The Bible in The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe: The Hangman & the King
Okay, I lied. Well, I misspoke. I thought I had a second Prince Caspian Jesus-theme in me, but not so. I do, however, have a third “Lion” theme in me. So enjoy: The Hangman & the King!
"You have a traitor there, Aslan," said the Witch. Of course everyone present knew that she meant Edmund...
“Well,” said Aslan. “His offence was not against you.”
“Have you forgotten the Deep Magic?” asked the Witch.
“Let us say I have forgotten it,” answered Aslan gravely. “Tell us of this Deep Magic.”
“Tell you?” said the Witch, her voice growing suddenly shriller. “Tell you what is written on the very Table of Stone which stands beside us? Tell you what is written in letters deep as a spear is long on the fire-stones on the Secret Hill? Tell you what is engraved on the sceptre of the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea? You at least know that Magic which the Emperor put into Narnia at the very beginning. You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to kill.”
“Oh,” said Mr Beaver. “So that’s how you came to imagine yourself a queen -- because you were the Emperor’s hangman. I see.”
“Peace, Beaver,” said Aslan, with a very low growl.
“And so,” continued the Witch, “that human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property.”
“Come and take it then,” said the Bull with the man’s head, in a great bellowing voice.
“Fool, said the Witch with a savage smile that was almost a snarl, “do you really think your master can rob me of my rights by mere force? He knows the Deep Magic better than that. He knows that unless I have blood as the Law says, all Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water.”
“It is very true,” said Aslan. “I do not deny it.”
“Oh, Aslan!” whispered Susan in the Lion’s ear. “Can’t we -- I mean, you won’t, will you? Can’t we do something about the Deep Magic? Isn’t there something you can work against it?”
“Work against the Emperor’s Magic?” said Aslan, turning to her with something like a frown on his face. And nobody ever made that suggestion to him again.
Edmund was on the other side of Aslan, looking all the time at Aslan’s face. He felt a choking feeling and wondered if he ought to say something; but a moment later he felt that he was not expected to do anything except to wait, and do what he was told.
“Fall back, all of you,” said Aslan, “and I will talk to the Witch alone.”
They all obeyed. It was a terrible time this -- waiting and wondering while the Lion and the Witch talked earnestly together in low voice. Lucy said, “Oh, Edmund!” and began to cry. Peter stood with his back to the others looking out at the distant sea. The Beavers stood holding each other’s paws with their heads bowed. The centaurs stamped uneasily with their hoofs. But everyone became perfectly still in the end, so that you noticed even small sounds like a bumble-bee flying past, or the birds in the forest down below them, or the wind rustling the leaves. And still the talk between Aslan and the Witch went on.
At last they heard Aslan’s voice. “You can all come back,” he said. “I have settled the matter. She has renounced her claim on your brother’s blood.” And all over the hill there was a noise as everyone had been holding their breath and had now begun breathing again, and then a murmur of talk.
The Witch was just turning away with a look of fierce joy on her face when she stopped and said,
“But how do I know this promise will be kept?”
“Haa-a-arrh!” roared Aslan, half rising from his throne; and his great mouth opened wider and wider and the roar grew louder and louder, and the Witch, after staring for a moment with her lips wide apart, picked up her skirts and fairly ran for her life. (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)
The Accuser. The Adversary. We have seen these two before in Scripture. And whether you recall it or not, we’ve seen the satanic, legal petitions for our life, etc. play out in Scripture before. Oh yes, Heaven has a courtroom (probably the most referred to heavenly room in Scripture beside the Throne Room), and yes, the Accuser comes to demand what is “his.” The most prominent example of this is in the Book of Job.
Now there was a dat when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?"
So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:6-12; see also 2:1-6)
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Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.’ Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.” (II Chronicles 18:18-22)
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How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ...For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15)
Can’t you just see it? The B’nai Elohim, the sons of God, the angels, all gathered around the Judgment Throne of God, ready to do His bidding (Psalm 103:20, 21), some standing as in Second Chronicles, others seated as in the Book of Isaiah. Satan, the Accuser of the Brethren, is allowed access to this illustrious Courtroom--the only part of Heaven he still has access to--and he fulfills one of his fallen roles with great demonic eloquence. Just like Jadis, the Pretended Queen of Narnia, Satan keeps record of our sins--each and every one--and stores them up for an opportune time of attack. And God, never caught off guard, allows the Accuser to make his case, all the while, knowing the outcome.
You see, because unlike Aslan who had to go and make himself the sacrifice for Edmund’s treachery, Christ already took our place 2,000 years ago on the old, rugged cross. His blood purchased our freedom. All we need do is accept His sacrifice. And when Christ, the Living Word, put on human flesh; lived a sinless life; spent 3.5 years in ministry; was illegally tried, beaten, whipped, and crucified; descended into the pits of Hell; preached to its inhabitants; took the keys of Death, Hell (Hades), and the Grave (Sheol); and ascended into Heaven to be seated at the right-hand of the Father. It was this victory that gave Him His new title: the Advocate.
And while we don’t see the Court of Heaven in the New Testament so we don’t see Jesus in His “new” Advocate role, but we do know that He makes intercession for us day and night at the right hand of the Father. But we can correctly presume, based on the Scripture, that Jesus--like Aslan--makes His case for us before the Father and, if we are covered by the blood of Jesus and our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, then Jesus wins the case! Exciting huh? :)
And actually, we the blood-bought children of God have the right to plead our case before God too! (Edmund didn’t get this chance, but I’m grateful that I have it!)
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Now imagine how sad your “case” would be if you had no Blood and no Advocate to defend you. Imagine if you had no right of a son/daughter of a King. You’d be screwed. (Forgive my language.) Imagine if little Edmund had no Lion to take his place on the Stone Table. The story would have had a very different ending indeed.
Thankfully, the Lion did take Edmund’s place. Death did turn backward. And Narnia overthrew their tyrant. And thankfully, our story has a happy ending too. Aren’t you happy we have a wonderfully divine Advocate fighting for us in the heavenlies! *smile*
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (I John 2:1, 2)
