The True House

2 Samuel 7: 1-11
Luke 1: 26-38

Mary and Joseph are both descendents of King David. The same David we find in the passage of 2 Samuel. The scriptures have many lessons to teach us and this passage has several. King David was once nothing more than the youngest son of a sheep farmer in Bethlehem. When Samuel went looking for a king for Israel he looked at all of the sheep farmer’s sons, all except the youngest who was out tending the sheep. It was that boy, young and small and naïve who would become king. He would defeat the Giant and he would carry the Ark of the Covenant into many battles and win.

This same David, who had found so much favor in God’s eyes, was now settling down. He no longer had to move from place to place with only a tent over his head. He had built for himself a strong house, made of cedar and was quite content. Until he noticed the Ark was still in a tent.

He went to Nathan, the prophet who took over after Samuel and instead of asking his advice as was the norm, David told him about having a house of his own while the Ark had none. Nathan, instead of being offended by this change in protocol gave his agreement that David should do what he pleases because “The Lord is with you”.

Other than a little breach in protocol, this must seem very mundane to most readers. What is the big deal? David has found where he wants to build his kingdom and now he will build a religious temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. That sounds reasonable, it sounds like a great plan.

As a church, we often look to our leaders in the Consistory and the pastor for great plans. We hope that every month when they get together, they are coming up with ideas to help grow the church, and to make the church run more smoothly. We do not like the idea of the people we elect merely maintaining the status quo, we like action. We want growth whether it is in the form of giving more money through our committees, coming up with new and better programs, or doing things around the church building.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Just like there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with what Nathan and David are planning now that they are settling down in one area. But both King David and the Prophet Nathan have forgotten a very important key to this plan. They have not asked God what God would like to do. How could David, who is in the position of King of Israel because of God’s favor, have forgotten to ask God what to do? How could Nathan, a prophet, a messenger of the Lord, have not considered praying about what they should do?

Now if two such wise and holy people could forget to consult God, how often do we do the same thing? Perhaps our ideas and thoughts seem so natural and good that we think the thought must have come from God. Perhaps we are too busy this week to say a prayer asking for guidance. We do not always consult God about what we are up to. Even as a church, how often when we have a problem or issue do we take a moment to pray to God? Sometimes I think we would be amazed at what God is thinking because God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, God’s ways are not our ways.

 God makes God’s presence known in the very next line of the scripture. He comes to Nathan at night and reminds David and Nathan that God is the one that brought them out of the land of Egypt. God is the one that has shown them the way each time they have been scared or unsure. God is the one that has helped them find this land, the land he promised hundreds of years ago to Abraham and then to Isaac and then to Jacob. In all this time, God has never had a temple; God has never needed a temple to do the miraculous things that were accomplished.

The Lord reminds Nathan and David that all they have, all that they are is because God has made it happen.  If God wants a temple, not only would the Lord have mentioned it but God would have directed them in how to build it. It was a humbling message to them both, but obviously one they needed to hear. David thought he knew what God wanted; he thought he knew the heart of the Lord. But what God reminds them both is that he cannot be contained or be totally known. God will always be a mystery to humanity and the more we try to squeeze God into a box or a temple or a church, the more elusive the Lord will become. God is not found only in our religious buidlings because the Lord cannot be contained.

But God did not stop by just reminding them of his power and might. God then gives David a gift. God promises to be faithful to David, to make his name great and to build a great home for all of the Israelites. They will no longer have to travel from place to place, forever wandering and fighting other people for space to live. No longer will they have enemies that can kill them. God has promised to give them rest, to build them all homes and to make the line of David one that lasts forever. God promises that the name of King David will be one that will always be remembered.

Here we are today, looking at this passage and wondering what this has to do with our life. This passage should have us asking a few hard questions of ourselves: What are our assumptions about what will be pleasing to God? What are the ways that we seek to enshrine and confine God? Do we build churches so that we can place God inside it and then only visit for an hour a week? Do we sometimes link God to our political or religious agendas in the hope of swaying more people to our causes? What may God want to do but cannot because personal ambitions and church politics are blocking the way?

God does not want or need to be enshrined here at church. Our Lord is one of surprises. Our God is one that instead of sending a warrior to defeat the world’s evil, God sent a baby - a baby named Jesus born to a poor couple who would not raise their son with every toy or modern convenience, but with love. God sent us a little boy who would grow up to hang out with the least desirable crowd. He would find his way among the outcasts, among the sinners and the destitute; his followers were those that have diseases and were a burden upon society.

What is God up to right now? What is God doing 2,000 years later? Could God be present in this church or is God out there.. amongst the poor, the diseased, and the people we scoff and lift our noses at? Is God with the unemployed, the people on welfare, the illegal immigrants, the convicted felons?  It’s a question we need to ask. It’s a question David and Nathan forgot and were chastised for.

Where are you God? What are you doing? What do you want us to do?

Amen.