The Winds of Change: David the Peacemaker
Sermon text for May 25, 2008:
II Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10
The winds of change are blowing continuously over the Land of the Chosen People. Samuel is dead, as is King Saul and his son Jonathon. David has assumed power over the southern tribes, but the Kingdom is not yet united. Only David’s strong leadership made the eventual unification of the Kingdom possible. And only Solomon’s charisma kept the nation together. And when Solomon died, the nation divided once again.
In today’s story, David is King of the southern tribes and the elders from the north invite him to rule over them as well. But there was a terrible struggle before the northern elders offered national unification.
After the death of Saul and Jonathan, the throne was assumed by another of Saul’s children, a man named Ish bo sheth. He fought hard to hold onto his father’s throne. The Bible tells us that there was a protracted war between the House of David and the House of Saul, and that as David grew stronger, Saul’s son grew weaker.
There is little doubt that David could have crushed the house of Saul almost at will, but he chose to fight with one arm tied behind his back. He did not want to destroy Saul’s son for the same reason he didn’t kill Saul. David had respect for the family of God’s anointed, and he realized that killing Ish bo sheth would galvanize the northern tribes against him. And under these conditions, David would never be able to rule over a unified nation. It turns out that David the warrior is also a diplomat and peacemaker.
Saul’s death began David’s ascendancy over Israel. When Saul died, the southern tribes made David king almost immediately. And when Ish bo sheth died, the unification of the nation became possible. Ish bo sheth was killed by assassins who crept into his house in the middle of the night and beheaded him while he slept. They carried his head to David hoping for a reward.
But David was not pleased. He mourned publicly for Saul’s son as he had mourned for Saul himself. And the assassins paid for their treachery with their own lives.
After a time of mourning, the elders of the north invited David to rule over them also. They said to him, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. Even when Saul was king over us it was you that led out and brought Israel in; and the Lord said to you. ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’”
With these words, the elders recognize the importance of Israel’s unity and that David, as God’s anointed, was always Israel’s true military leader. So the circle is complete. The shepherd boy has become the shepherd king, charged with the well being of a nation. But notice that the elders from the north did not call David “king”, they called him “Prince over Israel”. Perhaps this is a faith statement that God is the ultimate ruler. So no human being can be more than a prince. Or perhaps the elders are saying, “You can rule, David, but don’t get a swelled head. You are not all that!”
David, the man of God, became the catalyst that drew opposing tribes together. David and the elders made a covenant with one another and David was anointed king for the third time. Only this time, he united a kingdom.
Now that the kingdom was united it needed a capitol city with which neither of the opposing sides identified. And David chose the neutral City of Jerusalem to be that capitol. The City was so well fortified that it was thought to be invulnerable from attack. But David and his mercenaries entered Jerusalem through the water system and conquered the city that has been known ever since as the City of David.
As we search this story for meaning in our lives, I am struck by the idea that God’s “chosen one” can bring peace to warring parties. It is an intriguing idea in this world of conflict. Even in the very personal arenas of family and faith, I see people pull away from one another because there is nothing, and no one, who holds people together.
A husband and wife were at each other’s throats again. It was nothing new; they’d been fighting for a long time. Though neither of them could see it, the real problem was that each wanted to be in charge. Each one had to have things his or her own way, and over time their positions began to solidify. It became a matter of principle not to give in.
One day the fight seemed even more hurtful than usual and the husband stalked off to the bedroom and shut the door. The shut door was like a red flag to his wife who waited only briefly before she burst into the room to prove that he couldn’t walk away from her in a fight. She was amazed to see her husband kneeling beside the bed, hands clasped together, head bowed in prayer. Instead of attacking, she joined him at the beside, and in prayer each remembered the man of God’s own choosing who was Lord of their marriage and of their household. By focusing on Him, neither felt the need to out maneuver the other and be in charge. It was the beginning of peace for the family.
Several years ago there was a feud between the Moderator of General Assembly and the Stated Clerk of the Assembly, the two highest elected officials in the Church. The feud continued for several months and became destructive to the whole Church. Each man needed to be in charge, to be the boss. Just before the annual Assembly convened, other leaders of the Church took the Moderator and Clerk into a room and told them to pray for each other, and not to come out until the feud was over. Prayer brought reconciliation and ended the feud.
Not long ago I was asked to help mediate a dispute between a pastor and several members of a session. Charges and counter charges had been flying around for months before we were asked to help. Each party to the dispute needed to prove himself right, and the other wrong, which is a formula for defeat. We brought pastor and session together around the table and structured things so that each one could be heard without interruption or contradiction. At the end of our meeting, each one was invited to pray for the other and to recognize that neither one was in charge – Christ was. We do not know yet how things will turn out, but if each one chooses to let Jesus be in charge, healing is possible.
Christians believe that no one of us needs to be the boss. That job is already taken. The One who brings peace in families, also brings peace to congregations, and even within denominations when those who disagree honestly join one another in prayer.
Like David, Jesus is the anointed one of God, the man of God’s own choosing. As David the shepherd boy became the shepherd of the nation, the baby born in the stable is the shepherd of all who want to be his sheep. If there is any hope for peace in families’, communities, and congregations, it is allowing the Man of God’s own choosing to be in charge. He calls us together and helps us to know that we belong to one another.
