What turned a small island oppressed and controlled by a brutal Roman empire into an empire of its own, which at its peak ruled a quarter of the world’s population?
The answer according to Queen Victoria can be found in Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. In this London art gallery is an 1863 painting by Thomas Jones Barker. It shows a humble Queen Victoria in an audience chamber in Windsor Castle presenting a Bible to an African ambassador. She is attended by her husband Prince Albert, and Britain’s prime minister and foreign secretary.
The scene is based on a premise that when a diplomatic delegation asked the Queen how Britain had become so powerful, she didn’t refer to the size of its navy fleet, the strength of its army, or her inexhaustible wealth. Instead, she would hand over a beautifully bound copy of the Bible with the words, ‘Tell the prince, this is the Secret of England’s Greatness.’
From slavery to greatness
It reminds me of the time when another head of state, a queen from the Saudi Arabian peninsula (the Queen of Sheba), enquired about Solomon’s wisdom and the greatness of the nation of Israel. (1) Only 300 years previously, this Jewish people were a group of refugees numbering about 3 million (equivalent to the population of Wales) leaving slavery in Egypt into a desert wilderness.
Modern agencies would struggle to cope with such a refugee situation but through one man, Moses, God discipled and taught these people and made them one of the greatest nations on earth.
Coming out of one of the greatest and powerful civilisations in human history, in contrast the Jews were poor, had no schools, no government, no economy, no land, no industry, no agriculture, and no welfare system. But within three centuries the whole known world was talking about Israel!
How was that possible? What turned the nation of Israel around and made them great?
Their secret was the same one that made Britain . . . Great Britain. It was God’s wisdom now contained in His Word, the Bible.
Studying the book of Deuteronomy from the perspective of the various sectors of society (government, education, economy, healthcare, family) will reveal the scope of what God taught in order to build a strong and blessed nation.
From light to darkness
Sadly, instead of continuing to be an example and a light to all other nations, which was God’s intention, the nation of Israel turned away from God’s ways and as a result the kingdom became divided and experienced decline. It therefore represents a flawed prototype of the Kingdom of God on Earth.
The same could be said about Great Britain. Its history demonstrates how it has been discipled by God’s Word and as a result, admired and respected around the world.
But like Israel, Britain’s history also contains dark times when it became an oppressing empire, controlling other nations instead of serving and empowering them. However, in spite of its failings, it is a nation that has been blessed mightily by God and has a rich spiritual heritage. It was raised up by God to be a pioneer nation with a calling to be a light to the nations of the world.
Make Britain Great Again
As with Israel, it has lost its way and is reaping the consequences. In some ways it is now more of a divided kingdom than a United Kingdom. It is time for the nation’s greatness to be restored but it won’t happen through political activity.
It will require returning to its biblical foundations and once again embracing the secret that once made it great.
(1) 1 Kings 10:1-10
Photo used by permission, National Portrait Gallery