A Temple for God
by the Rev. AJ Ochart
Sermon Notes
This week we move one generation forward to one of David’s sons, Solomon. After being anointed by Samuel, David found his way in Saul’s orbit. In one story he is hired as a musician who might be able to help Saul with dealing with his (many) mental health challenges. In another story, David offers to fight a giant named Goliath in single combat. As David rises in the ranks, Saul becomes increasingly jealous of him. David and Johnathan (Saul’s eldest son) form an intimate friendship (biblical scholars continue to debate just how intimate it was, but at Johnathan’s death, David describes his love as “passing the love of women” so…) which drives Saul crazy. David also ends up marrying Michal, Saul’s daughter.
After Saul tries to kill David a few times, he takes the hint and runs away to the wilderness. There, David gathers an army of misfits, and the support of the people. When Saul and his army are defeated by the Philistines, the southern tribes crown David as their king. After a war between Judah (in the south) and Israel (in the north) Abner, the northern general, defects to David, and David is made king of the united kingdom of Israel.
However, David’s later years are marked by bloodshed and tragedy. He rapes a woman named Bathsheba, and has her husband, Uriah, killed. Because of this, the Prophet Nathan tells David that the sword will never leave his house. One of his sons Amnon rapes his half sister, Tamar, and then is killed by her brother Absalom. Absalom later usurps the throne of David, and David once again goes out to the wilderness. After Absalom is defeated, David becomes king again.
During his reign, David establishes a new capital city, Jerusalem, after capturing it from the Jebusites. He brings the Tabernacle to Jerusalem, centralizing both political and religious power. He has a desire to build a permanent Temple for God, but God refuses, saying “Whenever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’” God, however promises to ‘build a house’ for David, a dynasty.
In the beginning of 1st Kings, David is an old man and those around him recognize that he is unable to lead. There is a struggle for power, but ultimately Bathsheba outmaneuvers one of David’s son’s Adonijah, and has her son Solomon named as David’s successor. David instructs Solomon on being a good king (and all the political assassinations the he needs to oversee), and then dies. Solomon prays for wisdom from God and receives it.
Now Solomon wishes to take up the task started by his father, to build a Temple to the LORD in Jerusalem…
Questions to Consider
- What does it mean to have a place to worship and learn about God? How can it be positive, how can it be negative?
- How can learning about history change your perspective?
