DAVID, KING(DOM) FOREVER

Sermon Summary from Nov 22, “David: King(dom) Forever”

We finish a four-part series on King David leading to Advent.  Today, Kingdom Forever.  The prophet Nathan (prophets speak for God) told David “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16)

Later, Isaiah would point to a “shoot shall come out from the stump of Jessie (David’s Father)” (Isaiah 11:1).  Jewish scholars would see this as pointing toward the Messiah; and Christian Scholars would later see it as pointing to Jesus as the ideal King. Listen to Paul in one of his early sermons: “God made David their king.  In [God’s] testimony about him he said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out my wishes.” Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. (Acts 13:22b-23)

Handel’s transcendent music “Messiah” in quoting “Revelation” has it right: “King of kings and Lord of lords; and he shall reign forever and ever.”  And we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”

God has covenanted with us to be our God.  We are to be his people.  What does it mean to be a person after God’s own heart?  How do we become those who carry out his wishes? If we pray “Thy kingdom come…” how is it that we are to live? Here’s the real question: “What is required of us?”

Two hundred years after David, the prophet Micah (prophets speak for God) summarized all of the law in a single verse: “He has told you O mortal, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

To do justice (fairness): Jesus would teach us the Golden Rule, to do unto others as we would have them do to us.

To love kindness (or lovingkindness, a godly attribute of compassion, mercy and love): New Testament writers would tell us of the Royal Law, to love our neighbors as ourselves.

To walk humbly: To humbly submit to the king, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, to ask the question: “What would Jesus do?”

I met a young grad student, Cissy, who dared ask the questions (I don’t think I could have), who in doing so treated the homeless (sometimes drunk and dangerous) with lovingkindness, who asked the question in face of war, “What was Jesus do?” and acted.  She actually entered Iraq through Jordan, announced her presence in the hopes that bombing would not begin.  As it turns out, she returned before the hostilities.  I disagreed with Cissy, but I admired her.  I’m not sure I could ask the questions.  How about you?  What is required of you? How do you respond to the Golden Rule, Royal Law, the question “What would Jesus do?”  Amen.