Redeeming a Nation (Timeless Teaching)

by Philip Quenby

  There are times when we have to come out and fight, but there are also seasons when we need to take refuge. This should not be an excuse to flee responsibility or shirk the tasks that God has in mind for us, but should instead be a time to gather ourselves, to reflect and to pray so that we emerge stronger. This is precisely how David and Alfred used this phase of their lives.

  Taking stock.

  In the cave of Adullam, David took stock of his predicament. Adullam lies about twenty miles south-west of Jerusalem, which in years to come David would capture from the Jebusites and make his capital. In the same way, in the years following victory at Edington Alfred would capture London (the future capital of England)[11] from the Danes. At the time, however, these events must have seemed impossible dreams to men who were fugitives in their own lands.

  The memory of David’s time in the cave is preserved in Psalm 142. It would have been easy for him to have been bitter against God or to doubt his promises. Whilst yet a mere stripling he had been anointed by the prophet Samuel as future king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13), but there had been no coronation and indeed ever since this time he had experienced little but toil and trouble. Any indication of divine favour must have seemed at times like a sick joke and the promise of the future so much hot air. Bitterness and doubt do not figure in David’s response, however. Quite the opposite – it is God to whom he looks to and in whom he places his trust: “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way ... you are my refuge” (Psalm 142:3 and 5).

  We have reason to take heart from the experience of David and Alfred and remind ourselves that we should not necessarily judge the future by the present. Above all, we should not doubt God but rather redouble our faith in him and our efforts to walk in the way that he has set for us.

  Taking leave.

  We need to do this with our eyes open. The fact that God is faithful and his promises are sure is no guarantee that all will be plain sailing for us any more than it was for David or Alfred. There will assuredly be periods of anguish and heartache, for that is our lot on earth. There will be times when we have to take our leave of things and of people that are dear to us in order that we can move on in the way that God wishes.

  David’s meeting with his family at Adullam was just such a moment. It must have witnessed extremes of joy and pain. His relatives were understandably anxious to see someone dearly beloved who had been away a long time, whom they knew to be in grave danger: “When his brothers and his father’s household heard [that David was at Adullam], they went down to him there.” (1Samuel 22:1). We are told no more about what was done and said, but it takes little imagination to picture the concern of David’s parents for their youngest son and of his siblings for their little brother. Yet after a brief time together, the fugitive had to say goodbye to his family again, both for their safety and in order to allow him complete freedom of action: “So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.” (1 Samuel 22:4). None were then to know that, in the fullness of God’s timing, they would be reunited in circumstances of rejoicing when David at last became king.

  It is difficult for us to keep a godly perspective on what happens in our lives. Like little children, we cry out in pain with no understanding that what we experience today will not last forever. When difficulties come, we should reflect on the lives of people like David and Alfred and know that, whatever we are going through, it will run its course.

  Taking opportunities.

  At such moments above all others, we need to be alert to the opportunities that God gives. Whatever our position and however grim the outlook, God can and will provide for us. When David first arrived at Adullam, he was either entirely alone or accompanied by a mere handful of companions. Yet in this wild place: “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered round him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” (1 Samuel 22:2).

  God used the enmity of Saul and difficult circumstances in the lives of others to equip David with “brave warriors, ready for battle” (1 Chronicles 12:8). In the same way, he also ensured David of a safe refuge for his family: the king of Moab was a natural ally for David since Saul had recently fought against him (1 Samuel 14:47) and David’s great-grandmother Ruth was a Moabitess (Ruth 4:13 and 22). So David “went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, ‘Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” (1 Samuel 22:3).

  We need to look beyond our immediate fears and worries. Instead of concentrating only on the magnitude of the tasks we face or the resources of those who oppose us, we should instead reflect on the might of the great God who is our “strength and [our] shield.” (Psalm 28:7). We should be ready at all times and in all places to seize the opportunities that he puts our way.

  Taking risks.

  Seizing opportunities involves risk. To take hold of what is possible, there comes a point at which we need to come out of our place of refuge and take a step of faith. We need to put our money where our mouth is. This does not mean that we should be foolhardy or precipitate in our actions. Like David, we need first to “learn what God will do for me” (1 Samuel 22:3). Having learnt, however, we need to act.

  The moment for action came to David when “the prophet Gad said to David, ‘Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.’” (1 Samuel 22:5). The moment for action came to Alfred when he left the marshes of Athelney. Each of these men seized opportunity without flinching. They did so even though they had to leave a safe place and confront an enemy who was powerful, even though, humanly speaking, the odds must have seemed stacked against them. In David’s case, he had a mere four hundred men against the resources of a whole country. In Alfred’s case, he could not be sure that his people would join him and, even if they did, they would face in battle a mighty army that had already shattered three English kingdoms. David and Alfred dared and prevailed because they had faith.

