Rev. Cari Pattison
Woodstock Reformed Church
Sunday, July 21, 2024
“A God Beyond Buildings”
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
1Now when King David was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2the king said to the prophet Nathan, "See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent." 3Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you."
4But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: 5“Go and tell my servant David:
‘Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6I 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 and a tabernacle. 7Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"
8Now 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 to be prince over my people Israel; 9and 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. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from 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. 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14aI will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.’”
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This church building… past and present and future (how it comes up in new member classes, the number of people who photograph it during the week)
Bill Rhoads’ history
Many stories collected here- from Harvey, Larry, Kathleen, and Josh
From Doris and Marie and Annie and Lorraine and Bill M. and the Myers
From Joan Sottile and the family of Ann Passan…
***
Let’s re-cap the story so far-
David has been anointed as king over Judah and Israel
He has captured and reinforced Jerusalem as his capital city
He has the marks of ANE royalty in a harem, descendants, wives, and a palace
He has established the symbol of Yahweh’s presence- the ark- in Jerusalem, with a huge parade and dancing (much to Michal’s chagrin- and a note here from Neil)
As with other ANE kings, his next big task would’ve been to build a temple for the God who had established his throne.
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Talk about the passage itself – play on words with “house” – “bet” in Hebrew
David thought- “Gee, I’m living it up in the palace, and poor God’s stuck in a tent. That’s not right.”
David doesn’t want for himself to be living in a nice house of cedar, while God- in the ark of the covenant- lives in a temporary spot.
Beth Moore mentions David’s humility here- in noticing God’s lack of a home
And his accountability, in consulting with Prophet Nathan
She unpacks what a prophet is, and how they functioned in those days
This passage also reminds us – make sure to listen to your prophets! Every leader needs one. Or several.
The prophet Nathan blesses David’s intention to build a house for God
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But then later on God tells Prophet Nathan that maybe David isn’t the one to build him a temple. After all, has he ever needed that before?
Do you ever take on tasks, and it’s like God is gently saying, “Did I tell you to do that?” Whenever you hear thick resentment and desperation in someone’s voice, a sense that they’re trapped and stuck and a victim of their own busyness- that’s not God.
That may be ego, or people-pleasing, or fear of being obsolete- but it’s not God.
Talk about Sister Miriam and her giving me permission to quit the senior minister thing.
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“Hold on,” God says- “You don’t get to elevate me- I’m the one elevating you. You don’t make my name great- I make yours great. I’m the one who’s been behind you all along.”
God doesn’t dwell in palaces built by human hands. God is beyond place and time, uncontained, beyond boundaries.
God has had no trouble delivering the Israelites out of Egypt and into the promised land, with no palace. A tent and a tabernacle are just fine with God-
The study Bibles note that neighboring pagan religions required people to build homes and spaces for their small-g gods.
But God Yahweh is distinguishing himself from this. It’s not builders he wants, it’s shepherds!
God is “moving about,” according to him! 2x
***
What I commanded the tribal leaders- was not to build me real estate- but to *shepherd my people* - this comes up over and over again
Note, God says- not once did I ask for a house of cedar
And does a whole little background history re-fresh, here, on his involvement with King David, from day one until now-
“I called you from the pasture…
From following the sheep to being prince over my people Israel…
I’ve been with you wherever you’ve gone, and it’s been me who’s helped deliver your armies from your enemies in battle…
I will still make for you a great name (compare to other patriarchs of old)
***
I will appoint a place for my people Israel, so they can live there and be disturbed no more. I will give you rest from your enemies and evildoers will afflict you no more.
But commentaries say this is not about Israel the nation, as such, but rather the actual Temple place.
Moreover, the Lord declares to you David, that the Lord will build *you* a house! He flips it upside down…
When you, David, are at the end of your days, I will establish your offspring- a child from you (which will be King Solomon), and he will be the one to build a house in my name, and I will establish his kingdom forever.
“I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.”
Solomon will be the one to build it.
Interestingly, later in 1 Chronicles 28:3, David said, “God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’” God chose to have his temple built during a reign characterized by peace.
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Here are the takeaways:
We don’t get to tell God where to live. We don’t get to tell people “here’s where God is, and here’s where he’s not.”
Who’s doing the things? Who’s the provider and agent?
Not David, but God! I don’t need you to contain me and tell me where to live.
God calls up David short- “you didn’t do all these things; I did!”
I don’t need a temple to celebrate who I am.
What I do need you to do- is care for the least of these-
A shepherd seeks out the lost, tends to the sick, keeps the flock together, feeds and protects those in need.
***
God knows- buildings can become a burden! Look at the legacy of church buildings around us- crumbling and decaying, being sold and repurposed, being torn down long after the worshipers have left.
See the Willow church off 212
We get so excited about capital campaigns, but buildings are short-lived, overall.
The simpler the better, God seems to say.
The minute you have a big building, you have more to clean, maintain, and ultimately to utilize. You have to find purposes for it.
***
Vacant church buildings feel sad to me-
And yet in our beloved denominations, congregations are so attached to their buildings. This is why Saugerties alone has 5 RCA churches, and they refuse to merge- because “Whose building would we worship in? Whose building would we sell off?”
Homes for seniors can become burdens when they’re unsafe, too lonely, etc. Nancy B. has brought this to bear.
We’re called to steward the building we have
But to remember God doesn’t dwell any more closely here than God did in the temple long ago…
To be shepherds more than builders
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In my ministry experience- my happiest times, were when I got to shepherd and be shepherded. My least happy times were when I was mired in matters over buildings, property, and land.
That’s where we get stuck, I think.
And yet- we have these buildings. We have this land.
Churches that do it well? Share it freely. Use it for ministry.
They combine the building with the shepherding. We do that in our building usage for groups like meals on wheels, music school, and 12-step groups.
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Apply to prison ministry and the gardens-
Those who can’t get out of buildings… Jen Mancuso and Hudson Prison Partnership
My own experience in the women’s prisons
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In this passage, God “building a house” for David is him establishing his dynasty. And Jesus will in fact come from the tribe of Judah, and the lineage of David.
Really tie in Jesus- esp. his homelessness and John 1 “dwell” “set up tent among us”
In Christ- Jesus dwells among us, says John! Literally “pitched his tent” among us.
Quote the lyrics from Nadia Bolz-Weber:
Zach Williams, “Chainbreaker”
If you've got pain, He's a pain taker
If you feel lost, He's a way maker
If you need freedom or saving, He's a prison-shaking Savior
If you got chains, He's a chain breaker
Let’s pray.