Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
This week’s Old Testament reading is from 2 Samuel chapter 7. Here David the king realizes that he has built a fine house for himself but that the presence of God seems to be still in some sort of temporary quarters, the tabernacle which was built in the wilderness. This will not do. David wants to build a house fitting for the presence of God.
God’s response to David is that He will be found where He has commanded it. God is the kind of God who appears to people on his own terms. He established the tabernacle in His wisdom and is still working through it. As for David, God plans to establish his household, his kingdom, as an everlasting kingdom. This is the Lord’s promise.
How do we deal with this passage now? The temple built by Solomon after the time of David has long since been destroyed. The temple as rebuilt after the exile has been replaced. The major revisions made during the first century under Herod have been torn down. Where will God dwell?
The Bible doesn’t picture God as being limited by surroundings such as walls, roofs, and doors. He has presented himself to his people in the Scripture. He has revealed himself to the world in the person of Jesus, God the Son. And he is pleased to show himself to Christians in Word and Sacrament whenever they are gathered together. All the tabernacle and the temple were symbolic of God’s presence, which is made clear in these last days through the resurrected Christ.
Dwell with us, Lord.
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