Everlasting Kingdom

2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16

Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’ But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ 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. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.

King David wants to build a house (temple) for God but God says “no” through the prophet Nathan. Why no? Because God will build a house (royal dynasty) for David. The word play is clever, and it works in both Hebrew and English. The promise to David that his dynasty would last forever did not materialize in an earthly political sense. It ended in 586 B.C.E. with the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem.

But expectations for a Messiah (a son of David) grew over the next four centuries. Accordingly, as in next Sunday’s gospel reading, the angel Gabriel promises Mary that her son will inherit “the throne of his ancestor David” (Luke 1:32). The promise of God to David has been fulfilled. Jesus, Messiah, is the Son of David, and his kingdom is an everlasting one. The title was revitalized and renewed with the coming of Jesus on the scene. Rather than that of a militaristic or nationalistic leader, his reign is that of a shepherd-king, the suffering and merciful king, and it embraces all. God, your promises are sure, even if they are fulfilled in surprising ways. It helps these days to remember that God works in surprising ways, for no matter how hard we sek to manipulate Him and His will, His word is gracious and final!

Prayer: Help us ever to rely on all the promises you have given to us, especially that you have bound us to yourself in love through the ministry of Jesus, Son of David. Amen.