Avenger of Blood

Ahijah looked at the letter in his hand. 
He was sweating profusely. His eyes darted 
from left to right as he read 
through the umpteenth time. Slowly, his 
eyes move away from the 
letter to Joab.
And then he screamed....
Ahijah was a happy young man. He was a 
young soldier, training to go  to war. 
His ambition and dream had always 
been to fight for his lord,  the King 
along with his brother, Uriah. 
He wanted to be counted as one  of the 
Mighty Men of King David...
When his brother, Uriah got married, 
he was the best man. 
The bride, Bathsheba was beautiful, 
humble and hardworking. 
My brother couldn't have picked a 
better wife, he thought...
When Uriah and the other soldiers go 
to wat, Ahijah would remain in the 
camp training to fight with  the other 
young men. 
When wounded soldiers were brought back
 from the  battle, he wld take care of them- 
dress their wounds, feed them and 
nurture them back to full strength...
Then the day cane when the king visited 
the camp to talk to the soldiers....
And boy, was he an orator! Ahijah stood, 
listening to king David in his royal robes. 
He was in awe of this man. 
He vowed, "one day I will fight and even 
lay down my life for this man!"....
A few days later, it happened:
he heard the news.
His brother had died in battle.
He was stunned. His mentor, his benefactor. 
Dead. He was hurt, he was pained. 
He wept. And wept. And wept.
His friends tried to comfort him to no avail...
Now, he had to marry Batsheba and 
produce children for his late brother, 
according to the law. 
He couldn't even take care of himself, 
talk less of a wife!
Then he heard the news: the king had 
married Batsheba. O, well....
After the mourning period was over, 
he resumed his military training. 
Then the rumour started flying round...
The king had his brother killed so he 
could take his wife.
At first he brushed it aside as idle talk. 
But the rumours were getting louder and louder...
He wondered, could it be true? King David? 
A man after God's own heart? Haba!
It's not possible! Or, is it?
Ahijah decided to find out the truth.
 If anybody knows the truth, it must be the 
Chief of Army Staff, General Joab.
He went to see the Chief. "Morning, Sir!"...
Joab looked at the young soldier before him, 
standing at attention. He had a premonition of 
what he came for, but he 
simply looked at him for a few seconds.
"At ease, soldier! What brings you to my office?"
Ahijah told him why he came...
The stories flying round the barracks 
and his concerns.
Joab looked at the young man before him. 
Then he got up and went to a safe in the 
corner of the office. 
He punched in the codes and the safe opened. 
He brought out a letter and 
without a word, he gave it to Ahijah...
Ahijah read it. And screamed.
So, it is true! The king killed my brother! 
And that bitch, Bathsheba...
A deep feeling of anger, hatred and 
resentment came over him. 
He swore to himself he would make the 
king pay for what he did...
Ironically in that same moment, 
David was penning Psalm 51: "Have mercy 
on me, o God, according to your 
unfailing love, according to your great 
compassion, blot out my transgressions..."
David was crying out for forgiveness. 
God heard him. And forgave him...
Ahijah didn't
  Ahijah was beefing a man God had forgiven.
  Ironic, isn't it?
  Beefing a man God has forgiven...!
Ahijah started looking for an opportunity to 
revenge. He was possessed by bitterness. 
Some years later, Absalom revolted against 
his father, the king.
He planned a palace coup. 
When Ahijah heard of the plan, he joined in.
He couldn't care less if Absalom became king...
His motivation was different- he just wanted 
to kill the king and revenge his brother's death...
The unfortunate thing is, 
GOD HAD FORGIVEN DAVID!!!
So the palace coup failed. 
Absalom was killed and his fellow coup 
plotters were rounded up.
But Ahijah managed to escape, waiting 
for another chance for vengeance.
Many years later, another son rebelled 
against king David: Adonijah...
As soon as Ahijah heard, he went to meet 
him to join his rebel group.
 Adonijah looked at him.
"How old are you sir? Sorry, you're too old to be in my army..."
Ahijah was shocked! Old- me? 
Then it dawned on him:
He had been too blinded by bitterness and 
hatred that he didn't see his life pass him by.
He never married.
He never had children.
He never even joined the army.
He never fought any war...
His heart failed him.
He collapsed. And was rushed to the 
hospital...
Ahijah had a massive stroke.
He was put on bed rest for some days. 
He woke up one day to a loud noise of 
celebration in the city...
He tapped his nurse, "what is going on?", he 
whispered. "Sir, Solomon has just been crowned 
king in place of his father!"...
Solomon?
Is that not Bathsheba's son?
How can? God, why him, of all people?
Don't u know what his mother and father did???
Why him, of all the king's sons?
There were other sons born RIGHT:
Why the son that was born WRONG????
The shock was too much for Ahijah to bear. 
He suffered a heart attack. 
As he slipped off into death, he heard God
 whisper to him in a still small voice; "Son, 
I had forgiven him long ago. If only you did too..."
  My profile has a message: Isaiah 63:16-
  "Doubtless thou art my Father. 
Even if Abraham disowns me, even if Israel 
does not recognise me, it doesn't matter: 
Thou, o Lord art MY FATHER!!!!!"
I got a revelation of that scripture in 1990. 
God made me realise I don't need any validation 
from any man, Pastor, Reverend, Bishop, 
Archbishop or Apostle.
God IS my father. Even if Abraham, Israel, 
Pastor, Bishop or Apostle disowns me, who cares?
God is my FATHER.
I was once worried and bothered about
 so many things.
When God revealed that scripture to me and 
told me the story of Ahijah, 
I got deliverance.
And I got freedom.

- Haruna Daniels