Copyright © 2008 by Dwight R. Blackstock
II Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10
The winds of change are blowing continuously over the Land of the Chosen People. Samuel is dead, as is King Saul and his son Jonathon. David has assumed power over the southern tribes, but the Kingdom is not yet united. Only David’s strong leadership made the eventual unification of the Kingdom possible. And only Solomon’s charisma kept the nation together. And when Solomon died, the nation divided once again.
In today’s story, David is King of the southern tribes and the elders from the north invite him to rule over them as well. But there was a terrible struggle before the northern elders offered national unification.
After the death of Saul and Jonathan, the throne was assumed by another of Saul’s children, a man named Ish bo sheth. He fought hard to hold onto his father’s throne. The Bible tells us that there was a protracted war between the House of David and the House of Saul, and that as David grew stronger, Saul’s son grew weaker.
There is little doubt that David could have crushed the house of Saul almost at will, but he chose to fight with one arm tied behind his back. He did not want to destroy Saul’s son for the same reason he didn’t kill Saul. David had respect for the family of God’s anointed, and he realized that killing Ish bo sheth would galvanize the northern tribes against him. And under these conditions, David would never be able to rule over a unified nation. It turns out that David the warrior is also a diplomat and peacemaker.
Saul’s death began David’s ascendancy over Israel. When Saul died, the southern tribes made David king almost immediately. And when Ish bo sheth died, the unification of the nation became possible. Ish bo sheth was killed by assassins who crept into his house in the middle of the night and beheaded him while he slept. They carried his head to David hoping for a reward.
But David was not pleased. He mourned publicly for Saul’s son as he had mourned for Saul himself. And the assassins paid for their treachery with their own lives.
After a time of mourning, the elders of the north invited David to rule over them also. They said to him, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. Even when Saul was king over us it was you that led out and brought Israel in; and the Lord said to you. ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’”
With these words, the elders recognize the importance of Israel’s unity and that David, as God’s anointed, was always Israel’s true military leader. So the circle is complete. The shepherd boy has become the shepherd king, charged with the well being of a nation. But notice that the elders from the north did not call David “king”, they called him “Prince over Israel”. Perhaps this is a faith statement that God is the ultimate ruler. So no human being can be more than a prince. Or perhaps the elders are saying, “You can rule, David, but don’t get a swelled head. You are not all that!”
David, the man of God, became the catalyst that drew opposing tribes together. David and the elders made a covenant with one another and David was anointed king for the third time. Only this time, he united a kingdom.
Now that the kingdom was united it needed a capitol city with which neither of the opposing sides identified. And David chose the neutral City of Jerusalem to be that capitol. The City was so well fortified that it was thought to be invulnerable from attack. But David and his mercenaries entered Jerusalem through the water system and conquered the city that has been known ever since as the City of David.
As we search this story for meaning in our lives, I am struck by the idea that God’s “chosen one” can bring peace to warring parties. It is an intriguing idea in this world of conflict. Even in the very personal arenas of family and faith, I see people pull away from one another because there is nothing, and no one, who holds people together.
A husband and wife were at each other’s throats again. It was nothing new; they’d been fighting for a long time. Though neither of them could see it, the real problem was that each wanted to be in charge. Each one had to have things his or her own way, and over time their positions began to solidify. It became a matter of principle not to give in.
One day the fight seemed even more hurtful than usual and the husband stalked off to the bedroom and shut the door. The shut door was like a red flag to his wife who waited only briefly before she burst into the room to prove that he couldn’t walk away from her in a fight. She was amazed to see her husband kneeling beside the bed, hands clasped together, head bowed in prayer. Instead of attacking, she joined him at the beside, and in prayer each remembered the man of God’s own choosing who was Lord of their marriage and of their household. By focusing on Him, neither felt the need to out maneuver the other and be in charge. It was the beginning of peace for the family.
Several years ago there was a feud between the Moderator of General Assembly and the Stated Clerk of the Assembly, the two highest elected officials in the Church. The feud continued for several months and became destructive to the whole Church. Each man needed to be in charge, to be the boss. Just before the annual Assembly convened, other leaders of the Church took the Moderator and Clerk into a room and told them to pray for each other, and not to come out until the feud was over. Prayer brought reconciliation and ended the feud.
Not long ago I was asked to help mediate a dispute between a pastor and several members of a session. Charges and counter charges had been flying around for months before we were asked to help. Each party to the dispute needed to prove himself right, and the other wrong, which is a formula for defeat. We brought pastor and session together around the table and structured things so that each one could be heard without interruption or contradiction. At the end of our meeting, each one was invited to pray for the other and to recognize that neither one was in charge – Christ was. We do not know yet how things will turn out, but if each one chooses to let Jesus be in charge, healing is possible.
Christians believe that no one of us needs to be the boss. That job is already taken. The One who brings peace in families, also brings peace to congregations, and even within denominations when those who disagree honestly join one another in prayer.
Like David, Jesus is the anointed one of God, the man of God’s own choosing. As David the shepherd boy became the shepherd of the nation, the baby born in the stable is the shepherd of all who want to be his sheep. If there is any hope for peace in families’, communities, and congregations, it is allowing the Man of God’s own choosing to be in charge. He calls us together and helps us to know that we belong to one another.
Copyright © 2008 by Dwight R. Blackstock
posted by Dwight Blackstock | 7:23 AM
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