Isaiah Roman

Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

The incident from which this proverb is derived (if there actually was one) has been obscured in antiquity. As time passes this model has reoccurred in many instances. Needless to say, it is a lesson that has been taught to every generation, in many different cultures. It is always pronounced as a proverb, in retrospect, as a warning to the wise to consider for their future prosperity. It compares favorably to the “camel’s nose in the tent of the bedouin” in the middle eastern culture. Mind the details. Check your corners.

As a student of history it is awesome how – more often than not – a very small, seemingly insignificant incident causes great kingdoms to topple. They fall, sending out tremendous reverberations; great waves of misfortune that inundate the entire world.1 For instance: the “charge of the light brigade” at Balaclava in the Crimean war has been suggested to have begun by the sting of a lowly horsefly, not a proper military command.

“The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.” – Isaiah 57:1 This is the measure of divine providence, and a witness of God’s omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence.

A seemingly inconsequential person dies an accidental death, in an insignificant place, in some unknown corner of the world. An influential official is called to the funeral because it is someone he loves or greatly admires. While that man is absent from his duties a critical decision point arises. Because he is not present during the decision process his wisdom is not added to the solution. From this policy is made and plans are implemented. The decision leads to a disaster, in turn causing a domino effect. The world is changed for ever.

There are world changing events in every generation. In my generation there have been at least three major world changing events. As time draws nearer to the fulfillment of God’s plan of creation these events increase. Mankind’s self destruction will lead to a divine reconciliation of all things recorded in scripture.

Often God is sought in prayer to solve or remedy a catastrophe. Since God is so great it seems he must employ a spectacular solution to the prayer, or at least many people believe he will. Sometimes is seems as though God must employ massive, atomic explosion sized events as a reaction to great calamities in order for men to believe that is was God who acted in the circumstance. More often than not, in order to show His love and power to prove himself, He uses an insignificant person, place, or thing. He often uses something so unexpected that there is no doubt who He is.

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem” (II Samuel 11:1).

Apparently on the basis of a whim or caprice King David allowed something trivial to alter his concentration and “he tarried at Jerusalem” while his armies were occupied in the field on a serious matter.

“It came to pass in an evening tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.”

Whether by design, from a previous encounter or purely by accident the king went up to the upper level of his palace a second trivial event took place. Influenced by a moment of desire the king pondered upon his situation and upon a whim and took the following action.

David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

Having reached this point in departure into untoward action David took it into his mind to cover up his indiscretion with deceit.

“David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.”

There followed another series of events to continue the deceit; but, all efforts failed. The situation was a serious breach of the law of God and instead of confession and repentance to allow God’s Spirit to correct the situation the king took further ill advised action.

“It came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Having begun a web of subterfuge, the king added murder to adultery and took the woman to be his wife in an effort to further cover his sin. The entire story may be seen in Chapter 11 & 12 of the book or II Samuel.

Chapter eleven of II Samuel ends with the words, “the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.” This part of the story ends with the following verse, “because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.”

Thus far lust entered, human nature overcame the king and murder followed adultery; an innocent man was murdered which was followed by an innocent child’s death but the story is not over.

Following this story King David’s third son Absalom attempted an overthrow of his father’s throne.2 He conspired to ingratiate himself in the hearts of the Jewish people and effect a change of administration in Israel. It seemed at first that it would succeed; but, the best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray. There was another series of incidents in the life of David that seemed to override both David and Absalom’s choices and actions.

Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom” (II Samuel 15:12).

The scriptures here begin to reveal a strange series of events. Why should Absalom choose Ahithophel to participate in his conspiracy? How was Abasalom able to influence him to betray his king?

A check of the records of genealogy of Ahithophel will reveal the identity of Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah the Hittite) and will give the student of scripture an interesting clue. This will lead to a discovery few pastors notice. Ahithophel is the grandfather of Bathsheba. Perhaps he had a personal axe to grind3 where David was concerned.
Through the intervention of God through David another advisor to the king was sent to overthrow the counsel of Ahithophel and thwart the plans of Absalom. Absalom was defeated and killed, after a time of civil strife David was returned to the throne. Solomon was born to succeed David and built a temple, a“place for His [God’s] name” in Jerusalem. The Temple was the place where God came to abide among the people.4

“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow” is an old proverb. A chance stroll on his castle roof had long and far reaching effects on things both great and small in the history of Israel and the world. It became the place of fulfillment of prophecy in the raising up Him of whom it is recorded “He that willl save His people,” God’s Messiah Jeshuah Ha’amashia (Jesus Christ).

Most students of the Bible will agree that God is able to use things both large and small to prove Himself to His people. It is suggested here that God uses the small things to show his greatest power that all doubt may be removed as to Who He Is.

“Behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. (I Kings 19:11-13).

It is “the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes” (Song of Solomon 2:15).

“…there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few” (I Samuel 14:6).

1. “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (I Corinthians 1:27).
2. This is a branch out of the evil root of adultery few seem to notice. “Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun” (II Samuel 12:11)
3. “Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong” (II Samuel 16:21)
4. “…the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually” (I Kings 9:3).