Can God Be Contained?
“Can God Be Contained?”
2 Samuel 7:1-16 (New Revised Standard Version)
Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.” But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.
David says, “Here I am thriving in this expensive and glorious palace and all we have for God’s chest, the Ark of the Covenant, is a simple tent.”
The Ark was kept in a large tent contained within 3 separate curtains, or veils.
Each had different characteristics and meanings, however all with the same idea of creating degrees of separation between the world, the people within the world, and this object, the Ark, which was called the dwelling place of God.
God said to tell him, “David you are not the one to build me a house!”
It’s important for our scripture today that God did not reject David here, but he rejected the idea of being confined, established, or located.
“I am a God on the move!”
“The Lord will make you a house.”
House means, “a lasting legacy.” A connection to God that will not and cannot be broken.
No one, not even death, could contain God
God dwells out there, amongst the people of the world.
God dwells in each of our hearts, minds, and lives.
Why do we work so hard to keep God isolated when what God wants is for us to be on the move with God?
God wants us to bring God to others who don’t understand what it means for God to dwell amongst us.
We are called as individuals and as a church to be on the move with God and spread the message of grace with others.