Lord Denethor: Betrayed by Pride

When we come to Denethor, Steward of Gondor, we come upon a once great man. You must understand that it was to his house that the stewardship of Gondor lay until such time as a rightful king should come to claim the throne. Yet, proud as mighty men are accustomed to becoming, Denethor succumbed to the greatest of weaknesses. Like a strong tree, once beautiful, he had begun to rot from the inside and was in danger of falling down dead and useless. The death of Denethor is later related in the epic. Before I go on to that I want to point out something that I just now happened to notice.

Denethor reminds me of King Saul. King Saul of Israel was "head and shoulders" above all other men. He was, in fact, not really a bad person. In fact he had prophesied with the prophets before being annointed as king. That should set us on high alert. We aren't immune to sin because we've become Christians. What we are is aware of, and exposed to, some of the most vile temptations mankind has ever known. Without the help of the Holy Spirit none of us would make it. We would be as Denethor, proud, yet dead inside. Remember what happened to King Saul? He became so proud that he thought he was above God's prophet, Samuel, and in that sense, above God. God would not have it, or him, and so God removed the kingdom of Israel for Saul and gave it to David, son of Jesse, a shepherd.

In this Tolkien is kind to us. We would all have liked to have seen Jonathan live and grow up to be a friend and faithful counselor to David, even if he never became king, but God removed the entire line from ruling Israel. Tolkien finds in Faramir one, who like Jonathan, is loving, kind and heroic. And unlike God he allows Faramir to live. I'm glad of that. I don't doubt the wisdom of God, but it is nice to have a little hope thrown in now and again. Even in this Tolkien manages to find spiritual considerations. For as Jesus died, was resurrected and is coming again to be united to His Bride, even the church, so Faramir was wounded to the point of death, yet rose up that he might met and fall in love with Eowyn.

All this Denethor did not see because he trusted in himself, in the power of the Ring ("Would that this thing had come to me!"), and ill-advised dealings in the supernatural. He lost both of his sons, one by death and one by life, his own life, and by that his rule of Gondor, the very task to which he was appointed.

Take seriously the warnings in Scripture. They are there for a reason. God knows the weakness of the flesh. He knows how easy it is for us to trip up and become embroiled in things we have no business in being involved in. So He warns us. As a loving Father, He warns us. Yet, all too often, we act like spoiled brats and refuse these warnings, only to find the truth in them come to rest at our door. Do not be like Denethor. Be like Faramir, be like Jonathan, be like David, be like Aragorn, be that person that God has created you to be. And beware the pitfalls that surround you.