“A Gift For God”
Text: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
12-24-2023
In the name of Him who loved us and came down to save us, dear friends in Christ. So, it’s Christmas Eve and I need to ask: Did you get all your Christmas shopping done? I apologize if that added stress to your mind this morning. That was not my intention. But as you well know, some people are easy to buy for and others are not. The really tough ones are the folks who seem to have everything they need. My parents were that way in their later years. They almost begged us to not give them anymore “stuff” mainly because they were running out of room to put it all. However, if you feel you absolutely must give a gift to one of those people who has everything, here’s some good advice: Skip the scams and save your money. The one that always makes me shake my head is the ad for an outfit that offers to name a star after someone. Oh my, you even get a certificate with a chart to show where “your” star is located. It’ll only cost between $40 and $100 depending on how fancy you get. The ad even promises that your gift will be “eternal.” Well, these guys certainly have some job security. A conservative estimate is that there are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone. They’re just lucky God’s not in the business of suing people, because Psalm 147 says the Lord has already named all the stars.
Anyway, that leads to a more difficult question. If you were planning to give a gift to God, what would it be? Talk about someone who has everything! God owns the whole universe. If He needed anything He could just create it. Do you see the dilemma here? Well, that’s what King David was wrestling with in our Old Testament reading. He loved the Lord and wanted to show it. And for good reason. God richly blessed him and he was grateful. To be totally honest, David actually came up with a pretty good gift idea. But in order to understand the significance of that gift and why God thwarted his plans we need to go back a little way in history
When Israel had been rescued from their Egyptian captivity, God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle. It was basically a very elaborate tent that was used for their worship. The most important item that it contained was the Ark of the Covenant. It was kept in a special section of the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies. The Ark represented God’s presence among His people. It traveled with them all throughout their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. When Israel finally got settled in the Promise Land, the Ark was kept in the tabernacle at a place called Shiloh. Unfortunately, the people had begun to look at it like a good luck charm. Well, in time they went to battle against the Philistines and they were losing. So they sent for the Ark thinking this would insure their victory since, in their minds, God would have to come along with it. But God is not bound to some superstitious religious item, nor to any place. And so, Israel lost the battle and in the process the Ark was captured.
The Philistines treated it as if they had somehow imprisoned Israel’s God. Well, through a series of plagues the Lord proved that He couldn’t be captured or manipulated by anyone. So the Philistines were forced to send the Ark back to Israel. It ended up at a place called Keriath Jearim where it remained for 20 years. Once David was anointed as king of Israel, he made Jerusalem his capitol city. As a coronation gift, a neighboring country sent him skilled craftsmen and expensive cedar. With it, they built him an elaborate palace to live in. Finally, after many years of being a warrior, David could rest and take a breather. He decided it was high time that the Ark of the Covenant be brought to Jerusalem which he did with much fanfare. But when it got there it was placed in a tent again. And David’s conscience began to bother him. That’s where our text for today picks up. David called in Nathan the prophet and basically says, “How can I sit in this kind of luxury, enjoying everything God has given me, when the Ark is sitting over there in a lousy tent? God deserves better than that. I want to show my gratitude to the Lord by building a beautiful house for Him.” Now, you have to admit, it really was a good gift idea. David wanted to show honor and love for God so this building would be unique and even more elaborate and majestic than his palace. Which really makes you wonder about people today who put up a metal gymnasium and call it a church, but that’s a discussion for later. Anyway, Nathan says, “Go for it!” And why wouldn’t he? It sounded like a great idea! There was no reason to say otherwise.
Ah, but here’s an important lesson for us all, including Pastors. Even when something seems like a wholesome and morally good choice, you still should consult with God in prayer about it. You know why? Because God may have a different plan with a higher purpose. And that’s exactly what happened with David. First of all, the Lord explains that a tent to keep the Ark of the Covenant in is perfectly fine with Him. That box was just a symbol which represented His presence. He doesn’t actually live in it. On the contrary, His throne is in heaven and the mountains of earth are like a footstool. So He doesn’t really need an elaborate building.
Now don’t misunderstand. David’s son, Solomon, did eventually build a magnificent temple in honor of the Lord. It was everything that David had hoped for and then some. And God was pleased with it, but not because HE needed it. No, the people who would worship there did. When they came to Jerusalem and saw that majestic building it was a visual reminder of the majestic God they worshiped. God would meet with them there and bless them. So it should be a place that was worthy of that awesome visitation.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase, “It’s the thought that counts.” As a parent, and now a grandparent, I can tell you it’s true. A piece of construction paper with odd stick figures drawn on it by a child with their name painstakingly written by their own hand is more precious to me than an expensive gift. Why? Because it was made with love. And really, that’s what happened with David. His intended gift was filled with love for God. The Lord recognized that. And that attitude was the real gift that God accepted from David. An elaborate temple was a nice gesture, but the Lord would rather have a heart that loves, honors, and obeys Him. Consider for a minute the Old Testament sacrifice offerings. It wasn’t a dead animal that God really wanted. Rather, it was the heart of loving obedience that brought the sacrifice which pleased Him.
And in turn, God honors that kind of a gift. It’s an interesting twist that occurs in our text that is explained with a play on words. David wanted to give God a house as a gift of love. God, however, had a greater gift of a house for David. Not an earthly building, but a house as in a dynasty. In other words, a descendant of David’s would rule as king over God’s people forever. And here too, this gift was greater than we might expect. If you’re familiar with the history of Israel, then you know that after several generations David’s bloodline no longer ruled over the nation. They were conquered and governed by foreigners. But that doesn’t mean God’s gift to David was lost. As the angel Gabriel told Mary, her son would once again take the throne of David. Not as an earthly king, but as the spiritual King of their lives. His kingdom of grace will last forever. So you see, God’s gift to David was fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
What an honor for Mary to be chosen as the mother of the King! Out of loving gratitude, like her ancestor David, she wanted to give a gift to God. But she was poor so what could she possibly give to the Lord? Besides, He has everything He needs. Well, she gave a gift that truly pleased God. In loving obedience, she offered herself as a willing servant to the Lord’s will and plan. Friends, you can’t do any better than that! God doesn’t need a single thing that you own. But He does cherish the grateful heart of love in a believer. Jesus says in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Loving obedience is a gift that’s precious to God. And like with David, God honors that gift. He, in turn, richly blesses our loving obedience. For example, He commands us to worship Him. Not because He needs it to boost His ego. No, He gave us the 3rd Commandment so that He can give us more of His gifts through His Means of Grace. In His Word and Sacrament, the Lord has precious, eternal gifts of forgiveness and salvation. Like Mary, we’re poor and have nothing to offer God in return. All we can give Him is ourselves, as willing servants to do His will. May God daily strengthen our faith so that our lives will always be a pleasing gift of gratitude given back to Him. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!