You and the messengers of comfort that were sent to you
An incident that resulted in war and death of many is narrated twice in the Bible. In 2Samuel 10 and 1 chronicles 19. Read both accounts.
The incident ends with battles, reinforcements and death of more than forty thousand people .
The incident started with the good intentions of David. David sent his messengers to console the son of the king of Ammon who had died. The elder king of Ammon had shown David kindness in the past.
The servants of this new king of Ammon put suspicion in the heart of the king and incited him that the intentions of David were less than noble. As a result, the king of Ammon thoroughly humiliated the messengers emotionally and physically so much that they had to spend time in Jericho waiting for the physical signs of their humiliation to go away. Lets not even mention their emotional trauma. I am yet to see them mentioned again. They fade away in Jericho unceremoniously and this sets a chain of deafly events in place.
From the narrative, no action was taken by David after what happened to his messengers of comfort perhaps because of the kindness that this king’s father had shown him and out of the resultant respect David had for the king’s father.
The narrative is clear that the people of Ammon on noticing that they had greatly displeased David, and “ made themselves repulsive to David” went and mustered an army in order to fight David. Remember, David has not taken any action. As is written, “ the wicked flee when no one is pursuing them.”
So, they mustered armies to fight David, and we know David, when it comes to battle, always ready, he didn’t sit and pray, he sent “…Joab and all the army of the mighty men..” verse 7. Note all. Well, The LORD was with David and the people who rose against David were thoroughly routed.
Interestingly, the humiliated men were licking their wounds in Jericho and are not mentioned again and neither are they in the battle.
Interestingly, it is also not recorded that David sought the LORD on whether he should fight the Ammonites or not. He responded to their army. I can almost imagine our Beloved David saying, “ They started it!”
Hmmm!
When an incident is repeated twice in the scriptures almost word for word, then the wise and prudent will want to know why and learn the lesson then move on.
In the context of the world we live in and specifically the church, let us look at this.
The LORD is always out to send us help in our journey on this earth. HE sends people to comfort help us, stand with us and even explain things to us. HE is also known to send angels. Remember Lot and the angels. Remember, Elijah. HE even comes HIMSELF sometimes like on the road to Emmaus.
Many times like the people of Ammon, we miss it totally. We don’t recognize the messengers of comfort, therefore we don’t accept and use the comfort.
Instead, we take wrong advice from our frenemies who surround us, we turn on, humiliate and shame the messengers of comfort sometimes silencing them and forcing them to retreat forever into Jericho.
And then to make matters worse, we start fighting all sorts of battles that lead to destruction and death. And to make matters even more worse, we can’t remember why we are fighting and killing each other. The messengers of comfort are recuperating in Jericho. To make things even more worse than ever, like the new king of Ammon we start looking for allies to fight with us battles they know nothing about, resulting in their death and destruction. Note that it is unlikely that the king of Ammon who started all this died in battle, it is those around him, his commanders and allies and people.
Why?
Simply because we :
i. lack discernment
ii. apply the once bitten twice shy mentality instead of discernment
iii. lack direction
iv. listen to the wrong voices instead of listening to the voice of The HOLY SPIRIT
v. do not study historical matters, if this new king of Ammon had taken time to understand the relationship between David and his father, then it is unlikely ,he would have jumped to conclusions and caused all the chaos to his people and his friends
vi. are foolish and immature
In the church and in our ministries, the problem is there. For example, a new person is sent to the Vineyard, to do a specific thing or deliver a message and because we wrongly or rightly feel we are failing we consciously, unconsciously or sub consciously want the guy to fail or at least join our faction. We project our inadequacies, destroy the person and then engage in a destructive bloodbath. We forget that this person has been sent by GOD to comfort and help us in our service. At least weigh him and see if he has substance. Hmmm! But what do I know..
And so the war games continue in the church and in the ministries and no one can even tell why there is fighting and casualties sin the church, the reason for all the drama and bizarre behavior. This guy , this messenger of comfort has just come to comfort you. Woe to him if he can’t play ball. He’ll end up in Jericho with his beard half shaven and his backside exposed. Not my words, read the account. In short, humiliated to the point of dysfunction or redundancy.
Beloved, how do you deal with this, which is a form of suspicion in the ministry and in your own life?
You must have discernment. In other words, you must listen to the voice of The HOLY SPIRIT and do his bidding. You must surround yourself with people who are also listening to the voice of The HOLY SPIRIT our WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, otherwise they will mislead you and cause you to humiliate messengers filled with messages of comfort for you and you will start fighting battles that are not grounded and you and your people will pay the price. Everybody will pay the price somehow.
Just like in the narrative, the messengers had been sent with a message of comfort. A message of friendship and renewal but alas because of suspicion and lack of discernment, it all ended very badly for the people who David was trying to comfort.
Beloved, you are in ministry, think seriously about this incident and the narrative.
Ask yourself:
i) Did The MOST HIGH ever send you messengers of comfort?
ii) What did you do to them?
iii) Where are they?
iv) If you humiliated, shamed and embarrassed them do you think The MOST HIGH will send you others? Well, if I was The MOST HIGH, I would not, never ever! But you are blessed, I am not The MOST HIGH and HE is known to show mercy to whoever HE will show mercy and keep sending HIS messengers to advice, comfort and help you but you are too suspicious to be helped.
Read Luke 11:46-54 and Luke 20:9-18
v) Who are your advisors? Are they war mongers and discord bringers?
So, what to do now,
i. analyze your actions,
ii. confess your sins before The MOST HIGH
iii. do not do it again
iv. stop being suspicious of other children of GOD
v. ask for a double dose of discernment
vi. go to Jericho and remove the people you put there
vii. change your advisors and get HOLY SPIRIT filled people to surround you
All the best Beloved, The MOST HIGH will help you. Indeed, may HE help us steer clear of such tragicomedies, in JESUS NAME.AMEN
Do you want to know JESUS as your personal Lord and Savior? Your eternity is at stake! JESUS has opened the door of salvation to every person. But there is coming a day when the door will be closed. Today is the day of salvation. Choose to be in the family of GOD. JESUS died so that we can spend eternity in Heaven with HIM. Don't delay! And if you want to begin a relationship with GOD or resume a broken one, say this: O GOD, I come to YOU today. I know I am a sinner. I believe that JESUS died on the cross to save me and HE resurrected on the third day. I repent of my sins and forsake them. I confess JESUS as my LORD and SAVIOR . I invite JESUS into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank YOU JESUS for saving me and making me a child of GOD. Amen
