No matter what, God will rule
Commentary
This section marks the beginning of the "in-between" period in David's life. It continues through the end of chapter 8. It is a time when David consolidates his leadership. He takes control of the economic, political, and religious aspects of life in Israel. This is the period against which all previous and subsequent reigns are compared. God's rule is David's rule, and vice versa.
In the midst of all the good that accompanies this time for David, there are the first signs of what will come in chapter 9 and following -- confusion and decay. As we read these texts, says Bruggemann, we find ourselves asking, "Do we witness here the disappearance of the David for whom we have waited, and to whom we are so drawn? Does power in the historical process cause the disappearance of everything precious? Do those beset by such disappearance even notice what is happening?" (Walter Bruggemann, First and Second Samuel, Louisville: John Knox Press, 1973, p. 245.)
The ark, mentioned in the early part of the text, has stood dormant for almost a quarter century. Now it is brought back as a sign of security and validity for David's monarchy. Our attention, however, is on the extravagant celebration that accompanied David's ascendancy. What do we have here? An orgy? Or something borrowed from a pagan rite? Or a legitimate liturgical dance? Or, as Bruggemann suggests, is it indicative of the ambiguity that pervades this period in Israel's history? On the one hand, one can argue that it represents a genuine religious celebration in which God is glorified and the kingdom they have dreamed of for so long comes to reality. But is the reaction of Michal, David's wife and daughter of Saul, a harbinger of darker things to come? She may be responding in jealousy, expressing some latent loyalty to her father Saul. Is she also seeing in David the first signs of a man who is intoxicated with the power and does not know how to handle it?
Ephesians 1:3-14
The key to the entire letter to the Ephesians is in 1:9-10. Paul sees disunity and chaos everywhere -- the universe, the world, and the church. Jew and Gentile are at odds within the family of faith. The overarching principle in Paul's theology (assuming he is the author) is that everything will be united in Christ, in heaven and on earth. The phrases "in him" and "in Christ" occur 36 times in this letter. The term "mystery" is used to describe this idea. But it is a mystery only to those who are not willing to receive Christ and see that ultimate unity is in him.
The instrument to bring about this unity is the church, which, in spite of its imperfections, is the body of Christ in the world. This makes the church more than an organization. It is the living expression of Christ.
The text itself is all one sentence in Greek. It is a "hymn of grace" in three stanzas -- past (vv. 3-6), present (vv. 7-12), and future (vv. 13-14). What does it mean to have been chosen? Is everything predetermined, including our salvation? The answer is not simple. We are God's children because God has chosen us, not because we have initiated that relationship. "We love because he first loved us." The same can be said of our continuation in the faith. If it depended on us we would have fouled it up long ago. Are we then only passive recipients? No, surely not. God's choice of us calls for choices on our part -- all within the context of God's grace.
Because of what God has done in the past, we have a rich treasure in the present. "Redemption" is an expression of release from slavery -- a powerful figure in a world where an estimated one-third lived in such bondage. To be free, someone needed to pay the price. In his death, says Paul, Christ identified with us in our slavery and set us free. The phrase "freely bestowed" could be translated "lavished." There is nothing niggardly about God's act in Christ. This is "lavished love," a river of grace sufficient to wash away the sins of the world -- and then some! As Moulton once put it to preachers in another day, "Don't preach a two-penny Gospel with millions at our disposal!"
When Paul speaks of a "plan" in verse 10, he is testifying to his confidence that God has a purpose for history and that it will be worked out in due time. Dr. A.D. Mattson, one of my seminary professors, advocated active involvement in the political process and demonstrated it in his own life. He believed that people could make a difference. Yet he would say to us over and over, "If God cannot rule in mercy, he will rule in judgment -- but rule he will!"
As for the future, we have "the seal of the promised Holy Spirit." We are "marked property," like the brand on cattle or the logo on merchandise. Here it is likely linked with Baptism, since the Spirit and Baptism are nearly always tied together in the New Testament. This is the "pledge of our inheritance." It is like the guarantee or down payment that assures us of the final outcome. In Romans 8 Paul speaks of this as "the witness of the Spirit with our spirit." All that we experience now, in a very limited way, will be fully realized in the age to come.
