By Sidharth Mohandas

In the first book of Kings we read about an incident where Adonijah, son of David who was born to Haggith, usurped the throne of David without David’s knowledge. However, David had promised the throne to Bathsheba’s son Solomon. Friends, have you faced similar circumstances? As I was reading this passage many weeks back, the Lord showed me some principles or rather the way things work in the spiritual. Here they are:

(1) “Go into King David…” [1 Kings 1:13]

When you and I face any problem irrespective of the measure of it, our first response must be to GO INTO THE THRONE ROOM.

(2) “Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the King” [1 Kings 1:16a]

Humble yourself before the King- remove every grain of sin that would hinder you from His full attention. Get ready to see His face.

(3) “What is it you want?” [1 Kings 1:16b]

When we present ourselves to Him by humbling ourselves, the King will show His readiness to help.

(4) “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant” [1 Kings 1:17]

Here’s a place where most Christians fail: Take His Word of promise before Him concerning the area that you are seeking Him for. The problem with many Christians is they do not know the constitution of their Kingdom or in other words they don’t know their rights. “Probably it isn’t God’s will that I be saved.”, “May be it isn’t His will to heal me”, “God’s will must be that I live a poor and wretched life”…Know what He has said and don’t doubt it! Every problem that comes our way is not God’s will. We are instruments of God appointed by God to bring His will on this earth as it is in heaven. We are ambassadors of the kingdom called heaven. Know your rights in His Kingdom! Stop talking as though we serve a helpless God who is waiting to bring disaster upon us! I tell you again, know the Word of God and take His Words to Him in prayer.

(5) The king then took an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives…”

Now you will understand why taking His Word to Him is important. We read in Hebrews 6:17,

By Sidharth Mohandas

According to God’s prophetic word that came through Balaam we realize that “a ruler would come out of Jacob” [Numbers 24:19]. We are also told that this King would come out of David’s line and that His reign would be eternal. We all know that this King and ruler is none other than Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah.

Now, David’s throne was promised to Solomon, but somewhere down along the line from Solomon something happens that makes it look as though there would be no more heirs to this throne. This judgment came to a King by the name Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim.

This is what the Lord says:“Record this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah” [Jeremiah 22:30]

What a strong judgment and an irreversible one! However, the Scripture records this man’s name in Jesus’ Genealogy: “and Josiah begets Jehoiachin…” [Matthew 1:11; Josiah was Jehoiachins grand father]. Then how is it possible that Jesus became an heir to the throne, if God said none of Jehoiachins offspring would sit on David’s throne?

Here’s the paradox: The throne has to come through David, but according to the word of the Lord it should not be through Jehoiachin, and yet we see Jehoiachins name in the Genealogy in the first chapter of Matthew.

I brought you till here to make you think… Before it dawns on you, have you ever compared the genealogies given in Matthew 1 and Luke 3? You’ll find that these genealogies are different and yet they are given as the genealogy of Joseph. I think I got you thinking again…For them that do not know, Luke 3 is not Joseph’s genealogy but is Mary’s genealogy. Now how is that? Well, you’ll have to be Jewish to understand that: according to their tradition they never mention the genealogies of women. And if they do, they are mentioned after their husband’s name. I’m sure the picture gets clear here. Jesus became the heir of the David’s throne through another of David’s son by the name Nathan, from whom Mary descended. And since Jesus was born to Mary and not to Joseph, he was rightfully an heir to the throne. God in His wisdom brought Jesus to the throne without having him go through Jehoiachin, but then being the first born to Joseph’s wife, he was also an heir to the promised throne that was passed down from David to Solomon.

My friend, Shibu and my Mom were constantly ministering to me through text messages and calls. These played a major role in my deliverance, which I will talk about towards the end.

In my life the Lord has used Simon’s life countless times to encourage me to press on forward to reach the mark. Simon reminds me of myself. And this message is a message for the “Simon’s” around the world:

When Jesus first met with Simon, He looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter) [John 1: 42]

The name “Simon” means “unstable”, while the name “Cephas” is the Aramaic for “rock”. Jesus was in fact saying, “You are unstable, but you shall be stable as a rock”. And through out Simon’s life, my friends, God was determined in building Simon to Cephas, and He never gave up.

We all know how Simon said he’d stand for the Lord and was even ready to go to the prison with Him, but when the hour of trial came he failed the Lord by denying that he knew Him, even three times. Now beloved, three is a number that symbolizes “complete personality”. Man’s personality is triune, God’s personality is triune. Man would be incomplete if he didn’t have one of the three faculties: the spirit, soul and the body. The same way, God is incomplete without the trinity: Father, Son and the Spirit. The spiritual implication I draw from this is that Simon’s personality was totally messed up. I don’t know about you, but my personality is very unstable, not trust worthy, quick to speak and slow to perform. Do you know what Jesus did when Simon denied knowing Him three times? The Bible says in Luke 22:61, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter”. Do you think that look was a look of condemnation? No, my friend, it was a look that said, “Peter, I still love you”.

Peter wept bitterly, he felt condemned and upset with himself. Though Peter saw the unstable “Simon”, Jesus saw the “Peter” that would come out of him.

After Jesus’ crucifixion and his resurrection, the women who went to Jesus’ tomb saw two angels in there who delivered the message that the Jesus who was crucified had risen. But notice what they go onto say… “But go, tell his disciples AND PETER…” [Mark 16: 7]. Those two words speak volumes. Beloved, God has never given up on anything He has started. And He is not ready to give up on you either.

Later Jesus makes breakfast for his disciples and when they finished eating, Jesus asks Simon three times, ‘Simon son of John, do you love Me?”. And Peter’s reply all the three times was “Lord, you know that I love You”. I want to point out here that the Greek word Jesus used here for love was “Agape” which means “unconditional, divine love”, while the word Peter used for love was “Phileo” which in Greek is “natural affection or human love” [which is unstable]. Peter was still thinking about his “Phileo” love while Jesus was speaking of supernatural love. Peter thought his love for the Lord would make him stand, but where Peter’s “phileo” love failed, God’s “agape” love won! Hallelu-Yah!

When Simon received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, a remarkable change occurred in his life. Some people might think Simon became all perfect after this. But that’s not true. Simon did have weaknesses and did fail to be all that the Lord wanted him to be. Here’s an example from Paul’s epistle: