Turning the Tables-Part II
Before coming to the spiritual realm of the second part of my message on the above theme, for once I would like to step into a world of fizz and come up with a fizzy true account, which is all about ‘ambush marketing’ in the Cola world. Most of the Cricket lovers would know that the second ICC Cricket World cup staged in the subcontinent was in 1996 (first was in 1987) which was eventually won by Sri-Lanka.
However even before that mega event symbolizing ‘war’ for cricket supremacy commenced, there was corporate cola ‘war’ being fought furiously on the sidelines between two cola giants -Coca Cola and Pepsi- for bagging the title of the “Official drink of the tournament”. The former, of course flexing a greater financial muscle outbid the latter and clinched that coveted title, which it presumed logically would act as springboard for it to enhance its sales volume by leaps and bounds during the prestigious tournament but unfortunately it had reckoned without the smaller Pepsi’s infinite creativity in its advertising department.
Pepsi, though, it lost out on the ‘war’ of becoming the ‘official’ drink, turned the tables squarely on Coke, by coming out with what many advertising gurus’ still reckon as most creative punch line in the Indian advertising history especially considering the adverse circumstances’ during which it was coined. “There is nothing official, about it”… this was one punch line (still lingering in our memory) which turned Cola war that seemed to be going the Coke’s way on its head, as every one simply bought into it excitedly resulting in Pepsi sales booming during that period like never before. Besides enjoying a bottle of Pepsi, just about everybody started using that punch line with a relish even in normal conversations, so much so, I remember reading in a Sports Magazine that in a English county game after the WC 1996, the person who stood in for a sick official scorer and compiled the scores in the latter’s absence was nicknamed ….you guessed it …Pepsi…because there was ‘nothing official about him’ (sic).
Now coming to the spiritual realm…
Treasure...
At this stage, I would like to draw your attention to some Scripture portions notably Exodus chapter 17, Deuteronomy chapter 25 verses 17 to 19, then First Samuel chapter 15. You would observe that the “common factor” in these chapters are the Amalekites, the arch- enemies of the people of Israel!!! We see how they came to war against the people of Israel when they were on the way from Egypt to Canaan.Deuteronomy chapter 25 verses 17 to 19 sums up their cruelty of mercilessly slaughtering the weak and the feeble amongst the people of Israel. Many years later, God who had said that vengeance is mine (Deu 32:35) gives a special task to King Saul which could be labelled as “Operation Amalekites annihilation”. To finish them off, lock, stock and barrel ...this implied destroying their property also. When we actually consider the extent of Amalekites wickedness, the sentence of the Almighty God who is fair appears perfectly just (Rev 16:4-7). In this connection, Dear Friends I want to share with you on what I learnt about the Amalekites savagery in my correspondence with the Jewish Rabbis’ especially the bestiality they exhibited towards the Jews in the Wilderness. Deu 25:17-19 gives us only a faint idea of their wholesome wickedness.
I learnt that when these barbaric Amalekites slaughtered the “feeble and the weak amongst the Israelites.” …they were so barbaric that they cut their private parts and threw them into the air mocking their Saviour (Psa 43:3) with these taunting words “If you are really there, protect these Jews”. That is the extent of their wickedness and King Saul was given a special task of annihilating them from under the sky. Now was He obedient? Many of us know the tragic story of how he not only coveted the wealth (read livestock, which was a measure of one’s wealth in the Biblical age- Job 1:1-3/ 1 Sam 15:19) of the Amalekites but also He spared “Mr. Wicked” King Agag (1 Sam 15:33). By the time prophet Samuel came and finished off king Agag, we can be very sure that some of the descendents of that wicked king escaped. After 600 years do not we see the descendents of Agag raising their wicked head once again like a hooded cobra in the form of Haman the Agagite ( the Second in Command to King Ahaseureus the Mighty Medo-Persian Emperor) in the Book of Esther (3:1)?
We see how this Haman the Agagite was planning to exterminate all the Jews on account of one Jew Mordecai, who was not as servile as his other colleagues and officers in the King’s court (Esther 3:6). While a massive Jewish genocide was planned on a certain date and approval to that effect was already obtained from the King (Esther 3:7-14), for settling his personal score with Mordecai however, Haman built gallows for the former. Being the “Blue-eyed boy” of the Persian King at that time all he had to do was go and make a request to the Persian king to hang Mordecai on it (Esther 5:9-14) and that would be the end of this “Benjaminite” Mordecai (word “Benjaminite” is being used advisedly).
We see even as wicked Haman was on the verge of pulling the trigger, so to speak …of going and simply persuading the King to put Mordecai to death…at the very beginning of chapter 6 we read amazingly “that night king had trouble sleeping.” Praise God, there were no TVs or Smart phones in those days; otherwise he would have switched on the TV or SP to give some exercise to his eyes. Rather, he wanted to read the Royal Chronicles and lo and behold ...therein he comes across the account of how Mordecai saved his life (Esther 2:21-23/ Esther 6:1-2)!!! Precisely at that time comes Haman with a request seemingly on his slips to hang Mordecai and King asks Haman innocently keeping Mordecai in mind, “What should I do to honor the man who pleases me?” Haman ever the egotist thinks that the King is alluding to him and hence says that he should be given royal treatment, he should be paraded on the royal horse all over the city so on and so forth and then the king orders “go and do this to Mordecai.” Dear friends, don’t you see the complete turning of the tables, how God intervened to save the life of Mordecai!!! It is not explicitly stated that God worked, but you can see His hand, “how?” you may ask once again and in Esther chapter 6, verse 1 which states “that night, king had trouble sleeping” lies the answer. That was Sovereignty of God in action. You can see His hand and we see from then on- a chain reaction. It not only saved Mordecai at that time but it also eventually ensured that Haman “fell into the very grave he dug for Mordecai” (Esther 7:10).
