BLACKSMITHS

Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “lest the Hebrews make swords or spears” - 1Samuel 13:19.

I decided to write this article because I figured mentorship is getting lost everywhere - church, work, school, and family. However, we need to realize that one way or the other, mentorship still goes on. If we don’t mentor the younger ones, someone/something else will do. But the question is, will we like the outcome?

The Philistine Plan

After the Philistines had once defeated Israel under King Saul, they hatched a plan to let them be in their respective towns, but decided there will be no blacksmiths to produce weapons for them, except by Philistine blacksmiths so that “Israel would have to go to the Philistines so each person could sharpen his plow…” (1Samuel 13:20). This means the Philistines, as Israels enemy, could determine the quality of weapons they (the Israelites) should have so that they are not disadvantaged in the day of battle. In essence, Philistine Blacksmiths decided what weapons the Israelites should use to fight them. 

Blacksmiths in this sense can be likened to mentors who guide and ‘mould’ the younger generation; they are supposed to carefully prepare them to become relevant to the church and wherever they find themselves. However, the Philistine Plan, as I call it has been adopted by the devil to discourage people who have the abilities and passion to mentor youngsters to become better people. The plan has encouraged us to lose interest in mentoring and coaching those younger than us into the kind of maturity we enjoy. 

We have now left a large number of the younger ones to the Philistine Plan. Thus, we have allowed them to grow or learn from other sources that are not godly or Christlike.  

Once we leave the youngsters to grow without supervision and mentorship, other blacksmiths (social media,bad friends, deception) take over to ‘mould’ them. In our churches, we should make it our business to mentor someone we find genuine interest in, so that the ‘Philistine Blacksmiths’ don’t take over to corrupt the good seed in them.

The Greater Blesses the Lesser

Now beyond all contradictions the lesser is blessed by the better [greater] - Hebrews 7:7

The principle of mentorship/discipleship is that the one who is greater than another in something blesses him/her into becoming like/more than him/her. Do you remember Elijah and Elisha, Moses and Joshua, Jesus and His disciples? Mentoring/discipleship is a good thing, it’s a good course worth venturing into. To be a blessing to someone by sharing your experiences and coaching him/her has lifelong blessings you have no idea about. Help someone come up the right way, and let him/her remember you for the blessing that you are. You can mentor. You can be someone’s coach

Be a good blacksmith!

May the Lord mend our nets!