Today's readings are 2 Samuel 5.1-25 and 1 Corinthians 8.1-13.
We may remember that Samuel uttered some dire prophecies against the idea of Israel having a king. During the reign of Saul those prophecies did not seem to come true. Saul had a relatively limited form of national government. He didn't seem to create an opulent palace for himself or gather large numbers of servants. But we see in the time of David that the kingdom is expanding, at least in centralized power and in alliances with foreign nations. It seems that David falls prey to the idea that an established king should be able to have things just the way he wants them. He can conscript a permanent standing army. He can increase taxes to pay for projects he things are important, including the image of the king. Essentially David is setting himself up very much like the kings of the other nations. He is making a show of his own glory, rather than showing the glory of God.
How do we act when we start gaining wealth or authority? Do we treat the world as something that we have a right to? Do we start to rejoice in our riches rather than in our Lord? Do we start trusting in our authority rather than in the God of all creation? Do we start depending on what God has given us (the creation) rather than the creator? When we do so, we are going astray. We are falling into the very same trap that kings of nations have fallen into throughout history.
Let us rather take warning. As we pray that the Lord's kingdom will come and his will may be done we specifically ask that our Lord will set himself, not us, up as kings. When we pray the Lord will provide our daily bread we are specifically praying that we will depend on our God. When we pray for forgiveness we simultaneously request the Lord will make us forgiving people.
May the Lord protect us from ourselves.
We may remember that Samuel uttered some dire prophecies against the idea of Israel having a king. During the reign of Saul those prophecies did not seem to come true. Saul had a relatively limited form of national government. He didn't seem to create an opulent palace for himself or gather large numbers of servants. But we see in the time of David that the kingdom is expanding, at least in centralized power and in alliances with foreign nations. It seems that David falls prey to the idea that an established king should be able to have things just the way he wants them. He can conscript a permanent standing army. He can increase taxes to pay for projects he things are important, including the image of the king. Essentially David is setting himself up very much like the kings of the other nations. He is making a show of his own glory, rather than showing the glory of God.
How do we act when we start gaining wealth or authority? Do we treat the world as something that we have a right to? Do we start to rejoice in our riches rather than in our Lord? Do we start trusting in our authority rather than in the God of all creation? Do we start depending on what God has given us (the creation) rather than the creator? When we do so, we are going astray. We are falling into the very same trap that kings of nations have fallen into throughout history.
Let us rather take warning. As we pray that the Lord's kingdom will come and his will may be done we specifically ask that our Lord will set himself, not us, up as kings. When we pray the Lord will provide our daily bread we are specifically praying that we will depend on our God. When we pray for forgiveness we simultaneously request the Lord will make us forgiving people.
May the Lord protect us from ourselves.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com
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