14. Give into our hands

14. Give into our hands

Of course the God of heaven and earth may in his wisdom also allow that the Vow Makers be overpowered in the battle like Piet Retief and his fellow men in Dingaanstat, like the 400 defenseless victims of the massive murder in the spread out laagers, like Piet and Dirkie Uys at Italeni, and that the Vow Makers’ own dear ones back in the laagers become victims of still much more suffering as what has already been endured.

Nevertheless, then this changes not a rap to the triumph that has irrevocably once in Christ been obtained over the darkness, and to which they may be participants, also and especially in their hour of death, if it is to be forthcoming for them in the battle.

Their calling task is the completion of the struggle against the powers of the darkness. The darkness is in any case an already conquered enemy. Christ indeed died in God forlornness so that the powers of the darkness will be a conquered enemy for ever - for every one belonging to Him. With this power no negotiations are conducted, reconciliation borne in mind, or peace considered.

Therefore: no prayer to an understanding, an armistice, peace or reconciliation! This battle is a death battle, with the enemy-til-death. It does not end before the enemy’s ability to obstruct the light is destroyed, the triumph of the light is completely “ . . . given into our hands . . . ”

For this the Vow People prayed. His payment of his Vow would be a triumph festival, a thanksgiving festival for a triumph that was not obtained, but which was received in prayer, a triumph that is never clearly settled, which must always in terms of the Vow still be accomplished, a triumph that is celebrated while still “ . . . having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them, and embraced them . . . ”(Hebrews 11:13), a triumph that stays the inescapable responsibility of the Vow People, a triumph that still has to be obtained, in the conquered enemy, as well as again still in the victorious.
Ultimately it is nothing else but the triumph of the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overwhelm it; “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name . . . ”(St. John1:12). This “ . . . true Light . . . lighteth every man...”(St. John 1:9), the conqueror precisely the same as the conquered in the military conflict.

Forgiven conquered also carried this light into the people’s history in the life of unnumbered conquerors in military conflict. On this possibility St. Paul’s word is also significant: “...for when I am weak, then I am strong.”(II Corinthians 11:12)

A triumph festival cannot be a reconciliation festival. A “Reconciliation Festival” says that there was no triumph, a “result,” the battle was halfway given up undecided; the darkness was too mighty to be conquered and must now be appeased.
A reconciliation festival on 16 December would indicate that something was not given present; the situation must be reinstated as before Retief’s first appearance with Dingaan; the Vow was rejected, God refused it.