This book tells the stories about the three kings of Israel, Saul, David and Absalom. Saul who considers David as a threat of his kingdom tried to kill him with jealousy for 10 years. Absalom betrayed his father to take the crown of David. David had learned the true brokenness and the sovereignty from God by the three kings. Throughout this book, I hope you to be admitted ‘School of the true brokenness’ by God.

David who praised the Lord in tears, suffering and sorrow

God chose the crazy king, Saul to break David’s ego. Saul was filled with the spirit of God. And he did wonders before. He, however, got crazier and being anxious about losing his own sovereignty.

David learned the incomprehensible ways of God through Saul who wanted to kill him. He left Saul silently when Saul tried to kill David. David did not split the kingdom, but just accepted the destiny. He didn’t resist but accepted the cruel circumstances. He quietly endured the severe trials alone. Through this, his ego in him was broken and his personality was transformed. He praised the Lord in tears, suffering and sorrow.

I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. (Psalm 142:1-3)

David didn’t fight back to Saul with throwing back him the spear, and also Absalom who tried to take David’s sovereignty down, but David just waited until God begins his work. He could have behaved like Saul but he did not choose to. He only sought the Lord’s will. In secular perspectives, David was a complete loser. However, he was bearing sufferings. The humility was about to born. The Lord removed Saul in David’s ego.. He learned obedience to God rather than own sovereignty and how to lose before God than how to win.

God wants the broken clay, which means the people who passed the suffering and know where the true sovereignty comes from. The true kingdom of God reigns onto the broken spirit. There is no format or hierarchy in the kingdom of God. Those who have broken spirit are the only citizens in the kingdom of God. The person who has true sovereignty from God would not be concerned even if his authority is taken away.

Obedience rather than authority, how to lose rather than how to win

David became the man after God’s heart for he was thoroughly trained in “The school of the true brokenness” founded by God. God got rid of David’s self desires and turned them to the heart that could yield the destiny of the kingdom to God. God made David confesses “The sovereignty belongs to you, Lord.. It is not what I could possess, protect and guard.”

An old man, one of the bravest soldiers of David, said

“I remember about my king David while we lived in the cave is surrender to God. Yes, My king never told me to obey himself. He rather taught how to lose than how to win and giving than taking. From him, I learned that suffering was not for people but for the leader. He guarded us from suffering and he didn’t let us to suffer He was not even afraid of betrayer, because he was concerned about his own sovereignty. We were just six hundreds of ordinary people who had a teary leader. That was all we had.”[GNPNEWS]

Park, Hee Young, Missionary