the stones of the Bastille, can become the building blocks of a powerful testimony. As we surrender our pain, failures, and regrets to God, we open ourselves to His divine reimagining. This process often requires patience and faith, as God's work in our lives may not always be immediately apparent. Yet, as we trust in His perfect plan, we can find hope in knowing that nothing in our lives is wasted. Our experiences, both good and bad, are being woven into a tapestry of grace that reflects God's glory and offers hope to others.
Community Engagement
Share your thoughts or use these questions to get the conversation started.
How does the repurposing of the Bastille's stones parallel God's work in our lives?
Can you share a time when God used a past mistake or painful experience in your life for a greater purpose?
How might viewing our past through the lens of God's redemptive power change our approach to current challenges?
In what ways can we, as a community of believers, support each other in the process of allowing God to "reimagine our stones"?
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In tomorrow's lesson, we'll uncover how an ancient stone slab revolutionized our understanding of the past, and explore how God provides similar moments of illumination in our spiritual lives. Prepare to see familiar truths in a new light!
This is a brilliant retelling of a complicated and turbulent time. On one hand, it seems ironic that the debt France incurred was to help the American colonies win our freedom from Great Britain. On the other hand, having aided our endeavor, it seems unfortunate that the French king did not understand the value of self-determination and the allure of liberty. The important lesson - that you so clearly make - is that we cannot predict how history will be written, not can we predict the people who God enables to write it.
And thank you for your prayers for our former President and the innocent victims of yesterday's calamity.
We are at a pivotal point in world history. An unprecedented number of people require food provided by the UN. Here in the USA, we have devolved into several nations that hate one another. Consider this from FORBES magazine:
Even America’s billionaires are experiencing wealth inequality. The members of The Forbes 400 list of the nation’s richest people largely got richer this year, adding a collective $500 billion to their net worths. But most of those gains—totaling some $310 billion—came from just the top 20 people on the ranking.
As a group, the top 20 are richer than ever, worth nearly $1.9 trillion in aggregate. These 20 people are 30% wealthier than they were a year ago, on average, far outpacing the 12% average jump in wealth across the entire list. They hold 40% of the entire 400’s net worth, and could buy the bottom 340 billionaires—with billions to spare.
America is a giant gas-filled ballon about to explode. We must always be aware of the dangers of revolution. The Jacobin Club had admirable goals, but they ended up organizing France's reign of terror.