Good morning and welcome to this inter-denominational and indeed inter religious service. The topic of my exhortation today is "Woe to the Wicked Harlot" and my reading is taken from the Book of 1 Kings 3:16-28.
The First Book of Kings in the Old Testament begins with the declining strength of possibly the greatest King in the history of Israel, King David. Before his death, David gave some wise counsel to his son, Solomon who ultimately took his place and the King of Israel.
In Chapter 3 of the 1 Kings, Solomon did something that pleased the Lord greatly. After offering an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord, King Solomon was given a blank cheque to state what he wanted by God. In a move that pleasantly surprised the Lord, King Solomon asked for wisdom.
The Bible said that the Lord was so pleased with what Solomon had asked that He not only blessed Solomon with wisdom, but also gave him what he did not ask for, riches and honour so that they shall not arise any King like him, before and after him.
My message today is not about King Solomon or his predecessor, David. Rather the above was to provide context for the source of the wisdom that enabled Solomon to tackle one of the villains that he faced, the Wicked Harlot.
The Bible records in 1 Kings Chapter 3 vs 16 that one of the earliest cases that King Solomon was faced with was that of two harlots. These two women lived in the same house, and both were pregnant about the same time and gave birth to two children within 3 days of each other.
While the two harlots safely delivered their children, regrettably (but as sometimes the case in life) one child died while another child lived. Next came a dispute as to which of the harlots had the living child (claimed by both) and consequentially, who had the dead child.
At the prompting of the wise King Solomon, the harlot whose child had died, urged King Solomon to divide the living child into two and hand his corpse to both women. In other words, instead of my roommate to have a living child while mine is dead, let her child be killed.
The aspiration to lead the Nigerian Bar Association can be likened to a pregnancy. While different persons (or campaign teams) aspire to win election to the Presidency of the Association, only one person/team can succeed in delivering a living child while the opposing camp(s)...
... must of necessity lead to a miscarriage, a stillbirth or indeed a dead child, as was the case of the Wicked Harlot in 1 Kings Chapter 3.
What has transpired since the ECNBA declared the results of the 2020 NBA Election by declaring the winner of the election and by implication, the losers as well has been nothing short of extraordinary. But as the Bible also tells us, there is nothing new under the sun.
By design or default, for possibly the first time since the NBA was established, we heard about the formation of a splinter group under the appellation, New Nigerian Bar Association. While it was obvious to all the immediate cause of that venture, to the discerning mind...
... a group of people appear to have sworn to themselves that rather than allow the woman go home with her living child, they shall do everything possible to ensure that the living child is killed so that everyone can go home "equal".
After the NBA President reached out to all camps firstly through the content and tone of his inaugural address and also by immediately convening a meeting of leaders of the Northern Geopolitical Zone to address the perceived division in the Association, we thought it was uhuru.
When the news first filtered in that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation had amended certain provisions of the RPC, it first sounded like a joke until it didn't. The question of whether the amendment will stand or stand has been addressed by the NBA President...
... and indeed it is gratifying to hear that there are ongoing engagements between the NBA President and the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation. This is not intended to jeopardize that. Thus on this, I shall say no more. For now.
What is interesting is that the same group of persons (camps) who have demonstrated in words & conduct, in public and in private, that they won't rest until the living child is killed, have continued beating the drums of war. Elders who ordinarily ought to dish out wise counsel.
It is to this group that I shall say this day, "How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." He that has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying.
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