The text this morning is from the Prophet Samuel, the 7th chapter:
Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, 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: Would you build me a house to dwell 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 for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges 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, that you should 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 dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men 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…
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
David had been warring for many years. He had been running from Saul, he had been fighting with the Philistines, he had been battling with his wife, Michal, who was torn between being a daughter of Saul and the wife of the king. But now David had a moment to rest, he had a moment to breathe, relax, look around, and ponder.
I know this is what I do when I have a second to think. Usually, and maybe this is a byproduct of my vocation, but I usually end up thinking about theological things. But, apparently, it’s not just me. David did this, too. When he had this moment, he realized that he was living in this beautiful house, a place built and designed and decorated for a king. But, when he looked out of his window, he saw the old tabernacle, the tent where God would come down and accept the sacrifices of the people.
If the president of the country had no stately manor, but lived out behind the Washington Monument in a LL Bean tent, you’d want to make sure that he had a house, right? I mean, after all, the president, no matter who he is, the president’s office represents you, it represents the entire country, and its embarrassing if he had to throw a state dinner in a tent. You’d want to build him at least something small to do what he needed to do.
And this was kind of what David was thinking. To be fair, this tabernacle, the tent of meeting had been with the Israelites some 400 years already. I imagine that, even though God had been the one to command its making, and even though He provided for its upkeep, that 400 year-old canvas might’ve had a little bit of wear on it. I could be wrong, but when you think about how you perceive things older and compare them to the new, you probably make assumptions about it, too.
Anyway, so David sees the old tabernacle and realizes that he has the ability, the power, the desire to make something better for God. He, out of the desire of his heart, wanted to do something good. Yet, remember that God had instituted the tabernacle so that He would dwell among the people. No matter where they were, no matter how they were congregated, the tabernacle would be in the midst of the people so they would know their God was with them.
So, God had another idea. It’s not that He wouldn’t let the house be built, but He would not let it be built in the way David expected. It’s not that God wouldn’t dwell in a Temple, but that it would be grander and greater than David could think. God would not let the Temple be built by David, the adulterer, the murderer, the warrior. He would make it so David’s son, Solomon, would build it. He would make a house not just of cedar, but of gold, of incense, of art.
And more than that, God’s idea for His Temple would be, not just for Him, but honor David forever. And although our God would deliver to David the news of the Temple and the plans on how to build it, He had something else in mind, a greater fulfillment than a mere building with four walls could hold. When our Lord God spoke to David about the Temple, He wasn’t just speaking of a building, but the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Lord promises that He will appoint a place for His people and will plant them, He’s speaking of the Resurrection. When He talks about making a name for David, He’s taking about the Son of David, the Son of Man, the Son of Mary, who would bear the name of David throughout the ages. And when He speaks of giving rest from the enemies of David, He’s speaking less about the battles that David would fight, less about the evil king Saul David recently mourned, but rest from the enemies of God, those would destroy God’s Kingdom and all that He has.
You see, God always wants to dwell among His people; that s why He built the tabernacle in the first place. So, when our Lord consents to have a building and to dwell there, He had something greater in mind. He wouldn’t just dwell in the Temple, He would dwell in the midst of His people by taking on human flesh and becoming man. He would be Immanuel, God with Us. The Son of God would leave His heavenly throne and live in the filth and squalor of His people that, by His death, He might save them from their sins.
Our Lord Jesus would make a name for David. He would establish the house and kingdom of David so that no one would overcome it. He would give an everlasting rule to the house of David. When a king dies, their reigns dies. The only way to have an everlasting rule is to never die, and resurrected from the dead, our Lord Jesus shall never die again. He shall reign forever and ever. The throne of David, the King of Israel, will be established forever. He will dwell with His people forever.
Our Lord’s vision is great than ours. David desired to serve the Lord; but the Lord would serve His people. As He brought David out of the pasture and into the palace, so also will God bring His people out of the pasture and into the throne room of God. There He shall judge equitably between the people and will dwell with them forever. There He shall be the King forever, the people of God no longer subject to changing leaders, dying kings, failing judges. But he shall speak peace to all who are His own.
Our Lord let the mystery of the Temple grow over hundreds of years until it would find its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. No one knew this is what God had in mind, yet our Lord’s ways are greater than our own. The Son of God would be the Son of David to rule forever. And He would be the Son of David by becoming the son of Mary, sharing her humanity, binding it to Himself forever. Through her, through her bloodline, the Lord would complete His Temple by building it Himself in her womb.
And the Temple of His body, though it should be destroyed, laid to waste, murdered, three days later He would raise it from the grave and make a template for us. We shall be raised and, though our imperfect temples of the Holy Spirit fail us now, our bodies shall be made incorruptible, made like His. His vision for that which shall come is greater than ours. We would build with cedar, He would build with gold. We would draw stick figure art, He would make the angels live on the tapestries. We would stink it up with perfume, He fills it with the incense of the prayers of the saints. And He makes His home, His temple, with us, for He is the Temple in the flesh.
In Him, the sacrifice for sins is completed. In Him, there is no more death of the sheep. In Him, there is no more sin or sorrow or shame, for He has taken it all to Himself, crucified, redeemed it, and has given it back to us, refined by holy fire. Our Lord’s Temple, His body, His blood, will stand forever, beyond the vision of David, beyond the vision of Nathan, beyond the vision of Mary, and it shall stand for you, that you might always be where He is, for He, Jesus, the Temple Himself, shall always be with you, forgiving you, strengthening you, welcoming you to eternal life. Always. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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