David in Epic Presentation

By Godwin Okwandu

No one will study the book of Psalms without coming in contact with David as a great poet. Its location at the center of the scriptures suggests its underlying importance. In the words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge a great English Romantic poet and a friend to William Wordsworth, he defined Poetry as “the best words in best order”, David’s poetic contribution to the Bible spices the scriptures in such a way that the “air nimbly recommends itself unto our gentle senses”.

This book enchants every reader to its tasteful attraction of verses and poetic structures to present an attitude to the magnificent life and times of King David – shepherd, musician, father, warrior, leader, and more. It is therefore of immense value to poetize this poet. This is why the author of “David in Epic Presentation” took time to gracefully drive David to the poetic world to which he handsomely belongs. See how the author paints a picture about David’s men as they sorrowfully moved out of Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion.

“If you imagine the flowing tears of David’s men

And the sorrowful throbbing like music their hearts did beat

You would then see Zambia in nature’s gain

Flowing or murmuring as great Victoria Falls can be.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973693109

Godwin Okwandu

Godwin Ogumka Okwandu is a graduate of the prestigious Panjab University, Chandigarh, India at their bachelors’ level with honours in Public Administration. He has an overwhelming aptitude for poetry which started during his primary school days. A born-again Christian who had his Theological training at Rivers Bible College now Pentecostal Theological Seminary, Portharcourt, Nigeria. He presently leads a Christian outreach ministry. He is married to Comfort Okwandu and the marriage is blessed with three children.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Godwin Okwandu.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

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except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher

make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book

and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9309-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9308-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9310-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020910011

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/24/2020

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgement

Dedication

The Connection

This Poetry

PART ONE

David, a Shepherd boy

David, the anointed

Encounter with Goliath

David’s covenant with Jonathan

Saul’s attempts at David’s life

The wickedness of Doeg

PART TWO

Philistia

David, a wanderer

David’s Family life

The witch at Endor

The tragic end of Saul

Joab, Asahel and Abner

PART THREE

The death of Uzzah

The Ark

Syria, Edom and Lodebar

David marries Bathsheba

Tamar’s Trauma

Absalom’s rebellion

David’s last years

Foreword

One would not be far from the trust to posit that David was to be the first King of Israel (in God’s eternal plan). When Israel as a nation demanded to have their own King, David was still a small boy.

A trace of the anointing of Saul as a King, his activities and his manner of exit from the throne and subsequently from existence clearly shows that he was not the God’s original man for the throne.

In God’s plan, there is always a David, the King in making. Those who long for good governance must wait for God’s time. After King Saul failed, the shepherd-boy was anointed King. David who was anointed as King at a tender age became one at the age of thirty (30).

Unlike King Saul (David’s predecessor) David’s activities, even mistakes, sacrifices, standard and death show that God prepared him before he ascended the throne of Israel.

In this poetic literature, Godwin Okwandu x-rays the life, anointing, hazards, enthronement, functions, battles, victories, hand over note and exit of the King that became an institute in the field of governance. This work spans between David’s humble beginning and triumphant end.

Okwandu took his time to paint a literary picture that reflects God’s dealings with leaders.

A careful reader of this material would access substance that would help him in the journey of life. I recommend this book to everybody who has anything to do with God and his colourful destiny.

Relax and enjoy a gift from one like you in poetry form.

Rev. Israel Agwu Ngele.

(Apostle of Destiny)

District Superintendent,

Aba Central District,

Assemblies of God, Nigeria.

Preface

The life of King David in the Bible is one that many people cherish. He was introduced to us as a boy in the bush rearing his father’s sheep. Suddenly an elevation of status came to him from God through the service of the prophet of the land whose name was Samuel.

God began to use him to do extraordinary things till he was enthroned the King of Israel.

David who appeared to be the greatest and best King of Israel wrote many songs or Psalms as his musical talent demanded. A careful study of the life of David from the bush to the palace will furnish us with comprehensive information about the Christian race from obscurity to popularity, things to strive for and things to avoid, friends to keep and those to skip, duties to perform and those to reform, the character to mould and uphold or to loathe and un-hold.

These credentials of David are encapsulated in this poem considered to be an epic - a long poem on a hero. This poem sings or attempts to sing David from start to finish.

You will have much to enjoy as benefits from the conveyance of the messages about the life of this hero – King David. This poetic or prose-poetic compendium cuts across one’s environs and will assuredly make an indelible impression in your life.

Acknowledgement

Many people affected my life towards the publication of this book. To such people, I say, Thank you. Specifically I thank my wife, Comfort Okwandu for the injection of her ideas that helped me tremendously. Our Children, Freedom, Godson and Joy helped me in the necessary connections and very valuable services, to them, I am grateful. I appreciate the encouragement of Elder Charles Dike and Bro. Martin Adiele, all of Assemblies of God Church (Shalom Assembly) Umungasi, Aba who read through some of the stanzas of this poem and wished the book be published. I cannot forget Rev. Dr. David Aja, a lecturer in Rivers Bible College whose name launched me into the writing of this book. I thank my spiritual leader, Rev. Israel Agwu Ngele, the District Superintendent of Aba Central District of Assemblies of God, Nigeria. I thank all the members of my evangelical team for holding up my hands in prayer.

Dedication

1. To God who gave me the words that made the lines that made the stanzas of this poem.

2. To the Christian literary community commissioned to change the world through their pen.

3. To my theological Alma Matter, Pentecostal Theological Seminary, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. (Former Rivers Bible College) from which environment this unction came.

4. To my spouse, Comfort Okwandu, with whom I have weathered the storms of life for over 30 years now.

The Connection

The lines are fallen unto me

In pleasant places,

Yea, I have a goodly heritage.

PS.16:6 (KJV)

This Poetry

First, it was an endowment,

Psyched by divine agents,

Perused the Elizabethans and the Classicals,

In love with the Modern,

Metred by demands contemporary,

And admittedly portrayed in form, elementary.

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PART

ONE

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David, a Shepherd boy

David%20A%20Shepherd%20Boy.jpg

"The anointed of the God of Jacob,

The sweet psalmist of Israel."

The harpist of King Saul,

The ruddy boy with a sling

Describe Jesse’s shepherd son,

Who would later be King,

Of a nation second to none.

In the sight of God, the King of all.

Jesse gave him this name

By accident or by design—

Touching his innermost being,

That a beloved was truly born.

What meanest thee, David?

A name the Creator smiles,

A name generations still buy.

Yet a name worth naming.

Still the