Turning The Tables-Part 2 Series

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).