Narrative Lectionary Program Year “God’s Promise to David”
2 Samuel 7:1-17
Free Additional Resources for Study & Sermon Preparation
Furthering the Power of God’s Story – Narrative Lectionary Commentary
by Rev. Dr. Clint Schnekloth
There may be no greater literary text in all of Scripture than the David cycle in 1 and 2 Samuel. That it serves as one of the opening text for the Nevi’im in Hebrew Scripture is appropriate, because there were indeed prophets in Israel for whom we have narrative rather than collected poetry and prophecy. Preachers may not have the time to read this entire section of Scripture in preparation to preach this text, but if you do, you should. It’s perpetually worth a re-read.
Robert Alter writes, “The story of David is probably the greatest single narrative representation in Antiquity of a human life evolving by slow stages through time, shaped and altered by the pressures of political life, public institutions, family, the impulses of body and spirit, the eventual sad decay of the flesh. It also provides the most unflinching insight into the cruel processes of history and into human behavior warped by the pursuit of power. And nowhere is the Bible’s astringent narrative economy, its ability to define characters and etch revelatory dialogue in a few telling strokes, more brilliantly deployed” (The Hebrew Bible, Prophets, 163).
In this series, the preacher only gets one chance with David. And that chance focuses on a significant transition at the end of David’s long storied life. He has consolidated power, built himself a house of cedar, established Jerusalem as a safe and thriving city, and is now envisioning building a house for the ark of the covenant that will rival or even surpass the grandeur of his own home.
This moment is interstitial in the extreme. God both reminds David that the ark has comfortably traveled these many years by tent, with no need of a building. At the same time, any reader of Hebrew Scripture already knows upon re-reading that such a house will be built, and described in considerable detail. It’s just that David won’t build it.
At another point, David is reminded that he himself is too sullied by war and the viciousness of battle to be the one to build the temple. This is one reason among many given for Solomon’s construction of the temple.
But it could also be that these things take time, and structures of this size take whole lifetimes. The temple is left to Solomon because he will have time to complete it.
In the meantime, this vision Nathan receives must have been great comfort to David. Not only is his legacy celebrated, but his progeny are also promised success. He can rest easy both in his memory being celebrated and his offspring anticipated. And the disappointing chain of events that resulted in Saul’s rejection will not be repeated with Solomon. God’s promise is both given and redoubled.
Alter again, “The Temple that is to be raised up by David’s seed will have a more than human importance, being at once a token of God’s indwelling among His people Israel and a divine underwriting of the David dynasty” (334).
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The following links and resources are not produced or maintained by Clergy Stuff. However, at the time of this posting, the links were active and considered to be good source material for proclamation for the text for this week. Please scroll down or click on the quick jump menu you find below. For more free worship resources & planning materials, please visit our links for RCL Worship Resources.
Historical Exegetical Resources
The Hebrew Bible: Prophets (Robert Alter)
The Composition of Nathan’s Oracle to David, Omer Sergi
Contemporary Resources
Exegetical Links
On Reading the Whole Hebrew Scripture, Clint Schnekloth
God’s Covenant with David, Clergy Stuff
Great Quotes
“The Hebrew hesed is the faithfulness and goodwill that one party of a pact owes to the other. -Robert Alter”
A Good Read
Society and the Promise to David: The Reception History of 2 Samuel 2:1-17
by William Schniedewind
Daily Devotional Feed
Free Dramatic Reading For This Text (NRSV)
Readers: Narrator, David, Nathan, Lord
Narrator: 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,
David: See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.
Narrator: Nathan said to the king,
Nathan: Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.
Narrator: But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David:
Lord: 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. 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.
Narrator: In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.