The city was great, perhaps the greatest in all of the lands in all of the earth. But the glory was not given to who it was due, the glory due to the great king over the city. He was the heir to the city as his ancestors before him. Kings, priests and mighty men’s blood flowed through his veins. But he was not honored for the greatness of the city, the men of the city in fact believed that the glory was due to them. The told each other that they would tolerate the king, because someone needed to rule, and the king did not ask much of them. The taxes were low and the royal palace gave freely of its riches and the kingdom ran smoothly. So the people ignored the king and went on with their joy filled lives. But the king wanted more…

The king wanted communion with his people. When he was a young boy his father would tell of the days when the people would come into the palace with great joy. There would be parties and massive gatherings of people and the king would be the center of it all. It was this king’s great-grandfather, but the people forgot the love and greatness of its kings as the kingdom prospered and grew.

Those closest to the king, his advisors and his mighty men knew who really was the one that held the kingdom together; the men who carried out his summons and were the go-men to keep the kingdom running smoothly. They were fiercely loyal and their own hearts hurt at the rejection of the king by his own people.

Korah the head minister to the king and his most loyal friend perhaps knew more than anyone. He watched as problem after problem was brought before the king and the king always answered wisely and justly.

The young man sighed as he gazed out of his window. The sight before him was indeed glorious: towering building lined with gold, colors bright as crisp clear rainbow, lush vegetation, and through his mind’s eye he could see the smiles on the people’s faces and the laughter that followed them everywhere. Yet as he looked around his own room, yes even as he walked through his palace- it felt empty.

He put his head back against the plush velvet chair head and thought back to the stories his father would tell him, of the days when the people would come into the palace with great joy. There would be parties and massive gatherings of people and the king would be the center of it all. It was this man’s great-grandfather, but the people forgot the love and greatness of its kings as the kingdom prospered and grew.

To the whole world it was known as the city of the Great King. It sat on a great mountain and faced the north. The gates were golden and the city spanned a hundred miles. The mountain sat beside the sea and the international port brought ships from all around the world to trade. It was declared that there was not anyone more honest than the traders of the Great City, nor were the goods as high as quality than the ones you would receive there.

Amongst the mountains were valleys that flowed with a great river called Hiddekel that brought great minerals to the farmlands in the valleys. Flocks of sheep and cattle by the thousands and ten-thousands grazed in the fields. The lowliest farmer to the most prestigious banker lived in paradise. It was known as the joy of the whole earth because of it greatness and the riches therein.