The Tale of Three Kings written by Gene Edwards is a story about how two principles, obedience, and power, are combined in the kingdom of God. This book is intended for Christians who have been wounded by an authoritarian movement, are heartbroken by divisions in the Church, or have clashed with their brothers and sisters in the faith (Edwards 2011). This tale is for those who have experienced injustice and cruelty from church authority in their lives. Many performances have been staged based on n this story. The issues of power, vocation, and imposture are especially acute in the book. This is a simple and deep story that makes the readers think and gives answers to many questions.
The Tale of Three Kings consists of two parts. In part one, the readers meet a king named Saul and a young shepherd boy named David. In the second part, they meet the king and the young man again, but this time, they can recognize David in the old man, and Absalom in the young one. The book tells the story of David, who has become honored and respected after the murder of Goliath (Edwards 2011). When King Saul, who treats David only with insults and jealous contempt, tries to kill him, he escapes into a cave and becomes the reluctant leader of a group of criminals (Edwards 2011). When Saul is killed, David ascends the throne and becomes a king. He leads his people to peace and prosperity, but his son Absalom soon begins to find flaws in his father’s rule and tries to usurp him. Upon learning of his son’s plans, David resigns the throne without a fight, believing that Absalom’s reign is in line with God’s plan for the throne.
The author answers the question of what to do when such people as Saul rule the church. The author also advises on how to act when a loyal and devoted pastor has been working in the church for many years, but suddenly someone wants to undermine his authority and ministry (Edwards 2011). Gene Edwards illustrates with David’s example of what the reaction should be. The figure of King David is at the center of attention in this story. This is the tale about the suffering, nobility, and courage of David.
In this tale, the author writes about two different leadership styles—the serving leader acting like King David and the destructive leaders represented by Saul and Absalom. Gene Edwards believes that by obeying the rules of a destructive authority, people can never become leaders themselves. Toxic leaders usurp the throne, and nothing good can come from tolerating such a ruler. The most striking and worthy aspect of David’s leadership is that he did not strive to become a leader himself or to keep his authority till the end of his life (Edwards 2011). He considered that it was not his responsibility to take or maintain his leadership.
The Tale of Three Kings expresses the author’s concern for the multitude of embarrassed Christians and people with broken hearts who are often embittered. Many of them now are trying to find at least a fragile word of hope. It is a fascinating and wise tale based on the Biblical story of the first kings of Israel—David, Saul, and Absalom. It’s simple, but at the same time, an exciting plot can hardly leave anyone indifferent. In all corners of the Earth, people read it with great interest.
References
Edwards, G. (2011). A tale of three kings. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.