Meet my friend, the Official Bastard

You must have heard of the word -bastard before, but most likely you have not been called by the name except if you grew up from my area where the name is used for stubborn boys. Dictionary defines it as someone who is born out of wedlock or someone considered as an illegitimate descendant and that is the exact description for this friend of mine.

I met him some years ago while I was trying to figure out somethings in my hostel in 300L. His story touched me deeply as I saw how God could be so interested in some of the people we consider terrible in our society. His dad was a wealthy and influential man. You can also consider him to be famous during his time. Married with seven sons and hundreds of sheep which was the lucrative business in his area. Everyone considered him a fulfilled man which made them respect him.

One day, he embarked on a journey to see his friend who lived in a nearby town. In the cool of the day, he sat outside the house with his friend and they were talking about the happenings in town. It was the time of war and they have been involved in several. While the two men were having this discussion, a woman passed by, greeting them mildly. His eyes went wild with lust as he inquired from his friend who the woman was. "Ohh, don't bother yourself, she is married and even has children that are as old as your sons at home", his friend replied.

He wasn't satisfied with his friend's reply and he pestered him for more information. After a while, he got to know that the woman is a widow. He went in unto her after he had made several promises which he never meant. After his escapade, he returned back home without saying a word to anyone.

Few years later, his nap was interrupted by the arrival of a guest he was not expecting. It was his friend who lives in the town nearby and a small boy. "What a surprise", he said to his friend who wasn't looking happy. His friend told him about the woman he had met during his last visit and what happened between them didn't end after the visit.

He pointed at my friend, who was just 3 years old and said " that is your son". The mother is not willing to continue taking care of him because her late husband's family are threathening her. "This is a disaster!", he thought. His wife and sons almost became mad with anger as the discovered that their father have not been faithful, but they had no choice than to accept him as a member of the family, however the name bastard was my friend's second name.

Although, he is a son, he never got the honour of a son. He was treated like a waste; his place was almost the place of a slave. His mother was not available, his father could not play his role in his life. My friend was an official bastard. When the family had important functions, he was not allowed into the gathering. His place was outside the courtyard.

During this time, the Seer of the land was told by the God of the land to anoint another person as king in place of the current king who had gone astray. My friend's dad family was chosen to present the king. His dad was confident. Seven sons with well built bodies and good looking faces will surely make him a king's father. He gave them new clothes and made them do some exercise hours before the Seer would arrive in his house so as to bring out the full stretch of their muscles. He spent a fortune on some ancient fine perfume to make sure that the Seer does not get irritated by any form of odour from his sons.

Ecstatic would be a perfect description for his mood as he welcomed the most reverenced man in the whole land into his house. He began to shower praises on the seer immediately he saw him afar off. He sent a message to his sons to prepare for the greatest day of their lives because one of them was going to be anointed as king in a matter of hours.

The Seer didn't seem to have luxury of time as he immediately ordered that the sons should file out and walk before him. The sight of the eldest son brought a wide grin to the Seer's face as he was confident that God would definitely choose him. He is tall, just like the present king. His face radiates confidence; the army will have no problem obeying him. "This must be the choice of the Lord", he thought. As he was about to bring out his jar of oil, he heard a voice from God telling him to put it back because he has rejected this son. All the sons passed and he rejected all of them.

The Seer sat down feeling dejected as he was wondering if he heard a wrong house from the Lord. My friend's father was sweating all over as he came towards the Seer to plead with him to examine the sons again, but instead of going over again, the Seer asked if he had any other son. His reply was straight and sharp: "No". The Seer asked to be alone for a while, so he was taken to a room. He began to ask the Lord about the situation on ground and the Lord answered him that there remains another son!

He came out furious as he shouted at my dad's friend: " do you still have another son?" With stammering lips, he answered yes! "Bring him right now and we will not sit until he gets here", the Seer thundered. The seven sons began to wonder and began to ask themselves: " Is he going to make a bastard the king of the land?" "Is he going to make someone who is not worthy to be king over us?" The eldest decided to make it known to the Seer that the last son is a bastard. "So?" was the answer he got from the Seer who was already agitated.

My friend who was 17 years old at that time was watching over the flocks of his father in the wilderness when he got the message that he was being summoned to come home immediately. He didn't know what was happening, but he was confident that he would overcome whatever he meets on his way. As the Seer saw him coming, the Lord said to him "Arise and anoint him as king".

Am sure you know the name of my friend. He was rejected and called unworthy. Even his family didn't associate with him because he was an official bastard! Yet the Lord chose him when there were many other sons.

Beloved, if your story is similar to that of my friend, David; you have been called unworthy and you cannot sit with them in the accepted places of worship, you can have been called an outcast because of the things you have done, then the Lord is looking for you. Maybe you have been told that He is looking for you to give you some lashes as you have not been a good boy or girl. They lied! He is actually looking for you and it's because He wants to make you His own: blessed and accepted. Rejoice at this call and run to Him!