2 Samuel 5: 1-10 (links validated 6/3/24a)

We’re in danger today… I don’t mean physical danger like our brothers and sisters in Nigeria where just yesterday 303 Catholic school children were kidnaped by Islamic Terrorists in their ongoing attempt to eliminate any trace of Christians and Christianity. Thankfully, (for now) we’re not in that type of danger. But we are in real danger. Spiritual danger. The danger of forgetting who rules our lives. The danger of letting the noise of the world drown out the voice of God. The danger of letting headlines, algorithms, and arguments tell us who we are. Because in this age of hyper-polarization—where every scroll demands your outrage, every opinion demands your allegiance, and even family dinners can feel like a political minefield—we walk into church today and dare to celebrate one of the boldest feasts in the entire liturgical calendar: The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe...

Wendell Kimbrough’s Eternal Weight of Glory is a song that captures the waiting beautifully in the words of II Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” You might consider using the Mo Willem’s book in the Elephant and Piggie series: Waiting is Not Easy as a Children’s Message. In this book, Piggie has a wonderful surprise for his friend Gerald. But they must wait for it. So, the reader waits with them and weathers all the ups and downs of Gerald’s hope, impatience, anger and, ultimately, delight.

The image of human responsibility and divine sovereignty being interwoven through history and our story reminded me of the poem written by Corrie ten Boom, the brave Dutch Christian who suffered so much under the Nazis. My life is but a weaving Between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors he weaveth steadily. Oft’ times he weaveth sorrow; And I in foolish pride Forget he sees the upper And I the underside Not ‘til the loom is silent And the shuttles cease to fly Will God unroll the canvass And reveal the reason why. The dark threads are as needful In the weaver’s skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver In the pattern he has planned. He knows, he loves, he cares; Nothing this truth can dim. He gives the very best to those Who leave the choice to him.

On June 16, 2018 USA Today quoted United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions as using Romans 13 to defend President Trump’s administration’s immigration policies. “I would cite to you the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13 to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order,” he said. “Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves and protect the weak and lawful.” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later added: “It is very biblical to enforce the law.” This use of Romans 13 enraged many Americans as well as people across the world. Yet while oceans of ink have been spilled debating Sessions and Sanders’ exegesis, I was struck by the response to it of a wise member of the church I pastor. He said, “I always get nervous when government officials quote Romans 13 to defend their own policies.”...

("There is a story of Prince Siddhartha who became the Buddha when he was young. It speaks of the actions of a true leader....")

From Eugene Peterson’s Leap Over a Wall (Harper Collins, 1997). Note Peterson’s words on the function of 2 Samuel 5 in the larger narrative of David’s life story: “Traveling through scenic country, we sometimes come upon a sign reading ‘Roadside Vista Ahead.’ In anticipation we slow down, get out of our car, stretch—and look. We see where we’ve been, we see where we’re headed. Take a breather. Eat a snack. Enjoy the scenery. We can’t always be driving, watching the road closely. Not driving is also part of the trip—savoring what we’ve done, absorbing the landscape, letting the contours of the land and the colors of the horizon sink into our imaginations. These are connective moments. We have various ways of honoring them. We honor them on and with anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, retirements, reunions, celebrations—and by pulling off at roadside vistas. Honoring them is one of the ways we have of keeping our lives coherent—keeping them connected with what we’re becoming. Without frequent reconnaissance, we’re in danger of living in spasms without coordination, without rhythm. The ‘greater and greater’ message of 2 Samuel 5:10 is pivotal in the David story.” As Peterson goes on to point out, it’s a time to take stock, to anticipate the future, and just so to size up all things under God’s gracious care.

"From Eugene Peterson's Leap Over a Wall. Note Peterson's words on the function of 2 Samuel 5 in the larger narrative of David's life story: 'Traveling through scenic country, we sometimes come upon a sign reading 'Roadside Vista Ahead.' In anticipation we slow down, get out of our car, stretch and look. We see where we've been, we see where we're headed...

"Few things about David's story are more remarkable than his willingness to wait to become Israel's king. Certainly Samuel anointed him for that work many years earlier. David had numerous opportunities to defend himself by killing Saul and, as a result, assume the throne God had promised him through the prophet. What's more, others eliminated his rivals to that throne – Saul and Ish-Bosheth..."

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