Now who was Mordecai? A Benjaminite, as I stated earlier. Who was King Saul? Boy also a Benjaminite. Hmmmm…do not we see settling of accounts by God!!! Providential usage of Benjaminite Mordecai to complete the work, which Benjaminite king Saul had left unfinished. Boy...it included in its ambit now the one of killing of all the sons of Haman the Amalekite on the very day the Jewish genocide was to take place (Esther 9:1, Esther 7-10). Now brace yourself for the climax of climaxes....the rich Haman (PM of mighty Medo-Persian Empire with ostensibly vast wealth) sons’ were killed but their vast property was not so much as touched by the Jews under Mordecai’s leadership. These Jews had learnt the lessons from the past, for the greed for property of Agag the Amalekite had been the bane of King Saul (Esther 9:10).
Table...
While continuing to ponder on the paramount matter of choosing between greed and generosity, it would serve us well (of the present generation) too, to learn and apply lessons from the past and be even inspired by the total turnarounds’ the good Lord brought about in the lives or circumstances of people for His glory (1 Cor 10:11). Those of us, who have been struggling with inherent covetousness in our lives for instance, would do well to remember the “turning of the tables” in the life of one who craved for money seated at...hey... tax-collector’s table. If greed gave way to generosity in Zaccheaus’ life (Luke 19:1-9) courtesy the transforming power of the Saviour, then why not in our lives too...as we depend more and more on His indwelling Spirit to bring about the needed victory over avarice (Rom 5:5/ 1 John 4:4). By the way, no Christian official should at any time be linked to any “under the table”(sic) transactions!!!
Timidity...
If proof is ever needed to convince the apprehensive lot as to Lord’s ability of “turning the tables”, one needn’t look beyond the story of timid men at the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:56) becoming “Tigers” post the Pentecostal experience (Acts 2). In the First century AD, pray tell me who turned the World upside down? Not the most elite Athenian philosophers’ with long flowing robes of those times, but the surrendered weak ones’ with little or no formal education, much less any pretense of rubbing shoulders with the scholarly folk! Not the mighty soldiers carrying gleaming swords on horseback but the unarmed feeble erstwhile cowardly, timid men who were now the very definition of unalloyed courage and temerity (Acts 4:13, 31). Men (Peter James and John) who were more adept in spreading the fishing nets in the Galilean sea were now “netting” men for the God’s Kingdom boldly defying all kinds of adversities!!!
Terminate...
In conclusion, let’s go re-visting the Valley of Elah, where we see a “tiny” (relatively speaking) youngster equipped merely with a slingshot and five stones taking on a well-armed Giant (1 Sam 17:40-47)!!! Was there a sword anywhere in David’s arsenal? NO SIR! Not for him any heavy armoury which would restrict his free movements (I Sam 17:38-40). When the blasphemous Goliath fell struck in his forehead by a stone released with lethal power and accuracy by a shepherd boy, what did that shepherd boy use to finish off the fallen giant? Goliath’s own sword or any sword of the Jewish army bearing its proud insignia? Bible says emphatically that he used the fallen philistine’s “own sword” to slay him. (I Sam 17:51). Incidentally, there was ‘nothing officially Jewish’ about that weapon. David terminated the terminator with his own terminating weapon!!!
Davidic style of victory over Goliath symbolized that of Christ’s eventual victory over Satan also. Consider and compare David’s way of slaying his formidable foe with what is penned in Hebrews 2:14 which reads thus…
“ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil…”
Now once again pore over Heb 2:14 and let the remarkable similarity register! What did Christ use to score a victory over devil? Death, which was, actually Satan’s trump card! Amazing, isn’t it…the similarity. Hallelujah! Like his earthly ancestor, Christ turned the tables on Satan by using its own main weapon against it.
The way to eternal life is through resurrection but the way to resurrection is through death. Before resurrection, Christ by dying destroyed death. So that… now let Book of Hebrews take over again…
“He might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (verse 15)
An event absolutely certain that terrifies normal people more than anything else is death…for in death man steps into the unknown bereft of all control he had been hitherto exercising over his life. But when we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, death holds no more fear. We have been released from bondage to the fear of death and instead actually look forward to it. We say with apostle Paul “ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) for death now has lost its sting (I Cor 15:55). Death doesn’t hold any fear, for us Christians', as it is no longer a master, which shoves us into the hell fire but rather a humble servant, which merely ushers us into our Heavenly Father’s glorious home. The tables now are well and truly turned, thanks to Christ’s victory on the Cross!! HALLELUJAH!!!
Suresh Manoharan
An Unworthy Servant
