- Author:gospel
- Category:Sermons
Happy
New Week, and Happy July all readers!
It
is only fair to begin this post with an apology. Last week, readers were
informed that the next post will be about the first Kenyan Pastors in Gospel of
God as it pioneered into Kenya. Due to some developments the topic has been
suspended pending some interviews. However, it will be posted anytime this
month.
Having
said that, it is only fair to do some brief post for the benefit of the very
diverse and dedicated global readership. There are many who come to this blog
to know more about this church, others being members, or Christians in general to
find some bible commentaries of the depth or scope or spirituality that they
would not find elsewhere. Whatever your reason, feel free and stay tuned
because regular posting has resumed and there will plenty of varied posts every
month if not weekly.
About
Kings Saul, the Pharaohs, and Nebuchadnezzar; they were not the most celebrated
Kings and not so many good things are said about them. They had their
weaknesses including paganism and often they disappointed God. But as leaders
it was the same God who allowed their Kingdoms to flourish. Saul was not only a
king but was ordained by Samuel as a prophet or seer. The pharaohs were put in
charge of God’s chosen people, and the scriptures refer to Nebuchadnezzar as
God’s servant (Jeremiah 27:6).
They
had their share of evil deeds but as the English say: “Every dark cloud has a
silver lining”.
This
also brings to memory some words someone recited while in school:
“There
is so much bad in the best of us,
And
so much good in the worst of us,
That
it ill behooves any of us,
To
find fault with the rest of us”;
These
words should not make us complacent with evil but also remind us not to be too
judgmental or negative. And to be able to appreciate that even those we may
despise, may have something positive worth appreciating.
Absolute
rulers and World powers
Egypt,
Babylon, and Israel were old nations that were more developed than many. Egypt
at its time was a world power. It was very advanced compared to other
countries. It was a giant of the time. They built great buildings and pyramids “when
Europeans were still living in caves” as Mahatma Gandhi would say. Their
pyramids - especially the great pyramid, and the hanging gardens of Babylon are
counted among the wonders of the ancient world. Babylon was the first known
place where there was a written law – courtesy of Hammurabi.
As
a result, the Pharaohs and Nebuchadnezzar would have been very proud people. On
the other hand, they were humble enough to seek the advice of lesser people including
prisoners and slaves called Daniel and Joseph. They were absolute rulers,
needed not to be elected by anyone and did not have to consult parliaments or
proclaim to be democratic. What they decided even if it was about ending
someone’s life was deemed to be the correct thing. Yet, they still had the
grace to face a slave, a prisoner a foreigner and say they did not know
something. Had one pharaoh not listened to Joseph, Egypt would have suffered
famine – but it did not. As to the other pharaoh during the time of the
plagues, he had the grace to listen to Moses – even when he had suffered a
plague or a previous meeting had ended badly.
The
same can be said about King Saul. When Israel was faced by enemies, he still
had the grace to listen to a boy called David and had enough faith to believe
him and even offer him his royal weapons. How many such rulers are there even
today. When a country is in a war or a crisis, is there a leader in any one
power who would take time to listen to a boy or believe that God had sent him?
Lesson
The
choice of Saul, Nebuchadnezzar and the Pharaohs today was deliberate. For in
most cases, they are portrayed as villains or at least they are never the heroes
of their stories. However, as is typical of mankind, their stories are not
entirely one sided for they also had virtues. Let us remember, them appreciate
them and strive to be better than them or ensure that we are not falling short
of what they did – especially when tasked with a responsibility or position
P/S:
The next post (as planned) will be from the teachings of the apostle Paul about
a Church. Hopefully they will minister to as many apostles and even believers
from all everywhere else from 1 Cor 12: One body many parts