The Three Kings Book Review
The book depicts two ways of living. Saul and Absalom represent one while David represents another.
Saul is tall and admired by people. He reasons like most people of his time, which is to take matters into one’s own hands. One day, Saul felt threatened that he might lose his kingdom to David, and thus Saul throws spears at him. If David had reasoned like Saul, he might have just retaliated and thrown back the spear. In fact, the temptation was probably great. Many would urge David on: “When someone throws a spear at you, just throw it back. Show others that you are courageous, not a pushover!” But for David, it was all too clear that he, too, would end up like King Saul, vying for vengeance, eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, if he succumbed to his desires. Instead, David says the following: “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!” Here one can pause and ask, “Why did God allow David to go through all these trials?” Edwards, the author of this book, states that God was performing surgery to tear out the Saul inside David through King Saul. It almost cost the patient’s life, but without it, a person cannot be used by God. David knew and he was willing.
The story should comfort Christians who have been hurt by other Christians. The pain is more severe and bitter when Christians are harmed, deceived, attacked by other Christians who all profess to be one family in Jesus. But indeed, the church is not full of angels. It’s full of broken people slowly conforming to the image of Christ. There are countless stories of those who left their church due to conflicts, and to these people, Edwards writes. Yes, you may have come across another Saul at church, someone who is cursing and spreading false rumors about you. But are you any better? Look closely within yourself. Who do you see? Is it not another Saul?
The realization should humble those who thought themselves in the right and want to take revenge. That David did not respond in the way he wanted to yet just avoided the situation as if nothing happened should inspire us to lay down our own anger, and through the power of the holy spirit, overcome evil with good. The story points out that if we follow our own impulses of setting things right (instead of letting God put things to rights), we are no better than Saul and might become quite mad in years down the line.
“Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord. We are on this earth to walk, talk and act like Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less.
We are not here to judge others and their actions and label who is in the order of David or Saul. I pray that I can be watchful in our own actions and motivation and live out the life of King David, a man after God’s own heart.
