Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

• Romans 8:31

“In the 1740s, the American Colonies became a rope in the tug-of-war between Britain and France. One of the harshest periods of conflict, King George’s War, raged from 1744 to 1748, some thirty years before the Declaration of Independence. …
“… The pastor of Old South Church was Rev. Thomas Prince, a powerful force in the Great Awakening, a friend of George Whitefield, and a man of prayer. Climbing into the high pulpit, Rev. Prince earnestly interceded on behalf of the Colonies. ‘Deliver us from our enemy,’ he reportedly prayed. ‘Send Thy tempest, Lord, upon the waters to the eastward! Raise Thy right hand. Scatter the ships of our tormentors and drive them thence.’
“Suddenly a powerful gust of wind struck the church so hard the shutters banged, startling the congregation. Rev. Prince paused and looked up in surprise. Sunlight no longer streamed through the windows, and the room reflected the ominous darkness of the sky. Gathering his thoughts, Rev. Prince continued with greater earnestness, saying, ‘Sink their proud frigates beneath the power of Thy winds.’ Gusts of wind caused the church bell to chime ‘a wild and uneven sound … though no man was in the steeple.’
“Raising his hands toward heaven, Rev. Prince bellowed, ‘We hear Thy voice, 0 Lord! We hear it! Thy breath is upon the waters to the east-ward, even upon the deep. Thy bell toils for the death of our enemies!’ Overcome by emotion, he paused as tears ran down his cheeks, then he ended his prayer saying, ‘Thine be the glory, Lord. Amen and amen!’
“That day a storm of hurricane force struck the French ships. The greater part of the fleet was wrecked, and the due d’Anville either took his own life or died from a stroke. Only a few sailors survived. In his book Anatomy of a Naval Disaster: The 1746 French Expedition to North America, Professor James Pritchard wrote, ‘Not a single French military objective had been achieved. Thousands of soldiers and sailors were dead.  No one knows how many men died during the expedition; some estimates range as high as 8,000. So great was the calamity that naval authorities hastened to wind up its affairs and bury quickly and effectively the memory of its existence.’”

• Robert J. Morgan, 100 Bible Verses That Made America

“There were rumors in the street,
In the houses there was fear
Of the coming of the fleet,
And the danger hovering near,
And while from mouth to mouth
Spread the tidings of dismay,
I stood in the Old South,
Saying humbly, ‘Let us pray!’”

• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, A Ballad of the French Fleet

In my recent trip to visit the grandchildren, the oldest of them went with me to Nashville, to sell used books and games.  One of the books that I purchased in return was 100 Bible Verses That Made America by Robert J. Morgan.  As we approach the 250^th anniversary of the birth of the USA, I thought I would do a condensed mini-series on some of these verses, four posts per week for a few weeks – maybe not all 100 verses.

Before we talk about this prayer, let me clear up something that Rev. Morgan barely mentions in the first paragraph of his chapter on the 14^th verse.

There were four wars between the French and the English, all fought in the colonies although some, especially the last, spread to other places, even worldwide.

These wars were:

• King William’s War (1689-1697), European name for the war – Nine Years’ War
• Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713), European name for the war – War of Spanish Succession
• King George’s War (1744-1748), European name for the war – War of Austrian Succession
• The French and Indian War (1754-1763), European name for the war – Seven Years’ War

My numerical purist mind is boggled at the European names, in that the Nine Years’ War was contained within nine calendar years, but probably not from the beginning of 1689 and not lasting until the end of 1697, but that is “forgivable.”  But, please!  The French and Indian War was contained within ten calendar years, but the Europeans called it the Seven Years’ War.  Some historian might explain the difference in the comments, but it grates at my nerves.

My point is that the American colonies were fought over, especially between the French and English, and Americans were dying as a result, colonists and Native Americans, all for the supremacy, economic gain, etc. of European monarchs.

In his book, Rev. Morgan writes about the days leading up to the prayer in Old South church.  The people were afraid, but they spent their time in prayer and fasting.

The last prayer vigil that our church conducted had the organizers praying 12 of the 24 hours because most of the church members could not be bothered.

Fasting may be done individually.  Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount to not broadcast our fasts, although the Roman Catholics do a great job of that during Lent.  But our landlady who got my wife and I together on a blind date had a husband who worked with my wife at the hospital.  She asked him what he was giving up for his fast during Lent one year.  His reply was that he was giving up Coca-Cola.  He would drink Pepsi instead.  My wife laughed and told him that was not giving up anything at all.  His reply was that she did not understand how badly he loathed Pepsi.

Let’s say we have an invading fleet that would have caused great damage and possibly change the outcome of the war.  I doubt if prayer and fasting would be among our top ten responses.  We would definitely blame the president, the military, congress, etc.

But then notice how Rev. Prince’s demeanor changes during the prayer.  He sheepishly mentions that God is the only one who can divert this navy away from their shores.  Then, the wind rattles the shudders, and he becomes more bold.  And then, he is proclaiming God’s answer as the bells begin to ring from the force of the wind.

But let’s be honest, the hurricane force winds offshore were much greater.

And knowing what we know now about hurricanes, the storm had developed in the warm waters far to the South, long before the French left port, long before Rev. Prince gave his prayer. None of them had advanced warning. But God knew the prayer would come his way, and He prepared the answer.

Historians differ on the toll taken by the storm.  There are three interpretations that I can come up with.  The French, according to the quoted paragraphs from the book, wanted to bury any evidence of their monumental failure.  The English would have taken credit, but there was nothing in which for them to take credit.  And Historians rarely attribute anything to God answering someone’s prayers.  That does not promote the king of either country.

But, alas, it should.  God spared Israel in minor ways.  I’m thinking of how horribly evil King Ahab reacted to the curse Elijah proclaimed against Ahab’s family, and the sentence was passed on to Ahab’s son.  Judah had several reprieves due to good kings.  Modern kings, prime ministers, and presidents can learn from this, if only they would.

We shy away from imprecatory talk, prayer, and even verses in the Psalms.  Should we?  I have written that when you put a face to the enemy, we need to forgive and love.  But God hates evil and we should not abide it at all.

In the End Times, God will finally totally defeat Evil in this world, and God’s people will rejoice.  There will be no one second guessing God at that point.  No one will say that crossed a line.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.