Only five more sleeps until Christmas! I bet you children can’t wait. Your moms and dads on the other hand are now slightly panicking. “What, only five more days until Christmas? But there’s so much to do! We haven’t done any baking yet, and there’s the house to clean for the guests. At this rate we’ll be up past midnight again on Christmas Eve wrapping presents.”
Ah yes, isn’t there always so much to do around Christmas? Would we be in the same kind of panic if we knew that in five days Jesus was coming to judge the world? Not at all, because what would there be for us to do? Other than telling others that Jesus is coming, there would be nothing for us to do. Jesus has already done everything necessary to get us ready for his coming. That truth is illustrated in a unique way through our sermon text from 2 Samuel 7. Through God’s Word there we’ll see how the Old Testament Church waited for the coming of the Messiah with worship—that is they didn’t run around in a panic trying to fix their lives. They simply marveled at what God had done and would continue to do for them. Listen to our text from 2 Samuel 7.
Our sermon text describes how King David was at a point in his life where he had the chance to sit back and count his blessings. The kingdom was firmly in his hand. Foreign enemies had been defeated. And he had a wonderful palace to call home. It must have been such a welcome relief after spending 13 years on the run from King Saul, a time during which David spent countless hours hiding in caves. But as David marveled at how far he had come, he suddenly realized that the Ark of the Covenant, that box of gold which held the Ten Commandments and which served as a visible reminder of God’s abiding presence, was still housed in a tent. David felt the way you would if after building yourself a wonderful mansion you suddenly remembered that your parents were still living in a shack with no running water or central heating. Could that arrangement continue with you in a mansion and your parents in a shack? Not if you love your parents. You would build them a wonderful house too, or at least invite them to live with you in your mansion. Although David could not put the Ark of the Covenant in the palace with him, he did resolve to build a glorious temple for it. When he shared his idea with his pastor, Nathan encouraged him to go for it.
Nathan’s support for the project, however, was premature. That night God made it clear to Nathan that it was not his plan to have David build a temple. Rather, David’s son Solomon would do that. How do you like it when you come up with a plan you think is the best ever, maybe on how you should spend your vacation, or how to do something better at the office or in the classroom, but are told: “No, we’re not going to do that”? If David was disappointed at God’s “No,” the disappointment did not linger because of what Nathan said next: “The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you... 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:11, 16).
“You want to build a house for me, David?” asked God. “That’s nice, but I have a better idea. I’m going to build a house for you. Not a palace because you already have one of those and anyway they don’t last. Instead I’m going to build you a dynasty. Someone from your family will sit on the throne of Israel forever!” I love that interaction because it reminds me of how God’s “no” to my prayers and my plans are not meant to deprive me of joy. Instead God says “no” because he has a better plan, a plan that will eventually increase my joy! (John Mittelstaedt)
But didn’t God make David a promise he did not keep? Sure, David’s dynasty ruled for about 400 years until the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. But Israel hasn’t had a king since then. 400 years is a long time, over twice as long as Canada has been a nation, but 400 years is hardly forever. Why, David’s dynasty is not even in the top ten longest-ruling dynasties of all time. Ah, but we’re forgetting about that dynasty’s greatest king. Jesus is from the line of David and he is also the Son of God who is now ruling as the King of kings with a reign that will never end. God did keep his promise to David.
This was David’s reaction to God’s promise: “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign LORD, is for a mere human! 20 What more can David say to you? … And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great forever…” (2 Samuel 7:18-20, 25, 26).
What did David do upon hearing God’s promise? He worshipped! He went into the tabernacle and sat before the Ark of the Covenant and spoke the words I just read—words that acknowledged David’s unworthiness for such a promise, but also words which expressed confidence that God would do just as he said he would.
God still deals with us the same way he dealt with David. Let me use Sandy Sullivan as an example. Today Sandy will join St. Peter’s as a communicant member. So Sandy, what did you have to do to become a member? Did we send you on a quest to find the Ark of the Covenant? Did we say that you first had to complete a pilgrimage to Jerusalem? No. So what did you have to do to get ready for this day? Oh sure, you spent several months studying the Bible, and yes, there was homework to do. But it’s not like these were hoops you had to jump through because as we studied the Bible what did we learn? Did we learn all the things we have to do before God will accept us into his family? Not at all! Rather we learned about all the things God did to make us part of his family. In other words, we spent the last few months simply sitting at God’s feet and marvelling, as did David in our text, at what God has promised. That’s what it means to wait with worship, because worship starts by listening to God’s promises, believing them, and thanking him for them.
Now it is true that in a few minutes, Sandy will confess her faith in the Triune God. So isn’t that at least one thing she has to do? The reason Sandy will confess her faith is because God has already confessed his faithfulness to her. He did that at her baptism and will do it again today in the Lord’s Supper. Sandy, I don’t know if you’ve ever made a blood pact with anyone. That’s where you prick your finger and mix your blood with the blood of a friend and solemnly promise that you’ll remain friends forever. Well this morning Jesus invites you along with all the other St. Peter communicants to participate in a blood pact with him. Only he doesn’t need your blood or mine, but instead gives us his blood with the wine of Holy Communion. He pours out his blood and gives us his body to reaffirm the oath of love and forgiveness he made to us at the cross. I hope you never tire of receiving the Sacrament, Sandy, but like David continue to marvel at God’s grace.
And here’s how we can keep marvelling at God’s grace, by constantly remembering our past. God reminded David of his past when he said: “I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you” (2 Samuel 7:8, 9). As David enjoyed his new position in life as king, it would have been easy for him to think that he had accomplished it all on his own. But he hadn’t. God had been with him from the very day he plucked him from the obscurity of tending his father’s flock.
Although I don’t think you’ve ever been a shepherd, Sandy, and I know that you’re not a queen, at least not one with a crown of gold, God did take you from the obscurity of sin and has made you to be one of those who is already ruling with Jesus. It probably doesn’t feel that way as you work yourself to the bone pulling the night shift, but your real status as royalty will be revealed when Jesus reappears. What should you do until then? Wait with worship. Keep coming to hear God’s promises and keep marvelling and honoring God for what he said he has done and will keep doing for you.
Of course I don’t want to give the impression that waiting with worship means that we just coast through life while we stare up at the heavens looking for Jesus. Not all! When God told David that he wouldn’t be the one to build the temple, David didn’t take this to mean there was nothing for him to do. Instead he busied himself to get everything ready for his son Solomon to build the temple. And so as we think about all that God has done it will move us to leap into action to serve one another and to get others ready for the coming of Jesus by telling them of his grace and love.
I started this sermon by saying that there are only five more sleeps until Christmas. Will you get everything done that you need to? Well, there’s really only one thing that you need to do this Christmas: sit at the feet of your God and listen again to the promises that he has made to you. Yes, as King David learned, your God wants your attention more than anything else this Christmas. For when we listen to God, we hear his love for us and that brings real comfort and joy, unlike anything else can including Christmas cookies and presents. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
David wanted to build a temple for the Lord. However, God said no. How does our text illustrate that God’s “no’s” don’t diminish our joy, but actually add to it? Give examples from your life as to how this is true.
God said that David’s dynasty would last forever. How exactly did he keep that promise when David’s dynasty seemed to come to an end when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem?
After David received God’s promise about an endless dynasty, he reacted with worship. How exactly did David do that? How does that compare with what most people think it means to “worship” God?
Explain: Holy Communion is God’s blood pact of forever-friendship with sinners.
Waiting with worship for Jesus’ return doesn’t mean sitting around and doing nothing. What did it mean for David? What does it mean for you?
