IN GOD’S TIME
Cooke’s-Portsmouth Church
July 19, 2015
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Did you ever have what you judged as an inspired, esteemed and great idea? And when you tried
to implement it, ran into a maze of regulations and permits, or worse, the dismissive attitudes of
those you chose to share the plan with? Diana Krall, famous Canadian and world renowned jazz
pianist and vocalist had to be encouraged to sing in her sexy contralto voice because she had
once been told by a music teacher in her formative years that she should not sing; but simply
mouth the words. The memory of that was so strong that the world was nearly denied the gift of
one of the greatest contemporary jazz vocalists of our time. Sometimes the world says no, and in
the Hebrew text for this morning we are reminded that even God says no.
David had a sincerely awesome idea in mind. It began with a question: Why should I live in a
house, when the Ark of God dwells in a tent? David wanted to build a temple to the glory of God
but God says no thank you. David wishes to build a temple-house, but instead, God says it is not
for you to do. I will build for you a dynasty-house that will entrench your name and lineage
forever in the annals of sacred history. One of your progeny will be given the task of erecting a
temple.
Roger Nam, Professor of Biblical Studies at George Fox Evangelical Seminary in Portland
Oregon has written: David seeks to build a temple for God. Of course, building the temple is an
appropriate response for the early years of a monarchy.
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In the ancient Near East, kings built extravagant residences for deities at the highest points of the
royal city that would reflect the gods' splendor and majesty. In this sense, David's request was
not completely self-promoting, but the suitable action for a new king looking to honor his God.
But as we know, God is a surprising God.
Rather than respond with approval, God gives a rather sharp reply, "Are you the one to build me
a house to live in?" God explains that there has never been a temple throughout the entire history
with Israel's ancestors, from the Egyptian captivity and the ensuing exodus. God reminds David
that the divine presence is with them in tents, in the pasture among their sheep, and in battle. God
is not contained within a building. God’s presence and providence have been active for
generations without a temple.
David will not build a temple for God. Rather, God promises to build a lasting dynasty for David
and his progeny. God will give David and the children of Israel long-awaited rest from enemies.
"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"
The temple-house will be built in time, but only through David's son. However, the dynastyhouse is already built and is established for the ages. We know from history that the temple did
not survive assault and ransacking, but the promise inherent in the limitlessness of the Davidic
line continues to ground and inspire. In short, some buildings eventually crumble, but divine
promise is forever.
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I do like this text from the Hebrew Bible that may have more significance in our generation than
we may think.
We find ourselves living in a time when the church as an institution no longer holds the power or
the glory of the once upon a time. Buildings are being closed and congregations realigned and
amalgamated. Other congregations have embraced emerging church as a means of survival:
transforming sanctuaries into play structures and worshipping in smaller rooms; encouraging live
streaming and social networking as the norm. It is a different time and age in which we live and
we of a certain generation want to believe that we have a future, while at the same time, do not
want to throw out the baby with the bath water.
At this juncture in which we live, move and have our being as members of the body of Christ and
affiliates of a particular congregation we do well to give this text from the ancient of times
serious thought for an application.
God is not static; relegated only to one space and place. We need not confine our worship of God
to a building that has been erected to the glory of God. We do not need to be in a sanctuary to
pray to God or to feel the power of sacred presence. In fact, many might argue that they feel
closer to God in other parts of creation: in the out of doors for example.
Many are quick to confess feeling a closeness to God at sunset; around a campfire; at a cottage or
other place that is synonymous with rest, relaxation and peace. Neither does God need to be
worshipped in only one way and in a particular space designated for worship.
In the once upon a time of our Judaic history, worship was far more sacrificial. Read through the
pages of the Hebrew Bible and see the number of references to cultic and sacrificial practice. The
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pages of the prophets are filled with references to the new thing that God is doing and the desire
of God for worshippers to rend their hearts and not their garments; that the sacrifice that God
desires is not a burnt offering but a contrite heart. God is not stuck in any time, place, space or
practice. Sacrifice morphed into study, meditation, teaching and the recitation of prayers. And
prayers are uttered around the dining room table before a meal; at a bedside before retiring; in
Funeral homes and cemeteries; in hospital waiting rooms; at computer terminals at NASA; in
school gymnasiums before an exam or graduation. There is no place where the power and
presence of God cannot be encountered or invoked. A house made of cedar is but one possibility.
David is being reminded that he may be King of Israel but God is the Lord of all.
The temple was eventually built at great expense by King Solomon, David’s son with Bathsheba.
It stood for 400 years until it was ransacked and laid waste by the Babylonian invasion which
also resulted in the exile. It was restored 70 years later under Ezra and Nehemiah and was
modified and expanded by Herod around the time of Christ. This second temple was destroyed in
70 AD by Rome. There are two mosques on the site of the temple built according to the Muslim
tradition of building a temple on the holy sites of others. There will probably never be a Jewish
temple again built on this site in Jerusalem.
Some buildings do not last forever, but the Davidic line is everlasting. I think that we sometimes
need reminding of this. We place so much pride in brick and mortar and sometimes our worship
of the building usurps our worship of God. I have often wondered if temples have become the
graven images that we were commanded in the once upon a time not to construct.
Perhaps God recognized that a temple could easily and readily become more important than the
reason it was being built. Temples are constructed and dedicated to the glory of God and not so
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that a king or an architect can achieve immortality. And despite the fact that we already have a
beautiful sanctuary in which to worship I do not believe that the work of building a house is
completely done. More than brick and mortar we need to be building on the foundation of the
unseen.
Let us build a house where love is supreme.
Let us build a house where there is a vision of the future so that we are never constrained by the
status quo.
Let us build a house where change and transformation is the norm because the God in whom we
believe is not static.
Let us build a house where no one is afraid of rejection because there is room for all.
Let us build a house where every opinion expressed is received with grace and dignity.
Let us build a house on the solid foundation of the gospel so that we are always known for who
we are and to whom we belong.
Let us build a house where everyone has a voice and no voice will be silenced because it is not
pitch perfect.
Let us build a house where all are welcome and welcomed so that friend and stranger alike are
treated the same.
Let us build a house where differences of opinion do not lead to disharmony because we model
the One who said, “You have heard it said, but I say.”
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Let us build a house where love is the norm, tolerance is a given, acceptance is undisputed and
grace is in exhaustive.
Let us build a house where the face of Christ is reflected in the faces of all who assemble.
In the once upon a time King David wanted to build a house of cedar for God and God said not
you; not now.
In the eternal now of the present may we reflect the unseen more than the seen, for the things that
are seen are temporal and the things that are unseen are eternal.
Thanks be to God. Amen!
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