Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, October 25, 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: God’s permanence would not reside in an earthly dwelling, but in the house of David and the relationships that would spring from it.
God had done so much for David already. God had plucked him off a sheep farm and anointed him king over Israel. God had delivered him from his enemies, and had given him a family, loyal friends, and a devoted nation. David could finally rest, and he wanted to do something for God that would give God rest, too. Or perhaps he was weary of the battles and desired to give God a permanent home so they would no longer need to live out of tents (David or God).
Whatever David’s reason, God wasn’t having it. It’s reminiscent of Israel’s desire to have a king. Before David (and Saul before him), Israel had no king and needed no king. God led them, and for a while that was enough. Then, Israel started to see the countries around them being led by kings, and they wanted one too. God finally relented, although God made sure they knew that a king wouldn’t solve all of their problems. Having a human king would bring problems of its own.
Now, David wanted to house God in a permanent dwelling. But again, God pointed out that God had no need of a permanent home. Having a house for God would not alleviate their wandering, and it would bring problems of its own. (Even today, wars continue to be fought over the land where Solomon built God’s house.) But God would eventually relent—not with David, but with David’s heir, Solomon. Once again, God would give the people what they wanted.
With God’s giving in on the permanent housing, God also made it clear that the house of God would not be made eternal by a physical dwelling, but with the descendants of David. David’s house would be the fulfillment of God’s promises, not the dwelling built for God in Jerusalem. The strength of God’s promise was not in a thing or a place, but in a relationship—God’s relationship with David, and David’s relationship with God’s people.
How do people build relationships? What’s most important?
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