A TALE OF THREE KINGS-A STUDY IN BROKENNESS BY GENE EDWARDS

“You mean that in the midst of a hundred voices making a thousand claims, the simple people of God have no assurance of who is truly anointed to bear God’s authority and who it not?”
“They can never be certain.”
“Who, then, can know?”
“God always knows-but he does not tell.” (p.85)

A friend, who was a missionary in El Salvador for 10 years, recommended this book to me. On the back cover it asks,

What do you do when someone throws a spear at you?”
To the many Christians who have experienced pain, loss, and heartache at the hands of other believers, this compelling tale based on the biblical figures of David, Saul, and Absalom offers comfort, healing, and hope.

What it doesn’t do, of course is give direct answers! It is great in that way-it makes you think, evaluate your own heart and your own hurts. Each chapter is only 1-3 pages long and is like its own little-hard-hitting-make-you-think punch.
Are you a King Saul? Or are you a David? Are you an Absalom? Will you become one or the other? Do you know FOR SURE who someone else is? Who YOU are?

(Sorry for so many quotes, but I want you to get a little feel for the questions and points he is making.)

The first half focuses on King Saul and David--David’s response to Saul’s spear throwing, chasing him, saying nasty things about him. David did not respond in kind. Basically, he did nothing. David was anointed to be the next king, and Saul knew it. Would David take it by foul play? That is what drove Saul mad.

God did not have-but wanted very much to have-men and women who would live in pain. God wanted a broken vessel. (p.12)

In God’s sacred school of submission and brokenness, why are there so few students? Because all students in this school must suffer much pain. And as you might guess, it is often the unbroken ruler (whom God sovereignly picks) who metes out the pain. David was once a student in this school, and Saul was God’s chose way to crush David. (p.15)

Was King Saul sent to kill the “King Saul” that was lurking in David’s heart?
BOTH WERE ANNOINTED BY GOD. Saul was anointed by Samuel to be the first king, and Saul accomplished a lot as king-what no one else had done at the time. He created an army out of thin air, established a kingdom, and won battle after battle. Then Saul sinned gravely and Samuel anointed David as the next king. David had no idea when that would be. And he endured much at Saul’s hands while he was waiting. He had an anointing-but it sure didn’t make David’s life very easy. Saul tried to kill him right in the palace numerous times (while David was ministering to him!); yet David stayed.

How do you know when it is finally time to leave the Lord’s anointed? David never made the decision. The Lord’s anointed made it for him. The king’s own decree settled the matter!
“Hunt him down; kill him like a dog.”
Only then did David leave. … He left alone.
ALONE. All Alone. (p.27)

And David hid, and ran, and was broken. And he could have killed Saul twice-TWICE and he didn’t do it. His band of mighty men just couldn’t get why.
“Better he kill me than I learn his ways. Better he kill me than I become as he is. I shall not practice the ways that cause kings to go mad. I will not throw spears, nor will I allow hatred to grow in my heart. I will not avenge. I will not destroy the Lord’s anointed. Not now. Not ever!” (p.36)

“No”, he {one of David’s mighty men} said, now in a voice with a touch of eloquence, “authority from God is not afraid of challengers, makes no defense, and cares not one whit if it must be dethroned.
“That was the greatness of the great…of the true king.” (p.48)

The second half is right before Absalom goes to Hebron and declares himself king. Absalom seemed like the young King David-handsome, discerning, wise…
What does David do? How does he treat Absalom? I am sure he could see it coming (and the book suggests it as well). Does he turn into a King Saul? Does he stop this rebellious young kid? Does he know if God is done with him and Absalom is to reign? No, he doesn’t. He figures GOD does, and since it is GOD’s kingdom and GOD’S throne, GOD will take care of it.

“Any young rebel who raises his hand against a Saul, or any old king who raises his hand against an Absalom, may-in truth-be raising his hand against the will of God.” (p.75)

So the point of the whole book seems to be: we DO NOT KNOW who the Lord has anointed in our lives to do what the Lord has called them to do (in our lives). What are we suppose to do then? NOTHING. What? What do you mean nothing? I don’t know, I just know it is nothing.
Many, many months ago now Brian felt God really telling him not to defend himself. I think it goes a step further in that we shouldn’t even be trying to justify ourselves. Was this whole situation an opportunity for God to make us into the broken vessel He wants us to be for…who knows what?
Just having read the first half, it solidify for me that we were not to put on the blog the majority of the things that led to our leaving. As I wrote in a response comment to another commenter, I can only figure it was GOD that was holding us back. Because really, there is a Saul/Absalom spirit that wants to justify, avenge, destroy, rebel. And no, we admittingly have not always taken the King David route. We’ve slipped things in here and there and then felt “ok” because we didn’t come right out and say it. And we must balance that with the accountability we have to anyone who supported our time there. That is why we will personally talk to anyone with questions and answer them. Is it the correct balance? We don’t know, but that is how we are being led right now.
Again, one of those God-ordained timings as we just had some things come up where King Saul could have come raging through. You can continue to pray for us as we try to live out a King David life.