[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during March 2023]
Delving once again into the dusty archives of English literature we find that discontent with the way Scotland is governed is not new. In 1606 William Shakespeare wrote his play ‘Macbeth’ in which his eponymous anti-hero plotted to overthrow the established authority. Many lines from the play have become well-known, often quoted out of context and not always accurately, like this example:
Is this a knife before me, its handle towards my hand?
As with last week’s quotation, the concept behind the words is not new. Macbeth certainly was not the first person to be troubled by seeing a knife close to hand.
Is this a knife before me, its handle towards my hand?
Might these have been the thoughts of Abraham in 2054BC as he stood beside the altar on which lay his son, Isaac? Was God really asking Abraham to sacrifice the son that he had waited so long for? Was Abraham ready to comply? How could he explain to Sarah when he returned home without Isaac?[1]
Is this a knife before me, its handle towards my hand?
Some 740 years later, Isaac’s descendents had become a nation in their own right but one which had turned its back on the God who had provided so much for them. For some 18 years they had been under subjection to a Moabite king. One of the leaders of the Israelites requested a private audience with the king during which he assassinated him using a knife concealed in his garments; he too had a knife before him, its handle towards his hand.[2]
Is this a knife before me, its handle towards my hand?
In 863BC we find Elijah confronting the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. Once again the Israelites had abandoned their spiritual heritage and now it was time for a showdown. The priests used their knives to slash themselves in a frantic but futile attempt to attract the attention of Baal. After they had failed, Elijah used his knife to prepare a bull as a sacrifice to God, a sacrifice which was received in a dramatic show of strength.[3]
Is this a knife before me, its handle towards my hand?
In around 600BC God sent a message to the people of Judah, once again warning them about the consequences of their behaviour. When this message reached Jehoiakim the king, what was his reaction to the warning?
Whenever Jehudi (a court official) had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. Jeremiah 36 v23 [NIVUK]
Jehoiakim used a borrowed knife to try to defy the word of God. History records that he came to an ignominious end.
Macbeth is a story of ambition, conspiracy, murder and the nightmare of remorse without relief. Despite being Christians, we can still be tempted to think like Macbeth; thank God that we rarely get the chance to put those thoughts into practice.
Unlike Macbeth we can find repentance, relief and renewed life through Jesus Christ. Are you still living a nightmare?
Resources:
[1] Abraham, Genesis 22 v19, c2054BC
[2] Ehud, Judges 3 v15, c1316BC
[3] Elijah, 1 Kings 18, c863BC
Dates are taken from the BibleHub timeline and are approximate.
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Last week’s reflection: It’s a Breeze
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys