You can’t build God’s kingdom with the enemy’s tools

One day, long ago, in a time of great political uncertainty not unlike our own, a man had a vision.

His vision was so transformative that it set him on a course that would bring him into conflict with the leaders of his day. It was a vision that emboldened him to speak courageous words to power. It was a vision that still inspires many of us today.

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord,” says Isaiah (6:1). “And he was high and lifted up…and the whole earth was full of his glory.” A little later, Isaiah got the chance to apply this to a very real, very troubling, situation.

King Ahaz was considering his options in the face of a threat. “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what it fears,” Isaiah told him (8:12). God, through Isaiah, was instructing the king not to use the logic of human power and strength; not to make his decision based on the pragmatics of army size or wealth; but to trust the God who is seated on the throne above the heavens and the earth and fills the earth with his glory.

God is on the throne, and he doesn’t require a helping shove from us to enthrone him

King Ahaz was having none of it, piously declaring that he would most certainly not seek a confirming sign from the Lord. And two things happened. The Lord gave him a sign anyway, the sign of Immanuel - the sign that would ultimately be fulfilled in the birth of a tiny baby under the boot of the Roman Empire. But before that, the other thing happened. Ahaz made his alliance with Assyria, and Assyria proved to be no friend.

Try to ride a tiger, and it will turn to bite you.

Assyria offered assistance to Ahaz. It purported to be an ally. But it was serving its own purposes. And there are important parallels playing out right now.

Feel the fear and trust God anyway

What I saw on my TV screen last Saturday were Christians who seemed to be following the example of Ahaz, and not the advice of Isaiah - Christians who were accepting alliance with people like Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk. In case you’ve missed it, Tommy Robinson, who co-founded the English Defence League in 2009, has been convicted of multiple offences, including assault, fraud and contempt of court after losing a civil libel case.

And on Saturday, Elon Musk explicitly called for the revolutionary overthrow of the British government, telling protesters London that “violence is coming” and “you either fight back or you die”. These are not light matters.

What brought many Christians onto the streets of London was fear and concern - concerns that are not unreasonable. Some are concerned about the moral decline in our nation; some are concerned about the residents of white council estates who are experiencing generational unemployment and substandard housing; and some are concerned about a level of immigration which, to many, feels out of control. 

But these fears are stoked by certain prominent individuals - by politicians and wannabe politicians - including the likes of Robinson. The fears are exploited; they are used to bait the hook.

What does it mean, in such situations, to follow Isaiah’s advice and not fear what others fear, and not call conspiracy what others call conspiracy? It means to trust that God is on the throne.

The temptation is to respond in the ways that we have been enculturated to respond since Cain killed Abel - with the use of power, the pursuit of superior numbers, louder voices or bigger weapons. So, when someone influential comes along and offers a treaty, it’s tempting to take the offer - even if they are a bit dodgy.

Even if they promote violence, use racist language or distort the truth. When someone like Tommy Robinson comes along speaking smooth words and sounding for all the world like a Christian - or at least an ally of Christians - it’s tempting to do the deal. The end justifies the means, surely?

This is the logic of Ahaz. But try to ride a tiger, and it will turn to bite you.

Building something better

What does it mean, in these times, that God is on the throne? Here’s what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean that we are called to establish heaven on earth by the pursuit of power or the forging of shady alliances.

“My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus told Pilate (John 18:36). So, though we are called to testify to the values of the kingdom, and to live by them, we are not called to impose the kingdom.

“Our enemies are not of flesh and blood,” says Paul (Ephesians 6:12). Tell that to the bishop who stood in Trafalgar Square and spoke of Muslims as enemies rather than neighbours to be loved.

When someone influential comes along and offers a treaty, it’s tempting to take the offer - even if they are a bit dodgy

No, God is on the throne, and he doesn’t require a helping shove from us to enthrone him. Our responsibility is to live as though we believe it. God is on the throne and so we don’t need to make dodgy deals to put him there. Our responsibility is to behave like his Son.

God is on the throne, and so we can trust that he will grow his kingdom. And how does his kingdom grow? Like seeds, like yeast. Slowly, patiently, gently. Through love and mercy, through unexpected forgiveness and outrageous hospitality. Through the relentless pursuit of justice with peace. In the weakness of a baby, in the humility of a cross.

Can we trust the Lord’s way of building?

We cannot build the Lord’s kingdom with the enemy’s tools. But we can cooperate with his gentle, truthful, patient Spirit while he builds it, in his way and in his time.