Too often, we do not apply consistent standards. To give Thomas his due, however, when Jesus appeared and spoke to him there was no longer the shadow of a doubt in his mind. His response was direct and to the point: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Incidentally, there is nothing to tell us for sure that Thomas took up Jesus’ invitation to “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.” (John 20:27). Maybe in the end merely seeing Jesus was enough for him, despite all his earlier bravado.[63] At all events, the encounter fundamentally changed both his attitude and his future. Tradition has it that Thomas became a missionary, founded the church in Parthia (modern Iran), later travelled to India and in due course was martyred.
Presence.
The story of Thomas is of a man overcoming doubt. It is about the presence of God, not his absence. It shows us how to grapple with doubt that comes through our isolation, how to address legitimate doubt and how to eschew wilful doubt.
There is nothing like being isolated to increase doubt. When we no longer have strength in numbers or any source of support it is easy for us to become prey to all sorts of fears and imaginings. We do not know why Thomas was not with the other disciples on the evening when Jesus first appeared to them as they cowered behind locked doors. Maybe his tendency to doubt had something to do with it, maybe not. Maybe the reckless courage that he showed when told of the death of Lazarus led him to be out and about as everyone else skulked inside. Whatever the reason, Thomas must have felt isolated. Every other apostle (with the exception of Judas Iscariot) had had a personal encounter with the risen Jesus. Thomas would not have been human had he not wondered why he should be the odd one out, and whether it was some lack or unworthiness in him that was the reason. We all go through this, when we look around and others seem to have so much more faith, assurance or experience. So there is something here from which we can each take heart. For despite his doubt and isolation, Jesus came and met Thomas, inviting him to explore the things that lay behind his doubt and to experience for himself. In truth we are never alone and never abandoned by God.
Not all doubt is bad. There is nothing inherently wrong in questioning and investigating, as long as it is done in the right spirit. Shortly before the crucifixion, Thomas had said to Jesus: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). For many, that will not sound an unreasonable question. Given what the disciples knew at that point and had experienced up till then, it seems more like a sensible request for clarification, which is precisely how Jesus treated it. He did not censure Thomas, but gave further explanation of what he meant. We are reminded, not for the first time, that God does not ask us to leave our brains behind in order to become Christians: far from it. He asks us to use the intellect he has given us to test and investigate. The prophet Isaiah, writing 700 years before the birth of Jesus, records God as saying: “Come, let us reason together.” (Isaiah 1:18). The apostle John, writing a letter to early Christians, told them: “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God” (1 John 4:1).
Yet there comes a time when we need to get off the fence and make a leap of faith. Thomas’ opinionated assertion that “I will not believe” (John 20:25) shows wilful doubt, an entrenched refusal to believe, come what may. In answer to this, Jesus gives Thomas a straightforward command: “Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27) and then goes on to say: “Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29). This latter statement, of course, applies to us. We have not seen in the way the disciples were able to see, in a flesh and blood physical sense. We can have real experiences of God’s presence and power, sure enough, but we are not able to put our hands in the holes made in Jesus’ body by nail and spear.
Vanquishing doubt.
All too often, our response is to say of the disciples’ experience: that was then and this is now, we have doubts and we cannot just wish them away – no amount of telling us to believe can change that. Somehow we have to get beyond this, to overcome the things that are stumbling blocks for us and to unstop the things that dam up our relationship with God. There are simple practical things that each of us can do:
• Reflect and pray. We can ask God to resolve doubts for us and to give us insights. In one of his letters to Timothy, St Paul advises: “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” (2 Timothy 2:7).
• Turn doubt into something positive. Instead of allowing doubt to cripple, blind and destroy, we can make it a spur to question and explore. When we do this, however, we owe it to ourselves (and to God) to be consistent and to apply the same standards of proof that we use in other areas of life.
• Test and examine. Some take at face value the assertion that the Bible is full of stories that are fit only for children, which never really happened. Yet we cannot know one way or the other unless we read and investigate. Many are astonished to learn that events similar to those of Jonah and the whale or Joshua leading the Israelites through the parted waters of the River Jordan have been observed and attested beyond contradiction in modern times. At the height of commercial whaling in the nineteenth century a seaman was swept overboard and swallowed by the animal his crew were trying to harpoon. Some while later that same creature was cut open and the man found inside its stomach, still alive.[64] In 1927 there was an upstream blockage of the River Jordan that interrupted the flow of water so that the river could be forded easily. Of course, this kind of thing does not show that equivalent events recorded in the Bible are not miracles, merely that God does not need to break natural laws in order to bring miracles about.
