God tells David not to build a temple. Yet then, lest we think that God is angry at David, hear the words by which God honors David:
“Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
“And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies.
“Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.”
In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
2 Samuel 7:8-17 – NRSV
Previous episodes in the life of David reveal his intent to honor God. David must obey the will of God. David must respect the symbols of God’s presence. David must worship the person of God. In David’s view, the life of Israel is not about David, but is instead, all about God.
We wouldn’t want to view this as an exchange, because the things that God has given to David are immeasurably superior to that which David has been able to offer God. Yet God has seen the ways that David has honored him, and wants David to understand how his God has honored him in the past, and will honor him in the future. God has taken David from shepherd to prince, from pauper to king. God has walked with David, and protected David. As David has lifted up the name of God, God has lifted up the reputation of this unlikely king. Unlikely except for the purpose and power of God.
Yet God does not lift David up merely for David’s sake; God does this for the sake of his people. Having made David king, God says, “I will now appoint a place for my people and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place …” From the very beginning, God has known that place is important for human beings, because he made them that way. He made a safe place for Adam and Eve to begin, and he has maintained a place of providence for the people who followed them. Now God appoints a place where an entire people can know his care.
We all need space: room to move, to grow, to play. God gives us freedom of movement, room to play so that, in our play, we may find new ways to use our gifts, new ways to serve him, new ways to please him. The kind of room to play that David had dancing in front of the ark. Yet human beings don’t always allow others to have space. Michal, for instance, didn’t give David that kind of room, because the only way was her way. Because she couldn’t give him room to maneuver, she couldn’t keep a place in his heart. Yet God not only gives David room to work, he makes room for an entire nation of people to discover what it means to be the people of God.
Does that mean that David and his people will be perfect? Hardly. As a matter of fact, it looks like God is setting himself up for a world of hurt. God promises, though, that he will see to it that the actions of his people in this universe will find their natural consequences. A faithful house of David will keep its throne; yet if they misstep, God will correct David’s offspring as if they were his own children. Yet despite whatever future iniquity David and his people might commit, God promises that they can count on one truth: his steadfast love will never cease.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
Lamentations 3:22-23 – NRSV
May God help us,in the space that he gives us, imaginatively create a place something like the kingdom of God, however imperfect. May that place have enough room for everyone in our house to stretch, to grow, to run, and maybe even hide in the shelter of his love, even if for just a little while.
Grace and peace,
Ron
