[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during June 2025]
And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the Lord has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.”
2 Samuel 18 v31 [ESVUK]
We live in an age of instant news, some reports can be verified whilst other material seems to be speculative. What should we believe? Do we have time to check what we hear?
One thing these news reports have in common is the intention to elicit an instant response: shock, horror, disgust, pleasure, joy, delight; anything but indifference. Yet the torrent of news is such that we are indeed likely to become indifferent. Is that why bad news is often considered more newsworthy than good news?
In around 972BC Absalom led a rebellion against his father, King David. During the ensuing civil war Absalom was killed. In reporting the death of Absalom, the Cushite messenger was bringing news that he thought would be well-received. In the event, David was extremely distressed by what he heard and went into a period of intense mourning.
Earlier, in 1070BC, Israel was, not for the first or last time, at war with its neighbours. Israel was defeated in that fight and the report of the battle states that they lost 30,000 soldiers.[1] The high priest at that time was Eli and he enquired about the progress of the battle.
The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured.”
1 Samuel 4 v17 [NIVUK]
The impact of this news resulted in the death of Eli and also his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Phinehas. The capture of the Ark of God was a national disaster for the people of Israel.
At the core of the Christian faith is the story of another father who endured the death of his son.
How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss – the Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One bring many sons to glory.
Stuart Townend (1995)
Strictly speaking, news is only ‘news’ if we have not heard it before but sometimes we have to be told several tines before we understand the full impact of what we are hearing. We need to echo the request of the hymn-writer: Tell me the story often for I forget so soon.[2]
In contrast to the deaths of Absalom and Eli’s sons, the death of Jesus is good news that we should be sharing. Are you a bearer of good news?
References:
[1] 1 Samuel 4:10
[2] “Tell me the old, old story” Kate Hankey, 1866
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Last week’s reflection: Dilemmas, or Just Decisions?
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys
Steve it is all too often that the national news is bad and depressing and there is little to cheer us. We pray that those in power
will consider carefully how to lead their country.