• Build up a picture. We will never be able to check personally every single fact and circumstance recounted in the Bible for the simple reason that we were not present at the time of the events in question. What we can do is to build up a picture from what we are able to check that allows us to treat with confidence those things that we cannot.
• Work at it. It is unrealistic to expect that doubts will be resolved without hard work. We need to read the Bible. We may need the help of Bible commentaries and courses, too.
Solomon wrote that “there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). So it proves, for centuries ago the prophet Isaiah had words for those in doubt: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning?” (Isaiah 40:21). Like Thomas, we need to get off the fence, stop doubting and believe.
Conclusion.
The story of Thomas shows how God responds to our doubts. In isolation, loneliness and despair, Jesus meets us. In legitimate questioning and exploring, Jesus answers us. In wilfulness, Jesus challenges us.
Robert Clive overcame doubt and realised that he was meant for something.[65] A message that resonates throughout the Bible is that we are all meant for something. We are all called to be the people that God created us to be. We all have meaningful work to do in the service of our Lord. Our forefathers were not uniformly zealous Christians, but many made a leap of faith and allowed God to work wonders in their lives. They turned doubt to assurance. We can do the same. Indeed, we must if there is to be hope for our nation.
29. Colossus
Joshua 5:10-15.
Key word: steadfastness.
The Seven Years’ War began in 1756, a contest that pitted Britain and Prussia against a coalition comprising France, Austria, Sweden and Russia. Its outcome was as surprising as the match was on paper unequal. In mainland Europe, the brilliant Prussian king Frederick the Great consistently out-fought his opponents, whilst Britain concentrated her efforts largely at sea and in the colonies. Prussia not only survived but retained control of Silesia, which she had seized at the outset of hostilities. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 confirmed her ally supreme in North America and India. By the war’s end Britain was the foremost maritime and colonial power.
This position was won on the back of extraordinary s
uccess in every theatre where the nation’s arms were engaged. So momentous were the attainments in 1759 in particular that this was known as the Year of Victories: Quebec was captured, a French invasion fleet destroyed at Quiberon Bay off Brittany, Guadeloupe taken, a Dutch naval expedition vanquished, and to cap it all the French were defeated at Minden on the Weser, where six British infantry regiments earned fame and glory for their advance under fire.[66] These victories were almost miraculous in extent and execution. At Quiberon Bay, Admiral Hawke did not merely maul his opponents. They were utterly shattered. Two thirds of the French fleet was wrecked, burned or captured.
Beyond compare was the taking of Quebec, key to control of Canada and the Great Lakes, without which French dominion in the vast western territories of Louisiana was ultimately unsustainable. Before she fell, France seemingly had the upper hand in North America, for the Thirteen Colonies of British North America were in danger of being penned to the eastern seaboard. At the time, French dreams of entirely overrunning or extinguishing them did not appear fantastic.
Quebec was an exceptionally hard nut to crack. Her natural defences were considerable, girt as she was by steep cliffs, dense forest and the swift-flowing St Lawrence river (then largely uncharted, never before navigated by large men-of-war). The soldier who undertook her conquest was, at thirty-two years of age, the youngest major-general in the British army. To those who did not know him he made an unlikely “mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12) to equal or surpass Gideon. He was pallid and gangly, of poor health and fitful physical strength. During the Quebec campaign he was frequently confined to a sick bed[67] and had presentiments of impending death. Depending on one’s viewpoint, the plan which he conceived for taking the capital of New France was the product either of genius, desperation or folly. It was made possible by the fact that, to the amazement of the enemy and through a surpassing feat of seamanship, a British fleet had made its way up the St Lawrence without loss. The Royal Navy was thus on hand to help execute a night landing on the north shore of that river close to the city and astride her vital supply lines.
The place chosen for the assault was at the foot of the Heights of Abraham, a cliff so high and steep that the French thought it impassable to an attacker and had posted only a token picket line to defend it. Of those taking part, Admiral Holmes described the operation as “the most hazardous and difficult task that I was ever engaged in” whilst Admiral Saunders considered the achievement of reaching the cliff top above the beachhead as “scarce credible.” In the battle that took place on the plain above the Heights as day broke after the landing, numerically superior French troops were put to flight by what Christopher Lloyd in The Capture of Quebec called “the most perfect volley ever fired on a battlefield.” A few days later, the city surrendered and within a year all Canada fell into British hands. Wolfe did not live to savour his triumph. During the battle he was thrice wounded, the last blow proving fatal.[68] So departed this life a man to rank alongside “the heroes of old, men of renown.” (Genesis 6:4).
