Chariots Of Fire - God Is Our Protector #2 Series

Introduction

That is the theme to one of the most iconic hot summer movies of our lifetimes.

Set in the post-World War I era, Chariots of Fire is based on the true story of two British athletes. Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell are both naturally gifted fast sprinters, but approach running differently. Running fits into their respective lives differently. The son of a Lithuanian Jew, Harold, who lives a somewhat privileged life as a student at Cambridge, uses being the fastest to overcome what he sees as the obstacles he faces in life as a Jew despite that privilege. In his words to paraphrase an old adage, he is often invited to the trough, but isn't allowed to drink. His running prowess does earn him the respect of his classmates, especially his running teammates, and to some extent the school administration, if only he maintains what they consider proper gentlemanly decorum, which isn't always the case in their minds.

Born in China, the son of Christian missionaries, Eric, a Scot, is a devout member of the Church of Scotland who eventually wants to return to that missionary work. He sees running as a win-win in that the notoriety of being fast gives him an added outlet to spread the word of God, while he sees his speed as being a gift from God, and he wants to run to honor God and that gift. This view does not sit well with his sister, Jennie Liddell, who sees his running as only taking away time from his work to God.

Harold’s and Eric's lives intersect in national races, but it is the one hundred meter track event at the 1924 Paris Olympics which the two men and their supporters most anticipate.

While boarding the boat to Paris for the Olympics, Eric learns from the newspapers that the event for his 100 meter race will be on a Sunday. Eric refuses to run the race despite strong pressure from the Prince of Wales as well as the head of the British Olympic committee, Lord Cadogan because Eric’s Christian convictions prevent him from running on the Christian Sabbath (Sunday).

Hope appears in the form of Eric’s teammate Lord Andrew Lindsay. Having already won a silver medal in the 400 meter hurdles, Lindsay proposes to yield his place in the 400 meter race on the following Tuesday to Eric. Eric gratefully agrees. His religious convictions in the face of national athletic pride make headlines around the world.

Meanwhile, Harold is badly beaten by the heavily favored and more experienced United States runner Charles Paddock in the 200 meter race who wins the gold medal, while Harold takes a second place silver medal. Harold knows that his last chance for a gold medal will be the 100 meter run. He competes in the 100 meter sprint and wins, beating Paddock and the rest of the Americans.

On Tuesday, just before Eric’s race, the American coach remarks to his runners that Liddell has little chance of doing well in his now far longer 400 meter race. But one of the American runners, Jackson Scholz, hands Eric a note of support for his convictions. Eric defeats all the American favorites and wins the gold medal.

The British team returns home triumphant. Harold and Eric then part ways, with Harold returning to Sybil and Eric goes off to return to China with his missionary family. As the film ends, an onscreen text explains that Harold married Sybil, and became the elder statesman of British athletics. He died in January 1978. Eric Liddell went on to his missionary work back in China where he later died in a prison camp at the hands of Japanese troops in 1945.

I tell you all of that to say that the title for the movie was taken from a popular English poem and hymn known as Jerusalem.

The poem says “Bring me my Chariot of fire”, referring to the Old Testament story of Elijah being taken to Heaven directly by God in a chariot of fire.

There were “chariots of fire” that day in the 1924 Olympics. And so, the phrase “Chariots of fire” became a byword for divine energy — divine guidance — divine protection. All driven from our text this morning.

Follow along today as we ready from 2 Kings 6:

8 When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, “We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place.”

9 But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, “Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there.” 10 So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there.