Mark 6:14-29
Jesus' popular appeal, noted in last Sunday's text, aroused a common expectation among devout Jews. They believed that great prophets arose from the dead and continued their ministry at crucial times. So when Jesus' good words and works became known it is not surprising that some thought John had been raised or that Elijah, more commonly expected because of the prophecy of Malachi, had risen and returned.
The complex political alliances that lie in the background of the story of John's beheading are fascinating. Herodias, the wife of Herod, was, as we sometimes say, well-connected. As the text indicates, she had been first married to Philip, Herod's brother. There is some confusion in the text whether it was Herodias or her daughter who danced before Herod. That is immaterial. The point is that they both despised John the Baptist and wanted him killed. And though Herod was intrigued by the preaching of John, it is also probable that he saw him as a political threat -- a contention made by the historian Josephus (though Josephus' account of John's death differs considerably from that of Mark). Herod was not very secure in his office. Any criticism, including of his marriage, could undermine popular support.
There are strands from many Old Testament stories that come together in the account of John's death: the domination of Ahab by the crafty Jezebel, the rash vow of Jephthah that results in his daughter's death, and the subtle actions of Esther in getting the king to give up half of his kingdom. The key to the text may be in Herod's recognition that the ministry of Jesus is a continuation of the work of John the Baptist. But that may also be the reason why Mark preserves the story for us. Just as John must suffer and die for his bold and courageous criticism of the king, so Jesus will have to suffer for what he is saying and doing. The powers that be in both secular and religious realms cannot afford to ignore a threat like this.
As for the role of Herodias, Pheme Perkins sums it up well in observing that "use of sexual attractiveness to gain access to power ... poses another problem in the workplace. The legend of John the Baptist shows us that justice is the ultimate victim in such situations." (Pheme Perkins, The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VIII, Nashville: Abingdon, p. 599.)
Suggestions For Preaching
Though it poses problems and stretches our gifts of communication to the limit, this is a good day to preach on the purpose of God in history and in our personal lives. With the Ephesians text as a starting point, we can speak about the initiative of God's grace, God's plan in Christ, and the role of the church in fulfilling that plan. Both the 2 Samuel and Mark texts support that idea. Just as God is at work in the life of David to bring unity to Israel -- in spite of David's faults -- and just as God is at work in the ministry of John and Jesus -- in spite of the attempts of Herod to thwart it -- so we speak confidently of God's plan and purpose in the world today.
To affirm that God has a plan does not free us from responsibility for what goes on in the world. We are called to act -- to advocate, to give, to care, to challenge, and, if necessary, to die. We do it because we believe that no matter how fierce the opposition, God will have the last word. And it will be a good word.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By James A. Nestingen
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
Administrators have to learn to deal with the holy. They should also learn to keep their pants up, even when exuberance squares itself to carry them away.
David surely wasn't blind to the political implications of Israel's religious symbols. So as he assumed power, he soon made arrangements to take control of the Ark of the Covenant, a relic of the exodus, with all of its connotations of deliverance and divine presence.
Historical criticism can make quick work of such a move. Israel was in transition from a nomadic to a more sedentary, established society. The Ark, a religious token more fitted to wandering, will now be associated with kingship as Israel settles, and so forth.
In fact, those who provide the lectionary have implicitly fallen into league with such a reading, editing the story to make sure that the Ark's symbolism is exclusively positive. The story of God breaking out against Uzzah when he touched the holy and David's subsequent anger at God, told in verses six through eleven, has been omitted from the text. It's better to keep symbols symbolical, and manageable, lest God actually do something.
But both David's anger and his dance have the same source. However shrewd and calculating, however wise or opportunistic, David also knew that his kingship and the people would only prosper to the extent that the One who led Israel out of bondage now enabled them to complete what had begun long ago in Egypt.
It was risky business. The God of the exodus led the Hebrews on a circuitous route that left a whole generation dead in the sand. The One who had anointed David king had also appointed Saul, who ended his days in insanity. When Uzzah instinctively braced the Ark and went down (vv. 6-7), not so surprisingly David got mad and decided the Ark wasn't worth the risk. He had trouble enough of his own, including Saul's daughter, his wife, who thought more of her parental origins than her current marital relations.
But the God who so unpredictably breaks out is also the God who promises and blesses. Unable to live with the risk, David wasn't going to be deprived of the blessing. So he went after the Ark once more, leading it into Jerusalem in a magnificent procession.