Taking responsibility.
Like Wolfe, Joshua was a general of genius, a man who inspired his troops, led from the front and saw opportunity where others saw only difficulty. He had been hardened by experiencing slavery under Pharoah, tempered by witnessing God’s miracles during Israel’s departure from Egypt and whilst wandering in the wilderness, honed by apprenticeship alongside Moses. Together with Caleb, he was the only one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan by Moses who returned with a positive report and was eager to follow God’s instructions by taking immediate possession of the land: see Numbers 14:26-34. He was an experienced commander, having already led the Israelites to victory against the Amalekites: see Exodus 17:8-13. He was known for his deep trust in God and is described as “a man in whom is the spirit” (Numbers 27:18). Reflecting this, “Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.” (Numbers 13:16).[69]
God does not ask us to take on things that are beyond us or to carry more than we can bear. He prepares us for what is ahead. In precisely this way, Joshua was equipped for the task of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan and defeating the tribes that were already settled there. God told him what was required: “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them – the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.’” (Joshua 1:1-3).
Joshua received both a divine commission and a divine promise. He and his people symbolically accepted the former and claimed the latter. They did so through:
• Preparing their hearts by undergoing circumcision (see Joshua 5:2-5 and 7-8) – the outward sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and a mark of the inner disposition that devotion to the Lord requires.
• Accepting and celebrating God’s free gift of deliverance and salvation: “On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.” (Joshua 5:10).
• Taking hold of what was promised: “The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain.” (Joshua 5:10-11).
This did not mean that all would thereafter be plain sailing. Nor did it mean that the Lord would hand everything to them on a plate. Quite the contrary: “The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.” (Joshua 5:12). During their time in the wilderness, the Israelites were dependent on God’s miraculous provision of food and water. This now ceased. Henceforth, the people were required to stand on their own two feet and to take responsibility for their own futures. This is a lesson about which we often need to remind ourselves. God can and does provide for us miraculously, but much more often he requires us to provide for ourselves and for others through using the strength and intelligence that he has given us. If we will not take responsibility for our lives, it is unrealistic to expect that God will step in and fill the gap when all that is lacking is a proper degree of human application.
Taking sides.
Joshua did not fail to take responsibility. There were times when he received specific guidance from God, for example in relation to the taking of Jericho (see Joshua 6:2-5), but there were also times when he had to use his own skill to discern how best to give effect to divine instructions. At no point was the Israelite general able to dispense with basic military preparations and precautions merely because he was acting in accordance with the will of God. We would hardly expect otherwise, for that simply is not the way the Lord works.
Having led his people across the Jordan, Joshua therefore did what any good commander would do in similar circumstances. He set out from his base at Gilgal to scout the land around Jericho, which was his intended objective and would shortly become the first Canaanite town to be taken by the Israelites. Whilst conducting this reconnaissance, the general had an encounter of a kind that is unique in Scripture: “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’” (Joshua 5:13). Joshua’s reaction is instructive. In hostile territory, confronted by a man with weapon drawn, accompanied probably by only a small scouting party, most would be tempted to instant fight or flight. Showing the calm deliberation that no doubt helped make him an outstanding battlefield leader, Joshua did neither. He did not leap to conclusions, but realised that appearances can be deceptive: hence his question.
The answer was certainly unexpected: “‘Neither,’ [the man] replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’” (Joshua 5:14). In times of war especially, we are wont to see God as being on our side and against our enemies. Here we are given quite a different perspective. It is not a q
uestion of God’s being on our side. It is rather a question of whose side we take. Our obligation and our responsibility is to be part of “the army of the LORD” (Joshua 5:15), to fight battles for and on behalf of the Almighty. Lest we forget, Joshua’s encounter reminds us that our actions on earth are but a reflection and a part of battles that are being fought in the heavenly realms.
It is thus a delusion to ask whether God was on the side of England during the Seven Years’ War, or at any other point in her history. The correct question is to ask what England was and is doing to fight for and advance the kingdom of God.
Taking position.
If we are to be of maximum use in combat for God, we need to take up the right position. Any general knows that the disposition of forces before a battle has an overwhelming impact on its outcome: to quote the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu,[70] author of The Art of War, “Every battle is won before it is fought.” The way in which Joshua responds to his meeting with the “commander of the army of the LORD” (Joshua 5:14) is a model for us. It leads him by stages to where God ultimately wants him to be, through:
• Prostration before the Almighty: “Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence ...” (Joshua 5:14).
Redeeming a Nation (Timeless Teaching) Page 21