I For Ittai
An Unlikely Alliance
Sherlock Holmes had Watson, a complete mismatch.
David had Ittai the Gittite, one of the most unlikely friendships
ever.
NAME: “Timely”
DATE: 10th Century BC
IDENTIFICATIONS: Man from Gath who accompanied David in flight
STORY LINE: Ittai came to Jerusalem as Absalom drove David out
READ IT IN THE BIBLE: 2 Samuel 15:13-22; 18:1-5
Goliath of Gath was no match for the shepherd boy and his sling,
but when David became king, he had more giant-sized problems to deal with.
At one point, David's son Absalom rebelled against his father, and David
had to flee from Jerusalem. Among those who fled with him as Ittai the
Gittite.
When David saw that Ittai was in his entourage he suggested the
Gittite return to Jerusalem. No one would blame him if he did. Ittai
wasn't Jewish. He wasn't member of the king's household. Besides,
he had only arrived in Jerusalem the day before Absalom's rebellion. What
horrible timing.
But Ittai refused, saying that he wanted to go wherever David
went. The reason this alliance is so unlikely is that Ittai was a
Gittite. Do you know what you call natives of the city of Gath, where
Goliath lived? You guessed it. Gittites. After the rebellion was thwarted, David made
Ittai commander over one third of his armies.
This is one of the most unlikely alliances in history. Still,
it shows that it doesn't matter who you are, what your nationality or ethnic
background is, if you want to enjoy the blessing of God, you need to hang out
with the people of God.
Enjoy the fellowship of those whose skin color is different form
yours or whose denomination is different from yours. You may just
discover that one of your most faithful fiends will also be one of your
unlikely fiends.
—Dr. Woodrow Kroll
(Former President and Bible Teacher, Back to the Bible)
Source:
Back to the Bible Intl.
Dr. Woodrow Kroll
Confident Living Magazine
Pic. Credit: colourbox.com/ A to Z Blog Challenge 2014
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