The “A Tale of Three Kings” Book by Gene Edwards

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Book Summary
Rationale for Writing the Book
Relevance to Personal Life
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Gene Edwards’ book A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness is based on the biblical stories of the kings of Israel, including Saul, David, and Absalom. The book is divided into two parts, the first details the experiences of King Saul and David while he was still a shepherd boy, while the second focuses on David as an enthroned king under the revolt of his son Absalom. Edwards (1992) uses a personal interpretation of the scripture to encourage people experiencing emotional pain inflicted by authoritarian groups. His message resonates well with that of Moore (2019), who states that the brokenness of people from failure, disappointment, and frustrations set them apart more to be used in impacting other people. Although people think their time of hardship has no positive impact, it is vital to not succumb to the weariness as God has a perfect plan to manifest through brokenness.

Book Summary

A Tale of Three Kings is a fictional retelling of the lives of the kings of Israel, Saul, David, and Absalom. The author gives a background of David, son of Jesse, the lastborn in his father’s household, who fights many solitary battles in the wilderness but his faith and trust in God are intact. David is anointed, but Saul is still the king of Israel, which makes him remain in the wilderness, shepherding and being a swingman who loves his Lord (Edwards, 1992).

He was anointed and slain Goliath, who had troubled the Israelites army for a long time, but his sorrows increased. Saul tried to kill him on several occasions. According to the Author, God had enrolled him to a school of brokenness in preparation for the kingly role that he would take. In the second part, David is now king, but his kingdom suffers a threat from his son Absalom. The rebellion of Absalom further drains David, who is unable to fight back and even mourns when his son dies.

The resounding theme in the book is God’s intention to use broken vessels to persevere through troubles and avoid hurting other people. Edward (1992) exemplifies David as a great leader whom all Christians should learn from when submitting to authority. David refused to touch the anointed king Saul even when he was wrong and wanted to kill him. The lesson in the second part is derived from the fact that David remained adamant despite Absalom’s rebellion. By resisting abusive leaders or usurping Christians wrongly depict the behavior of Saul and Absalom.

Rationale for Writing the Book

The book is about submission and leadership and is written for both Christian leaders and congregants. The leaders are encouraged to take in the example of David’s leadership of shepherding and caring for all people, including the rebellious ones like Absalom. In his dissertation, Thompson (2017) starts by giving a real-life experience and recognizes the strength in Edwards’s commendation not to “pick up the spears and throw them back,” (p.16).

Resisting the urge to fight back amidst unfair attacks is a tough task, especially when the leader has the resources at their disposal to avenge. Leaders can thrive among rebellious followers by trying to manage their expectations to avoid nasty surprises and cope with betrayals (Millikin, 2018). In response to what people can do during the phase of adversity, Edwards (1992) responds that there is very little other than allowing the passing of time, which will reveal the character of a leader matches David or Saul. Therefore, the leader has an obligation to continue nourishing the congregants and praying for them as time will heal and restore everything.

The author wrote the book for the many Christians who have been abused, manipulated, and emotionally injured by their spiritual leaders. In his dedication remarks, Edwards (1992) remarks that his writings are for believers who are brokenhearted and are seeking healing, solace, and hope. The book hopes to provide light, comfort, and clarity with the ultimate aim of restoring peace. Christians are encouraged to take the character of David and remain silent when the people established in authority by God inflict injuries. At the heart of his message is the recognition that Christians throughout the globe have been devastated by the evangelical authoritarian movement, but there is hope for restoration. Beach (2018) emphasize the reality of suffering as a Christian and states that many people are reluctant to talk about suffering. However, as David lamented in his psalms, Christians can pray to God, who gives strength to endure all trials.

Relevance to Personal Life

I can apply the lessons from the book to act right when going through suffering and disappointments. For instance, two years ago, we had a bible trivia competition organized by the Sunday school and youth teachers. I was excited and tried to read as much scripture as I could to pass the competition. On the day of the competition, I arrived a little late due to traffic but was just in time for the questioning to start. I assumed that since I was among the last people to arrive at the center, I would be called last. It turned out that I was among the first contestants and was called. I panicked and was obviously shaking, so I asked the judges to give me a second just to breathe in and stabilize, but he refused and proceeded to query me. Despite the anxieties, I gave many right responses but was disqualified because of the panic.

I was hurt by my church leader because he refused to allow me recollect myself and proceeded to remove me from the contest even when I was leading in terms of accuracy. Edwards (1992) writes that “David taught me losing, not winning. Giving, not taking,” (p.32). I can relate well to the statement because I lost that day. It was painful, given that I believed it was unfair. Nonetheless, I celebrated other people who won the contest that day. Moreover, I believe the experience taught me humility. Now that I have started taking leadership roles, I believe that my suffering was for the advantage of those that follow me.

Conclusion

Human suffering may be painful and not immediately give a reasonable lesson, but in time God uses the broken to establish his Agenda. Edwards’ book provides important insights on the topic of headship and submission. Through a fictionalized version of the Bible stories of Kings Saul, David, and Absalom, he shows the role of leaders and followers in the face of brokenness. Like David, it is vital not to fight back Gods anointed. Moreover, it is beneficial to learn not to avenge when the followers start to rebel.

References

Beach, D. R. (2018). Following the Man of Sorrows: A Theology of Suffering For Spiritual Formation.

Edwards, G. (1992). A tale of three kings: A study in brokenness. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers.

Millikin, R. (2018). Never Alone: Discovering the path to burnout avoidance. (Doctor of Ministry dissertation). Web.

Moore, J. D. (2019). The simple power of a broken life: The transformative impact of setbacks, disappointment, and pain. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Thompson, R. (2017). The study of brokenness as a critical success factor in the effective leadership of the pastor. (Doctor of Ministry dissertation). Web.

Click Here To Order Now!