In pursuit of Dominion

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

I believe that part of heaven's strategy for the creation of great men is found in the beginning in what we refer to as the creation story. 

One of the original man's initial tasks is to name the animals that he has been out in charge of. It is a simple task but that calls for observation and the ability to link what you see and what you assign. 

So he gains mastery over his environment by a set of multiple acts of naming. So take time do define for yourself your circumstances. Give yourself time to inquire about what names you may have acquired in your life on earth. What do these names say about your failures? Have you become too lenient with yourself in matters of truth. Are you like the son of Abraham true to your name to the extent that even the Angel calls you supplanter?  Has your reputation gone before you and ruined everything you touch? 

Genesis 25:26

And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Genesis 27:36

And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times:he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

Genesis 32:28

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Think of your situation as your assignment and then carefully begin to give a name to those things which at the start you may find puzzling. This will be your first act of mastery. No matter how strong and scary the people or things that you meet, your ability to define is also an ability to confine and restrict. This is your key to mastering those things that concern you. It is your job.

Subdue and dominate the earth. That is what you are here for! 

A motley crew of priests and Kings

One of the ideas that emerges from the study of the old testament is that of the merger between two very separate and distinctive offices. That of the priest and the King. You could see some of this order in the first few books as the people of God moved from captivity into liberation. Those who were responsible for putting up the tabernacle and those whose task it was to minister before the Lord. 

As these functions developed and as the people faced challenges and grew, you begin to see the tribes take on roles of their own and the ancient prophecies and blessings of the Fathers become more evident. There were also some characters that arrived at a time of need such as the judges who really were an amalgamation of all these roles. Samuel is an interesting example of this. The book of judges is also filled with these expressions. 

At times it seems as though these offices were in conflict with each other. You get the sense that many times prophecy was going to go either way. When you read the story of David, you get little glimpses of this. David also probably knew this and maybe this is why he was so cautious when dealing with Saul his predecessor. 

There is an emergence of this theme too in the life of Jesus when he begins to take on Kingly and Priestly roles. Now that's fine but it gets complicated when we find out that the people of God in these last days will be referred to as priests and kings. 

Revelation 1:6

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:10

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests:and we shall reign on the earth.

In Uganda, there is a strange knowledge about the workings of the supernatural a list of do's and don'ts regarding sacred things and non sacred things. We are aware of what we can and cannot touch. In the villages, there are certain cases that are quickly referred to the 'a broad term used in reference to healers, practitioners and masters of the darker arts. They are said to have the ability to catch thieves, find items that fall into the category of abominations like horns (amayembe) which are known to have the ability to 'kyankalanya' (disrupt, destroy and disorganized) whole villages. This they often so with a mixture of sacrifices often innocent members of the fowl species, as well as a mix of herbs and logs which are burnt in an effort to reveal ills and remedies. 

So the idea of priests is not foreign and some of the roles are still the same. 

We have in some respects expressions of the same in the Catholic Church which through a set of complex rules has been able to preserve the priesthood and the keys from Peter (and the interpretation they use of him as the Rock) right to the present day. In a succession of priests and popes, and cardinals and the seat in the Holy See. 

We see in this same group the same idea of intercession and ministry and an office that is designed to stand between people and the God. 

Some if this began to change when conflicts rose between the church of England and the Catholic church. What we saw then was a time when the Vatican was seen to overreach in the life of Henry who in this one conflict transformed the role of the king and merged it with that of the priesthood. 

In the present day, I find some interesting expressions of similar ideas in many of our pulpits. As we try to debate the validity of the move of God here, I see some similarities between these churches. The first is that many pastors because of the time that they have put in and the access that they command on resources are increasingly being viewed as Kings. They make things happen. They can speak (decree) and things happen. But they also have the ability to cleanse (even if there are disputes about the same). 

The most important take away that I see in this is the clear emergence of a need for some very serious counseling. If you watch the ministry of 'abizayo' he who send them back (a man who has a refutation of sending witchcraft back to its source), you will be amazed at the skill with which he manages to get the most honest confessions from people and the weight of distress many often carry. The wand is not really the key here but a simple conversation and assurance that things will get better. At times he settles on his rather large throne like chair and simply listens and then maybe even makes declarations. And that is all it takes (I have not followed up on any of the members) to give a semblance of rest. 

Often though the people are not as cooperative and some even have the 'nerve' to challenge him on many aspects of his judgements. 

But the expression of Kingship and the Priestly expression are undeniable. 

So what does that mean of the believer? 

Well firstly it means that if you are going to get anywhere close to earthly kings, you are going to need to be excellent.

Daniel 5:12

12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar:now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

The second thing that will differentiate you from others is your ability to stand by your word and to deliver. This is what some refer to as the gentleman's code. Or his handshake. 

Third is understanding the existence of other monarchs and being willing to show respect. 

Forth is the ability to stand between men and God and intervene on behalf of both parties. So have a foot of clay on one hand mingled with the Rigid and steadfast part of iron. This off course is a priestly function. 

When David was being readied for his call and was still being pursued by Saul, he was castigated for performing a priestly role. His predecessor lost his call after failing to wait for Samuel.