Both gospels (Matthew and Luke) which trace Jesus’ genealogy include King David in the ancestors of Joseph. Our reading today shows why David was so important to Israel.
Having previously been anointed by Saul, David is now confirmed and anointed as king over both the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel. David marched in and took Jerusalem, which ever since is called “the city of David.” With direction from the Lord, David defeats the Philistines.
David knows the importance of worshiping God, and of the centrality of the Ark of the Covenant, containing the tablets given to Moses.
He brings the Ark to Jerusalem, dancing with joy. He wants to build a house, a temple, for the ark, so that God’s people may worship properly. But God has other ideas. Instead he first will establish a covenant with David, then later his son (Solomon) will build the temple (in 1 Kings we learn that David could not build the temple because of the continuing warfare).
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| King David dances before the Ark |
So God makes a covenant with David, and promises that when David dies, his son will succeed him and the Davidic kingdom will be forever.
“714I 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.15But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.”
David then prays to the Lord, one of the greatest prayers of praise in scripture, rehearsing the history of the people of God, and of David’s own gifts from God.
This passage uses words that mean or are related to the word “house” many times. How many references do you find? What might it mean?
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