You Too?
(When Fear Grips a Man of God)
“That is not possible.”
Are you sure it is the same David I know too well?”
Yes, it’s the same tradition-defying and “invincible” David I am talking about – the one who killed Goliath and cut off his neck, with the very sword of the giant himself.
You should bear with the women. They had seen men of war but this one was too much for his generation! When a boy does what adults cannot, even the adults’ revere him. This was definitely the one the nation had been waiting for. Trust the women, they fell in love instantly and sang it loud.
In I Samuel 17, Goliath had boasted for 40 days, unchallenged. Israel beat a retreat whenever he showed up. All the men of war in the camp of Israel were humble enough to know that “wisdom is the principal thing” (Proverbs 4: 7). The same way we look for a convenient verse of scripture to excuse unbelief in the Word from the Almighty Father who is a Man of War!
Then things took a dramatic turn and it hit Saul that David, not Jonathan, was next in line for the throne. The only way he knew to prevent the inevitable was to kill the dream. In the twinkle of an eye, the same Saul who was saved from humiliation by this boy David turned round in an all-out hunt to stop David from realizing his destiny. He forgot how he was picked up from nowhere to become a king.
But the story had changed. 1 Samuel 21: 10 tell us that David fled for the fear of Saul. Incredible! Which Saul? That was Fear Part 1. In running away from Saul, David went to Achish the king of Gath. Then some servants of that king who knew David by reputation as the giant killer announced his credentials to Achish and Fear Part 2 set in! Aware that Achish may be too willing to make Saul’s mission easier, David – just two verses away became “sore afraid” of Achish. The bold David we know became feeble. He did what he never tried before and pretended to be mad, so well that after scratching the door of the gate and allowing saliva to drip from his soon-to-be royal mouth – convinced Achish that his reputation was a fluke. David was after all a man after God’s heart!
You may be wondering why that great David you are familiar with in ministry betrayed some weakness on that occasion. Don’t look too far, miracle workers, men of God, prophets and great evangelists are flesh and blood. They get rattled, sometimes overwhelmed and are occasionally gripped (even briefly) by fear as men of “like passions” (James 5: 17).
The next time you are tempted to deify man because of what you are seeing or been told, just remember that God alone equips men for signs and wonders. Without the Holy Spirit, every man is mere clay!
By, Nosa Owens-Ibie
September 1, 2011.
JEZEBEL
(A Peep into a Future Compromised)
Picture Jezebel. She must have been beautiful and distinguished by features which recommended her to Ahab. Kings, as you know, do not marry just anyone. They go for the best. Now, that was only a part of the picture.
In scripture, and apart from other perspectives to a life which could like that of Esther, have been dedicated to a noble cause, Jezebel was at least two things. She was a personality and represented a tendency.
In 1 Kings 19: 1-3, we see Jezebel the woman, wife and queen showing herself as the hawk behind the throne. Ahab the king and his backbone – the Baal prophets, had been worsted on Mount Carmel. Not one, two or three, but 450 of them were slain after the fire of the Lord fell to consume Elijah’s sacrifice. It was the climax of a long running battle. It had become important for God through his servant to prove Himself as the almighty before His people Israel, again!
Sure, you’ll ask yourself, “just what manner of people are these Israelites, what more did they want God to do for them before acknowledging Him for whom He is?”
Well, that is another matter. The challenge is not to see Jezebel as that wicked woman, but to clear yourself of any charge of being a Jezebel yourself.
And so Jezebel showed who was in charge, promising to serve Elijah as dinner to the vultures. Verse 3 of 1 Kings 19, tells us that the same man who called down the fire, fled for his life. Why? Well, talk about fear, but work to make it to heaven so you can ask Elijah further questions. Have you forgotten so soon that the same Jezebel had in 1 Kings 18: 4, “cut off the prophets of the Lord…”? In chapter 19:3, the Bible quotes Jezebel as promising to murder Elijah!
So, this woman stood for evil and was anti-God and anti-the people of God. Why? Well, in these matters, like Mathew 6: 24, there is no middle ground: you are either for God or against Him. She was not ashamed of her master – the devil. Unlike our attempt today to maintain a balance, there is nothing like serving God and mammon. That should explain why Revelations 2: 20, takes us to the second point of Jezebel as a tendency. There we are told about the woman as a pretender, a demon in sheep’s clothing, a seducer and a serpent, leading those genuinely seeking God astray. Yes, she was high up in the church hierarchy; she was a prophetess and teacher. Wow. Don’t look too far friends. Apart from the church in Thyatira referred to here, is there a church where this Jezebel tendency is absent today? Jezebel was clearly a future wasted, a potential aborted, and a gift thrown to the dogs.
The questions are: Are you innocent? Is there anything in you that makes Jezebel your pal? Is there anything in your life separating you from the love of God right now?
Folks, the standard of God remains; the road to heaven is still narrow. It doesn’t admit excess luggage, like aircrafts. 2 Corinthians 5: 17 say in Jesus you are a new creature.
Is somebody listening? Hello…
By, Nosa Owens-Ibie
November 21, 2005.
