Raindrops or A Deluge?

On the matters of faith and difference in belief system, as believers we can borrow a leaf from the Bible; especially the book of Samuel, Chronicles and Kings.

When we read the scriptures, it is so that we can increase in wisdom. The Bible made it plain that the nation of Israel came to Shiloh in the days of Eli.

Eli was a priest but he also acted as a judge, however, he was not moving throughout the nation. He was located in one place and the nation came to him to fulfil their religious obligations to Jehovah.

Prophet Samuel took over from Eli at an early age. Unlike Eli, he moved around.

Religious activities still took place at Shiloh but by virtue of his calling as a prophet he followed the leading of the Lord to all the tribes as instructed by God. The relationship between God and Eli was on a very different dimension from the one God shared with Samuel.

Samuel operated in the supernatural at a greater and higher level. Eli operated as a priest in charge of the ceremonial offerings to God by the people. Eli wasn’t perfect but he was anointed and therefore with all his flaws the anointing still worked through him.

Saul took over from Samuel. He was from the Household of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. If you compare him with Samuel, you will be disappointed. His thoughts were more on self than the people. He was determined to establish his dynasty and he did everything he could to fulfil this desire.

God didn’t take kindly to this ambition of his because it was selfish and didn’t consider the fact that God had chosen him and would have established his dynasty if he represented God the right way.

Then came David, the man after God’s heart. When you compare his reign with that of Saul you will see a huge contrast.

David regarded God so much that he was acting as a priest (not ceremonially or offering sacrifices) but by preparing worship, assembling worshippers (minstrels and instrumentalists) composing psalms, (songs), displaying the supremacy of God over all else including his own ambition or desires.

When he erred, it was not in the issue of worship or his love for God or his desire to see the nation know and worship God. It was in his conduct towards a fellow man (this brings a blot to his testimony before God and made those he was leading question God’s justice and fairness).
God had to step in and show everyone that he didn’t condone David’s action because David had become God’s representative by virtue of his display of love and affection for God. God loved David and forgave him and also kept his dynasty for this reason.

After David came Solomon, a man of wisdom who kept the worship of God like his father and built a temple to the glory of God. Solomon however had earthly concerns which David didn’t have. David didn’t mind war as he was a man of war. Solomon minded war.

The more a nation acquired the more the other nations envied the nation and aimed to plunder their wealth. With most of the strong men of Israel at labour camps in Lebanon and Tyre working hard to bring in materials and support for his construction projects, Solomon couldn’t afford a war. If he engaged in any he would lose.

So, he chose diplomacy as a way of keeping the other nations in check. This led to his accumulation of wives from all over. Greatness in this regard came at a cost.

Women have a way of bringing their culture into a home and wise men try to please their women by showing interest in what their women desire. Hence the worship of the gods of his wives which was regarded as idolatry.

The second cost was about the people, they suffered and bled for him and he didn’t give them any reprieve because of his ambition! 

It was the temple he asked them to labour to build but he ended up building more and more throughout his 40 years reign. A ruler must know when to allow his nation rest and enjoy the fruit of their labour.

God instituted the sabbath and the year of jubilee of this reason. That men may know his graciousness and experience his mercy.

Rehoboam took over from Solomon but he was not prepared for the inner workings of the kingdom. He thought greatness was in building great edifices and accumulating wealth. He didn’t see what was needed, he saw what his father did.

Henry Ford said, “If I asked people what they wanted, they would have asked for faster horses.”

It is important that leaders come up with what is best for the people and not what they think they need for fulfil their ambition. Jeroboam had grown into prominence as the minister for labour under Solomon.
Prophet Ahija had told him he would rule a part of the kingdom.

When Rehoboam made the mistake of insisting that he would keep the labour camps and prolong the working hours of the people they revolted. This opened the door to Jeroboam’s reign and the establishment of Samaria as the capital of Judah.

Jeroboam acted like Saul. He only wanted to keep the crown and he felt the best way to do this was to persuade the people away from worshipping one God whose temple was at Jerusalem.

Since he lived for a while in Egypt, he democratized religion and allowed everybody to worship whoever they wanted.

Jeroboam didn’t know God intimately and it showed. Of all the kings that ruled Israel, David still stood out as the king who combined the role of priest, king and later in his life he was regarded as a prophet!

He saw things that many of us have not seen despite being full of the Holy Spirit.
You cannot compare his knowledge of God and level of intimacy to that of any other king in Israel’s history.

I have taught you what many of your bishops don’t know, I am unrivaled in my walk with God. It is important that I state that clearly. (Even if it sounds like I am bragging).

How I know God and how you know God is personal. You cannot tell me what I can feel in His presence simply because you know the logos and I know both the logos and the rhema.

I am taught the word by the Holy Spirit daily and He teaches me in many ways and He uses many illustrations and practical examples.

If I tell you the Holy Spirit hugged me, don’t argue. He might not have hugged you yet because you don’t know him that way.

When Jesus said, “I and my father are one.” He was almost stoned by religious folks who had read and followed the law all their lives but didn’t have any experiential reality of God.

Jesus called God Father, Abraham didn’t. Abraham was regarded as a friend of God not a son of God.
Maybe you are a friend of God and I am a son. You can only talk about your walk. Leave others to talk about their walk.

The Pharisees always sought to correct Jesus. Imagine the audacity
The creature trying to correct the creator.

To their minds, they were the custodians of religious rightness, however, God didn’t see them as such.
It was to Jesus the name above every other name was given.

Jesus called God Daddy. Moses called God a name that even Abraham didn’t know: “I am!”
Why don’t you just walk with God and grow instead of trying to remove the speck in the eyes of others.

Nobody made you, their master. To their own master they will rise or fall! 

It is very easy to lose faith in a God that you don't know intimately

-GSW-