  We do not know if the word of the Lord came to Alfred before he left Athelney, but we know that it came to David through one of God’s prophets. In response to this word, “David left and went to the forest of Hereth.” (1 Samuel 22:5). On one level, he was going into the lion’s den, into territory where Saul might more readily track him down and kill him, away from his stronghold. David was far from foolhardy, though. He did not treat God’s instruction as a reason to be negligent in his own preparations or incautious in his behaviour. For this reason, he did not go into open country, where his small force would have been vulnerable, but “to the forest of Hereth.” (1 Samuel 22:5). David used his own intellect to give the best possible human effect to what God was telling him to do.

  Both David and Alfred took a risk. It was a calculated risk, but a risk nevertheless. Only through taking the risk was all that came afterwards possible.

  Conclusion.

  Alfred ensured the survival of the Wessex, yet his achievement goes beyond this. He was a great military leader, but much more besides. Through wise policy he ensured that the West Saxon kings became the acknowledged leaders of all Englishmen who were not under Danish rule.[12] Through generosity in victory and friendship in peace, he laid the foundations for integrating Viking settlers into a new polity. Through promotion of learning, sponsorship of Christianity and promulgation of sound laws he helped create a state more solidly based and a system of government more sophisticated than any other in west Europe. His originality of mind and breadth of outlook gave a new dimension to English kingship.

  Above all, Alfred was a godly man. He strained every nerve to live as a Christian and to rule as a Christian king. Amongst many works that he selected for translation into English were the Soliloquies of St Augustine. In his preface to this book, Alfred wrote: “It is for every man to live and work on earth in such a way that he may pass on with sure and certain hope to the eternal dwelling, to the work which has no end, the infinite increasing of knowledge in the nearer P
resence of God ... He who created both [heaven and earth], may He grant that I fail not in either, but give it to me to fulfil my service here and, above all, to reach that house beyond.”

  The experiences of Alfred and of David remind us that there are seasons in life: times to take refuge, to take stock, to take our leave, to take opportunities and to take risks. Like these great kings of old, we need to assess the times and behave according to the season. In our land at present we are in danger of spending more time than we need taking refuge and taking stock. If we delay too long, we will allow the forces that are ranged in opposition to God to rage unchecked. Now is the time to act: to take our leave of the things that inhibit service of God, to take hold of the opportunities that he gives and to take risks for him. If we do, we have the prospect of setting our people free as did Alfred by his victory at Edington. If we do not, our land will be forever burdened.

  The choice is ours.

  4. Onslaught

  Joel 2:10-27.

  Key word: leadership.

  The reign of Aethelred the Unready (the un-redd, or badly advised) groans under a weight of adverse circumstance, made worse by the character of the king himself. There is no doubt that he succeeded to a difficult inheritance. He was only eleven years old, and his elder brother Edward fourteen, when their father King Edgar died in 975. There was a disputed succession, with some taking the side of one boy and some of the other. Edward was crowned, but there was civil war and in 978 the young ruler was murdered. The taint of a foul deed clung to Aethelred for many years, though there is no suggestion that he was in any way personally involved in his brother’s killing.

  Barely had Aethelred ascended the throne than the Danes resumed their raids on England for the first time in decades. No blame attaches to the monarch for this – the renewed assault was the result of developments within Scandinavia – but his reaction to the attacks was disastrous. Starting in 980, raiding continued with unabated ferocity so that almost every year for thirty years some part of England was harried. Aethelred lacked the steadfastness needed to bring good plans to fruition and he proved a terrible judge of character. Time and again he promoted the lazy, incompetent, corrupt or traitorous. He seemed incapable of choosing good subordinates or of placing confidence even in those few decent men who occupied positions of power and influence. Property was expropriated on the flimsiest excuse. Several times those in high office or their relatives were blinded on the king’s orders for faults real or imaginary. His own arbitrary and inconstant behaviour fed distrust of the crown and ultimately disloyalty.

  The result was that, although there were honourable exceptions at local level, all too often the armies that England put in the field against the invaders were betrayed by their own leaders. When properly led, English troops showed repeatedly that they were still able to give a good account of themselves, but as time passed the creeping rot of demoralisation spread wider. Year by year the payments required to buy off the Danes (the so-called Danegeld) became larger.[13] The burden on the country, which was required to support the armies of friend and foe alike, was enormous. In 1005 the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle speaks of a famine “more severe than any that could be remembered.”