There was reason for ebullience. The Ark of the Covenant, crafted in the desert at God's own direction, betokened all of God's gracious promise now arriving, better yet, taking up residence, in David's city. In fact, David's legs got ahead of his modesty. But then grace covers all, no matter the risk.
In the midst of all the good that accompanies this time for David, there are the first signs of what will come in chapter 9 and following -- confusion and decay. As we read these texts, says Bruggemann, we find ourselves asking, "Do we witness here the disappearance of the David for whom we have waited, and to whom we are so drawn? Does power in the historical process cause the disappearance of everything precious? Do those beset by such disappearance even notice what is happening?" (Walter Bruggemann, First and Second Samuel, Louisville: John Knox Press, 1973, p. 245.)
The ark, mentioned in the early part of the text, has stood dormant for almost a quarter century. Now it is brought back as a sign of security and validity for David's monarchy. Our attention, however, is on the extravagant celebration that accompanied David's ascendancy. What do we have here? An orgy? Or something borrowed from a pagan rite? Or a legitimate liturgical dance? Or, as Bruggemann suggests, is it indicative of the ambiguity that pervades this period in Israel's history? On the one hand, one can argue that it represents a genuine religious celebration in which God is glorified and the kingdom they have dreamed of for so long comes to reality. But is the reaction of Michal, David's wife and daughter of Saul, a harbinger of darker things to come? She may be responding in jealousy, expressing some latent loyalty to her father Saul. Is she also seeing in David the first signs of a man who is intoxicated with the power and does not know how to handle it?
Ephesians 1:3-14
The key to the entire letter to the Ephesians is in 1:9-10. Paul sees disunity and chaos everywhere -- the universe, the world, and the church. Jew and Gentile are at odds within the family of faith. The overarching principle in Paul's theology (assuming he is the author) is that everything will be united in Christ, in heaven and on earth. The phrases "in him" and "in Christ" occur 36 times in this letter. The term "mystery" is used to describe this idea. But it is a mystery only to those who are not willing to receive Christ and see that ultimate unity is in him.
The instrument to bring about this unity is the church, which, in spite of its imperfections, is the body of Christ in the world. This makes the church more than an organization. It is the living expression of Christ.
The text itself is all one sentence in Greek. It is a "hymn of grace" in three stanzas -- past (vv. 3-6), present (vv. 7-12), and future (vv. 13-14). What does it mean to have been chosen? Is everything predetermined, including our salvation? The answer is not simple. We are God's children because God has chosen us, not because we have initiated that relationship. "We love because he first loved us." The same can be said of our continuation in the faith. If it depended on us we would have fouled it up long ago. Are we then only passive recipients? No, surely not. God's choice of us calls for choices on our part -- all within the context of God's grace.
Because of what God has done in the past, we have a rich treasure in the present. "Redemption" is an expression of release from slavery -- a powerful figure in a world where an estimated one-third lived in such bondage. To be free, someone needed to pay the price. In his death, says Paul, Christ identified with us in our slavery and set us free. The phrase "freely bestowed" could be translated "lavished." There is nothing niggardly about God's act in Christ. This is "lavished love," a river of grace sufficient to wash away the sins of the world -- and then some! As Moulton once put it to preachers in another day, "Don't preach a two-penny Gospel with millions at our disposal!"
When Paul speaks of a "plan" in verse 10, he is testifying to his confidence that God has a purpose for history and that it will be worked out in due time. Dr. A.D. Mattson, one of my seminary professors, advocated active involvement in the political process and demonstrated it in his own life. He believed that people could make a difference. Yet he would say to us over and over, "If God cannot rule in mercy, he will rule in judgment -- but rule he will!"
As for the future, we have "the seal of the promised Holy Spirit." We are "marked property," like the brand on cattle or the logo on merchandise. Here it is likely linked with Baptism, since the Spirit and Baptism are nearly always tied together in the New Testament. This is the "pledge of our inheritance." It is like the guarantee or down payment that assures us of the final outcome. In Romans 8 Paul speaks of this as "the witness of the Spirit with our spirit." All that we experience now, in a very limited way, will be fully realized in the age to come.
Mark 6:14-29
Jesus' popular appeal, noted in last Sunday's text, aroused a common expectation among devout Jews. They believed that great prophets arose from the dead and continued their ministry at crucial times. So when Jesus' good words and works became known it is not surprising that some thought John had been raised or that Elijah, more commonly expected because of the prophecy of Malachi, had risen and returned.
