Tag: The Providence of God

Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6

Sometimes a person’s life gets “interrupted” by an event that they did not expect. That certainly happened to Patrick (AD c.389-c.463). When he was just sixteen years old Patrick was suddenly kidnapped by Irish sea-raiders, taken away from his home in England, and sold as a slave. If that difficulty happened to you, you might think that God had somehow “abandoned” you. Patrick would learn, however, that the Lord is in control of all events and that even terrible things that we can’t fully explain are used for “good” in the Christian’s life. God promises in the Bible, “…we know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Rom. 8:28). This means that we can trust God in the midst of our trials and tribulations. And so, what happened to Patrick now that he was forced to be a slave in Ireland? In God’s providence what “good” could possibly come from all of this? 

Here is what happened: Once Patrick was sold as a slave, his new master, Michlu, assigned him to work as a shepherd caring for the livestock. He was given a couple of Irish wolfhounds—huge and fierce dogs—to help protect the sheep, hogs, and cows from ravaging wolves. Patrick learned how to manage these dogs by speaking to them in Gaelic, the common language of the Irish people. The dogs learned to trust him, and he learned to trust them—they were a team in protecting the livestock from the wolves. The wolves were especially dangerous during the winter months when in hunger they would attack the livestock. Most times the shepherds were successful at protecting the livestock, but at other times the fierce wolves would be able to carry away the younger members of the flock. Patrick served as a shepherd for six long years. Nevertheless, he always dreamed of returning to his own family in England. One day, he came up with a plan and with the aide of a friend he set in motion his escape from captivity.  

Leaving in the middle of the night he made his way down to the seashore where he planned to flee from Ireland by ship. No one, though, was willing to take him! He noticed that one ship was transporting a cargo of Irish wolfhounds. The sailors found them to be completely unmanageable. Patrick volunteered to care for them. To demonstrate his abilities, he calmed the wild and restless dogs by speaking to them in Gaelic. He also urged the Captain to arrange for their feeding. The dogs calmed down under Patrick’s care and he was taken aboard as a welcome passenger on the ship. Initially he was transported to Spain, but then over time he made his way back to England. What joy it was to be back at home with his father and mother! 

Over the next several years he experienced a reoccurring dream—a voice would say in Gaelic, “Holy Boy, we beseech you to come and walk among us once more.” Patrick understood this to mean that God was calling him to return to Ireland—not to give himself up as a runaway slave, but to minister to the Irish people as a Missionary-Evangelist. After lots of study, prayer, and preparation the church leaders called him to that very task—to take the gospel to Ireland. When Patrick finally arrived in Ireland he was 42 years old (AD 432); this is what happened, 

“…the ship landed off the coast of Dublin. Dublin was not a great city then—it was merely a village. But it was the capital of the province of Wicklow, and it was ruled by a king named Dichu. Again the ship was anchored, and again Patrick and his crew were rowed ashore. “Let us walk to the top of the hill that I see a mile away,” Patrick said. “From there we can see all of this part of the country.” As they walked toward the hill, they saw a group of men waiting there. Then the silence of the morning was shattered by the angry growling of dogs. The sound struck terror in the hearts of Patrick’s companions. Four dogs rushed down the hill toward the defenseless men who carried no swords—merely pilgrim’s staffs.”

“Patrick stood there calmly while the others dropped to their knees in fright. Surely, they thought, these wild dogs would tear them to bits. The dogs—huge, fierce Irish wolfhounds—were snarling as they rushed toward Patrick and his group of frightened men. Then Patrick’s clear voice rang out. He talked to the dogs as he had once talked to the dogs which had helped him guard the swine on Skerry Hill. He talked to them as he had talked to the dogs on Captain Tigras’ ship. And the dogs, hearing the familiar commands in the language they understood, stopped snarling. When Patrick gave a sharp command, they halted. Patrick walked toward them, talking soothingly to them. The dogs dropped to the ground. They whimpered and crawled toward Patrick, and then they arose and licked his outstretched hand.”

“The men on the hill had watched all this in amazement. Among them was Dichu, the king, who had taught the dogs to kill his enemies. To Dichu, any strangers who landed on these shores were enemies. But instead of tearing these enemies to bits, the dogs were now allowing themselves to be patted on the head by the leader of this band of strangers. Dichu led his men down the hill. “Who are you?” he asked curiously. Patrick told him. He also told him why he had come to Ireland. “But don’t you know, Patrick,” Dichu said, “that many kings in Ireland have vowed to kill you if you are indeed the one spoken of in the prophecy?” Patrick nodded. “Of course I know that, but I have faith in God.” “Do you believe that your God can protect you against the swords of the Irish kings?” Dichu asked. Patrick smiled. “That is a small thing for God to do,” he said. “I know very little about your God,” Dichu admitted. “I should like to know more. Will you and your band stay with me awhile, and will you tell me of this God of yours?”

— Quentin Reynolds, The Life of Saint Patrick, 131-133

Over the next thirty years (AD 432-463) Patrick faithfully shared the gospel with the people of Ireland. Sadly, they were enslaved to idols (false gods) and to evil spirits (demons). The Lord Jesus slowly began to deliver them from their unbelief, forgiving their sins, and giving them new life in Christ. One biographer notes that Patrick was busy “…sowing belief until he brought all the Ulstermen by the net of the gospel to the harbor of life.” In God’s wonderful providence all of the trials and tribulations of Patrick’s life actually equipped him for service as a Missionary-Evangelist to the Irish people. This outcome was the “good” that God had prepared him for. Due to his bold and clear preaching multitudes of Irish people professed their faith in Christ, thousands of baptisms took place, and many churches were established throughout the land. In short, the gospel message went forward in Ireland with great power!

Resources for Further Study:

Houghton, S. M. Sketches from Church History: An Illustrated Account of 20 Centuries of Christ’s Power. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1980. 

Marshall, Catharine T. “Patrick: Missionary to the Irish” in Great Leaders of the Christian Church. Edited by John D. Woodbridge. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1988.

Neill, Stephen. A History of Christian Missions. Second Edition. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1986.

Olsen, Ted. Christianity and the Celts. Downers Grove, Il: InterVarsity Press, 2003 

Reynolds, Quentin. The Life of Saint Patrick. In the “Landmark Series.” New York, NY: Random House Publishers, 1955.

Swanson, Kevin, ed. “Patrick’s Confessions and Breastplate” in Great Christian Classics: Five Remarkable Narratives of the Faith. Parker, CO: Generations with Vision, 2010. 

Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin

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