The setting is roughly around the year 1211. King John of England has just declared his intention of invading Wales to take over the Northern territory of Gwynedd. Several Marcher lords (strong and trusted noblemen appointed by the King of England to guard the border between England and Wales) were present and reeling from the shock. One of the more courageous lords pointed out the enormity of what King John was proposing with an impassioned plea for reason.
This invasion wouldn’t seem overly ambitious were it not for three things. The man that they chose to challenge on the other side of that border, Llewelyn ab Iowerth, Prince of Gwynedd, was an unusual and ambitious man who was as brave as he was intelligent. A formidable adversary.
In addition, wars with the Welsh, from the English stand point, had never been profitable. They were usually long and drawn out filled with bloodshed and brutality. The Welsh were men who knew how to use their terrain to their advantage by hiding in the crevices of rocks and disappearing into the foliage not unlike illusive spirits in the night. The use of ambushes and surprise attacks often left them the victor in battle.
Lastly, King John’s daughter was Llewelyn’s wife. Surely the King could see the irrationality of such a venture. It bordered on insanity and would produce nothing but bloody carnage, insurmountable expense and alienation from the daughter that King John loved. This couldn’t be what the King was asking.
After the March lord finished voicing his concerns, the King challenged him with a subtle yet imposing question. “If I were to order you, would you beg off from you duty?”
Filled with terror knowing full well the ramifications of how an ill conjured response could amount to a charge of treason, he replied;
“I serve the King’s pleasure. As your Grace commands, I obey?”
That response pricked my heart to its very core. The marcher lord’s devotion and commitment to the King’s service was radical by today’s standards. His charge was to follow the King’s orders even though the outcome whispered inevitable defeat if not death. In the King’s service he would readily lay down his life.
“I serve the King’s pleasure. As your Grace commands, I obey?”
Weighty words and ones that challenged my own royal dedication. The Bible is filled with imagery of kingship and service but against the backdrop of today’s culture we lose sight of the potency of that imagery. While we greedily grasp the concept of kingship when we set our sights on the richness and pageantry that is the accepted portrayal of royalty, we overlook the less attractive aspects that go hand in hand with this privilege. We find, however, one verse in scripture clearly brings everything into balance.
“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabah. But David remained in Jerusalem.”
2 Samuel 11:1
This is the opening verse of the account of David and Bathsheba. David decided not to accompany his men into battle and the result was devastating for him. He fell into temptation with another man’s wife and she became pregnant. To cover up his sin, he arranged to have Bathsheba’s husband put into such a dangerous situation that he would be sure to lose his life. He did. Most commentators agree, if David had been doing what a king should have been doing, this event might not have occurred nor all the turmoil that followed it.
We find in scripture, part and parcel with kingship was warfare and it was waged to protect what was given to them by God. In the Old Testament, the Israelites inheritance was represented as land. As New Testament Christians we have been given a spiritual inheritance. It is as rich and majestic as any physical kingdom filled with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The enemy is forever trying to kill, steal and destroy that very inheritance that Christ died for us to have. While they had physical battles with territories to conquer, we have spiritual battles that need vanquishing.
Our King Jesus, was willing to give His life for us. He asks us to lay down our lives for Him. The apostle Paul understood this kind of following when he wrote to the Philippian church from a Roman prison “for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21). Paul also used battle imagery when instructing Timothy in his second letter to him. “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer.” (2 Tim 2:3-4)
What have you gone to war against that you know is part of your inheritance in Christ? Are you fighting for you family? Are you fighting for your community, state or country? Are you determined to live for Christ? Are your priorities His? Are you taking your orders from your commanding officer? Have you joined Him in the battle? If you haven’t, I encourage you to take a look at your King. He is suited up, armed and ready to fight. Are you ready to join Him?
"There is a war going on. All talk of a Christian’s right to live luxuriously “as a child of the King” in this atmosphere sound hollow – especially since the King himself is stripped for battle."
John Piper
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