The complex political alliances that lie in the background of the story of John's beheading are fascinating. Herodias, the wife of Herod, was, as we sometimes say, well-connected. As the text indicates, she had been first married to Philip, Herod's brother. There is some confusion in the text whether it was Herodias or her daughter who danced before Herod. That is immaterial. The point is that they both despised John the Baptist and wanted him killed. And though Herod was intrigued by the preaching of John, it is also probable that he saw him as a political threat -- a contention made by the historian Josephus (though Josephus' account of John's death differs considerably from that of Mark). Herod was not very secure in his office. Any criticism, including of his marriage, could undermine popular support.
There are strands from many Old Testament stories that come together in the account of John's death: the domination of Ahab by the crafty Jezebel, the rash vow of Jephthah that results in his daughter's death, and the subtle actions of Esther in getting the king to give up half of his kingdom. The key to the text may be in Herod's recognition that the ministry of Jesus is a continuation of the work of John the Baptist. But that may also be the reason why Mark preserves the story for us. Just as John must suffer and die for his bold and courageous criticism of the king, so Jesus will have to suffer for what he is saying and doing. The powers that be in both secular and religious realms cannot afford to ignore a threat like this.
As for the role of Herodias, Pheme Perkins sums it up well in observing that "use of sexual attractiveness to gain access to power ... poses another problem in the workplace. The legend of John the Baptist shows us that justice is the ultimate victim in such situations." (Pheme Perkins, The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VIII, Nashville: Abingdon, p. 599.)
Suggestions For Preaching
Though it poses problems and stretches our gifts of communication to the limit, this is a good day to preach on the purpose of God in history and in our personal lives. With the Ephesians text as a starting point, we can speak about the initiative of God's grace, God's plan in Christ, and the role of the church in fulfilling that plan. Both the 2 Samuel and Mark texts support that idea. Just as God is at work in the life of David to bring unity to Israel -- in spite of David's faults -- and just as God is at work in the ministry of John and Jesus -- in spite of the attempts of Herod to thwart it -- so we speak confidently of God's plan and purpose in the world today.
To affirm that God has a plan does not free us from responsibility for what goes on in the world. We are called to act -- to advocate, to give, to care, to challenge, and, if necessary, to die. We do it because we believe that no matter how fierce the opposition, God will have the last word. And it will be a good word.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By James A. Nestingen
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
Administrators have to learn to deal with the holy. They should also learn to keep their pants up, even when exuberance squares itself to carry them away.
David surely wasn't blind to the political implications of Israel's religious symbols. So as he assumed power, he soon made arrangements to take control of the Ark of the Covenant, a relic of the exodus, with all of its connotations of deliverance and divine presence.
Historical criticism can make quick work of such a move. Israel was in transition from a nomadic to a more sedentary, established society. The Ark, a religious token more fitted to wandering, will now be associated with kingship as Israel settles, and so forth.
In fact, those who provide the lectionary have implicitly fallen into league with such a reading, editing the story to make sure that the Ark's symbolism is exclusively positive. The story of God breaking out against Uzzah when he touched the holy and David's subsequent anger at God, told in verses six through eleven, has been omitted from the text. It's better to keep symbols symbolical, and manageable, lest God actually do something.
But both David's anger and his dance have the same source. However shrewd and calculating, however wise or opportunistic, David also knew that his kingship and the people would only prosper to the extent that the One who led Israel out of bondage now enabled them to complete what had begun long ago in Egypt.
It was risky business. The God of the exodus led the Hebrews on a circuitous route that left a whole generation dead in the sand. The One who had anointed David king had also appointed Saul, who ended his days in insanity. When Uzzah instinctively braced the Ark and went down (vv. 6-7), not so surprisingly David got mad and decided the Ark wasn't worth the risk. He had trouble enough of his own, including Saul's daughter, his wife, who thought more of her parental origins than her current marital relations.
But the God who so unpredictably breaks out is also the God who promises and blesses. Unable to live with the risk, David wasn't going to be deprived of the blessing. So he went after the Ark once more, leading it into Jerusalem in a magnificent procession.
There was reason for ebullience. The Ark of the Covenant, crafted in the desert at God's own direction, betokened all of God's gracious promise now arriving, better yet, taking up residence, in David's city. In fact, David's legs got ahead of his modesty. But then grace covers all, no matter the risk.
