“God Bless You!”

“God Bless You!”
Sacral leadership is an aged old tradition that was practiced is many parts of the world. When the missionaries came to Africa this dual responsibility of a sacral ruler serving as both king and priest was demonised to a certain level.
Concerning a Christian becoming a chief, the Basel Mission Consitution of 1935 (Mungaka version) states, “if chieftaincy means ancestral veneration, involving in traditional medicine, being a polygynist, or to do such things as ordinary people do, then a Christian should not be made a chief. If the traditional authorities agree that one abandon such things as above, then a Christian can become chief…Therefore if a Christian becomes chief, fellow Christians should intercede for their chief so that he shouldn’t fall into Satan’s trap…”(Art.200, p68-69, translation mine).
I remember that the other day when I mentioned in a WhatsApp forum that I was a subchief, some people were aghast; until I told them I was a modernised subchief.
However a king/priest is as old as biblical Genesis. After rescuing his nephew Lot from his enemies, Abram was received by the king of Sodom. “Melchizedek, king of Salem” brought bread and wine to entertain Abram. Melchizedek was also “priest of God Most High….” He pronounced a blessing on Abram and also blessed God for blessing Abram.
It was then that Abram gave him a tithe of the spoils of war. The king of Sodom didn’t want the rest of the spoils of war that was given him, he wanted Abram to keep the majority booty. Abram refused to take “not even a thread” so that the king should not one day say, “I made Abram rich…”(Gen.14:17-25).
In later days, even though Jesus Christ is descended from David, we are told that he is a priest “in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron…”(Heb.7:11ff).
Abram was a model who didn’t see the need of frolicking, dining and wining with the state because this could warp up his judgment of being critical of wrong state policies. Perhaps the same critical detachment that is expected of today’s messengers of the gospel.
Above all Abram knew he was blessed by God and so to accept the gifts of the king of Sodom was to remain indebted and even enslaved by the king who could always remind him, “Abram, remember I made you what you are today, so don’t mess with me!”
Table manners demand that you don’t speak while eating, so if your mouth is full while at the king’s table it will be difficult to object to anything wrong he does! Therefore, it is good to copy Abram’s example. Don’t let the king’s largesse blind your prophetic voice. Your blessings come from God and not man!
Prayer of the week: Holy Spirit lead npme to recognise that my blessings come only from you. Amen!
Welcome back from Women’s day celebration. Have a blessed day and week! Peace be with you!