  In 1002 Aethelred’s poor judgment broke out in infamy. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records his hearing that the Danes in England “intended to kill him and all his counsellors, and afterwards to possess his kingdom,” so he ordered their massacre. The order was never fully carried out and in any event was impractical of execution in areas of heavy Danish settlement, but amongst those killed was Gunnhild, sister of king Svein Forkbeard of Denmark. Aethelred could scarce have conceived a better way to ensure the undying enmity of a dangerous adversary. So the onslaught continued, without let-up or relief, as long as Aethelred lived. His miserable reign came to an end in 1016.

  Thereafter, his son Edmund Ironside led a brief English revival, showing what could be done with proper leadership, but died in the very year of his accession a few weeks after defeat at Assandun by King Cnut of Denmark. On his passing, the exhausted and ravaged country meekly acquiesced in the claim to the throne advanced by Cnut, comforted perhaps by the fact that this Viking ruler was no longer pagan, but baptised a Christian.[14] Not until 1042 was the house of Wessex, Europe’s oldest royal line, restored by Edward the Confessor, another son of Aethelred.

  A call to arms.

  To the English, the Danes who ravaged their land in the reign of Aethelred might well have seemed an army of locusts, like that described by the prophet Joel: “Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.” (Joel 2:10). The adversary described by the prophet is sent by God: “The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command.” (Joel 2:11). God describes them as “my great army that I sent among you.” (Joel 2:25). Faced with this, Joel not surprisingly asks: “Who can endure it?” (Joel 2:11).

  In response, there is a call to arms: “Blow the trumpet in Zion” (Joel 2:15). The war that it calls the people to wage is a spiritual one. Hence their response should be to “declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly” (Joel 2:15).

  A call to repentance.

  As a first step in its spiritual war, the nation is called to a corporate act of repentance: “Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love ... Gather the people, consecrate the assembly” (Joel 2:13 and 16). The assembly is to encompass: “elders ... children ... those nursing at the breast ... the bridegroom ... and the bride” (Joel 2:16). The situation is so urgent and the extent of the problem so widespread that there can be no delay, no excuse for not becoming involved and no exemption from duty.

  The issues that the Israelites face are spiritual first and foremost. For sure, these have earthly manifestations, but the prime cause lies elsewhere: in a nation that has forsaken God, trampled his laws and derided his prophets. The priests are called upon to intercede: “Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep ... [and] say, ‘Spare your people, O LORD’” (Joel 2:17). The things that the Israelites are instructed to do apply equally to the present day. In worship, prayer and repentance, an example should be set by those whose lives ought most to be characterised by devotion to God, but this is not just a task for professional clergy. Unless the people as a whole take part and follow the lead that is given, there will be a spiritual shortfall and the blessing that we receive will be incomplete. Neither can we put the cart before the horse. If we try to do things on our own and to better our material circumstances without turning to God, we will fail: “But seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33).

  The people are reminded that repentance must be sincere, not just a form of words or an outward display: “Rend your heart and not your garments.” (Joel 2:13). They are reminded, too, that with God it is never too late to say that we are sorry and to turn to him again: “Even now ... return to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning.” (Joel 2:12). If we will do this, “he relents from sending calamity.” (Joel 2:13).

  A call to joy.

  When the nation genuinely repents and turns again to him, “the LORD will ... take pity on his people” (Joel 2:18). In words that Englishmen of Aethelred’s day must have longed to hear, the Lord says: “I will drive the northern army far from you” (Joel 2:20). The instrument of God’s wrath will be turned aside.

  With that comes a threefold call to joy as land, animals and people are called to rejoice in the Lord’s bounty: “Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things. Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green, the trees are bearing their fruit; the fig-tree and the vine yield their riches. Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.” (Joel 2:21-23). The first signs of renewed and imminent blessing
start to show themselves straight away.

  A call to the future.

  The call to joy deliberately echoes the threefold call to grief in Joel 1:5, 8 and 13. Indeed, the Lord does not merely counterbalance the misfortune that was visited on the people earlier. He far outweighs it with the good things that he showers on them.

  If we will turn to God, we can look to the future with confidence, for he promises an abundance of good things: “I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully ... The threshing-floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil ... You will have plenty to eat, until you are full” (Joel 2:19, 24 and 26). Most extraordinary of all, God is able to take things that have been wasted, destroyed, damaged, disfigured and perverted and turn them to good account: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten ... and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed” (Joel 2:25-26).

  When we are going through times of testing and trial, it is difficult for us to focus on anything other than our present misery. We lack perspective, both as regards our own personal situation and as regards that of our nation. We have trouble accepting God’s promises because we expect instant results rather than recognising that God’s timing is not the same as ours. Our viewpoint needs to change. The facts are these: whatever difficulties we face, even when we are confronted by “forces ... beyond number ... and mighty” (Joel 2:11), if we turn to him, God “will drive [them] far from [us], pushing [them] into a barren and parched land” (Joel 2:20). The power that these things had over us will be broken once and for all.