I Will Hear A Voice Behind Me

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. ("Invictus" by William Earnest Henley)

This poem is provocative to me because of the contradiction of thoughts within the stanzas. In one case the author of "Invictus" acknowledges nothing past this life but the "horror of the shade" and adheres to the notion that he is the master of his fate but then he also admits to the presence of an eternal judge when he says "How charged with punishments the scroll."  This is reminiscent of Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, who acknowledges the presence of God, as portrayed by the great whale, but resents his preeminence in the final destiny of Ahab's life.  In actuality, neither William Henley or Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, are arguing against the existence of an omnipresent, omniscient God; they are disputing his final claime on their ultimate destiny!  They resent the imposing of his will on their lives; they view him as the greatest enemy of man. 

Much of creation shares a similar abhorrence with the providence of God.  Providence was defined by Noah Webster (1828 edition) as, "the care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures. He that acknowledges a creation and denies a providence, involves himself in a palpable contradiction; for the same power which caused a thing to exist is necessary to continue its existence. Some persons admit a general providence, but deny a particular providence, not considering that a general providence consists of particulars. A belief in divine providence, is a source of great consolation to good men. By divine providence is often understood God himself."  It is this superintendence that man resents; the overall "care and oversight" that God imposes to direct mankind along paths that mesh with his will.  Man wants to believe that the ebb and flow of kingdoms are by their might of will and force of conquest.  They want to believe that the rise of financial empires is due to the unmitigated drive of their own wills.  They refuse to bow the head in submission to the ruler of it all.  (Genesis 14:22, Deut. 10:14, Haggai 2:8)

They refuse to believe that God's will is accomplished despite their feeble efforts to alter the span of man on the face of Earth.  Promotion comes, kingdoms rise, empires are established, finances are amassed...but all in accordance with the will of God.

"And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:" (Daniel 2:21 KJV)

"He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree." (Luke 1:52 KJV)

"This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men." (Daniel 4:17 KJV)

"Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another." (Psalms 75:5-7 KJV)

Great men all through history have desired to "control their destinies".  Admittedly they have achieved much, but it was only because it was according to the will of God. "Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal; The Lord knows them that are his. And, let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." (2 Timothy 2:19-21  God has a plan; within that evolution some men are used as tools of righteousness and others are used as tools of judgment and destruction; filthy vessels that will be discarded after their purpose is accomplished.

Pharaoh chose to retain the Israelites in Egypt despite the plagues and the urging of Moses. He believed they remained in bondage because of the force of his will; never realizing it remained so because it was God's will, in order to serve a specific purpose. "And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shall speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.  And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them." (Exodus 7:1-5 KJV)

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon believed that he was a great conqueror and a builder of nations.  To put words into his mouth, he believed he was a master of his fate, "At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spoke, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" (Daniel 4:29-30 KJV)  In this instant God's response was swift, no time was allowed to pass before God judged (Daniel 4:31-37).  Here, in these instances, God’s response was swift, but there are other occasions in the Bible where God allowed his “cup of wrath” to fill slowly over several hundreds of years.  For example, Abraham wasn’t allowed into the promised land for over four hundred years because God said that the iniquity of the current inhabitants was not yet complete (Genesis 15:16).  He was waiting, giving them time to change and repent so that he would be just when he finally took away their land and destroyed them.  I believe these examples illustrate one of the reasons man challenges and even questions the ultimate will of God and his absolute standard of righteousness; God doesn't always respond quickly with fire and brimstone or flashes of lightening. Sometimes he responds instantly, other times he appears to just wink at the activities of man.  Men like Captain Ahab believe this is because God is vindictive, petty, cruel or unjust; a big bully that delights in pushing men around.   Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that God was "able to abase" yet for whatever reason, God often allows man to play on under the false belief that His will is no match for their own.  "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) We do whatever we want, go wherever we desire, lay our hands on anything we wish; no lightening flashes; no voice thunders from heaven and we conclude that, “our will is supreme." But what a "palpable contradiction" we exercise ourselves in when we believe this. We are forgetting the infinite patience of a God who does not fear our inventions for he can stop anything he wishes, anytime he wants.  "Thou hide thy face, they are troubled: thou take away their breath, they die, and return to their dust." (Psalm 104:29 KJV) The lightening strike may not come when we expect it; our plans may go forward as we decree; but the results are in the hands of the Lord.  Yes we can choose the life we choose, but the judging is still in God's hand.  We can choose the actions but never the consequences.  Those are set in place by God.  In truth, all mankind is under the control of God, we have the right to choose if we will serve him or if we won't.  If we don't, it is ours to face the consequences that will come; the slippery places that lead to destruction and desolation (Psalm 73:2-19).  If we choose to serve him and accept the covering of the Blood of Christ and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit than we have become the captivity led captive (Ephesians 4:8).  "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) God will be the voice behind us that tells us which way we are to go. (Isaiah 30:2) We will no longer walk wherever we want. (John 21:18)  And we will be cautious to seek out God's will first, before we pursue the momentous plans of our life. "Go to now, ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil." (James 4:13-16 KJV)    This may be the bend of today’s society, to seize the day; even to seize it from the very clutches of God.  I choose a different path, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  That means I may not always be able to see the path ahead of me, but I believe that the God I serve is faithful to bring me and my own, safely to our expected end.  God Bless Amy Charissa Warren