Monday in Holy Week
David thought it was a good idea. He wanted to build a dwelling place for God which was, at least, comparable with his own "house of cedar" (2 Samuel 7:2). After all, why should the Lord of the universe dwell in a tent while the ruler of such a small kingdom enjoyed such plush accommodations? David was embarrassed by this seeming inequity and wanted to correct it. His heart was in the right place.
But God saw things from a different perspective.
Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord said to David, "Would you build me a house to dwell 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 for my dwelling" (2 Samuel 7:5-6). All those many years, God had never complained about his accommodations. By dwelling in a tent, he was able to move freely among his people. In the days of the tabernacle, the people did not have to come to God. Rather, God would come to his people. His true home was with them.
When Solomon succeeded David as king in Israel, he did build a house for God, a magnificent temple in Jerusalem which became the center of religious life for the nation. It only seemed right, for God had told David that Solomon would build the temple, hadn't he?
Well, not really.
God said to David that "the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and 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 to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him" (2 Samuel 7:11b-15a).
The reference to David's "offspring" encompasses far more than just Solomon, David's immediate successor. It refers to the whole "house" which the LORD promises to "make," that is, the house of David from whence will come the Messiah who will take upon himself the iniquity of all the people, endure the discipline required for it, and demonstrate through his suffering the steadfast love of God.
The true "offspring" of David, the one who will "build a house" for God's name, is Jesus. In him is embodied the not only the true character and nature of God, but also the true heart of God which yearns for fellowship with his people. From the very beginning, God's desire was to be "Emmanuel," God with us.
Yet when the temple was built, it dramatically changed the dynamic of the relationship between God and his people. Rather than God coming to the people, the people had to come to God. God's presence was no longer symbolized by a tent, free to roam about. It was instead symbolized by a huge, ornate, stone structure in the heart of Jerusalem. Now, God's presence was restricted and confined within the temple. In time, it was further restricted to the people who were most closely associated with the temple, namely the priests and other religious leaders who drew their livelihood from the religious cultus. As these elites became more and more important to the maintenance of temple life, they became enamored with, and inevitably corrupted by, its treasures. Meanwhile, the people on the outside were viewed as "outcasts" and "sinners," unworthy of the bountiful favor of God which the elites thought was theirs to do with as they pleased.
With the best of intentions, the temple had been constructed to house the presence of God and stand forever as a symbol of that presence in the midst of God's people. But, by Jesus' day, it had become a symbol of elitism and corruption, a prime target for God's wrath. Thus, when Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the money-changers, he quoted the prophets in pronouncing judgment, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."
The use of the term "robbers" in most English translations obscures the true meaning behind Jesus' words. Most interpreters today will read this passage as merely a condemnation of the commercialization of sacred space. We have lost a lot in the translation.
The word translated "robbers" is better rendered "brigands." In Jesus' day, "brigands" were not robbers or thieves, at least not in the sense we think of today. They were the radical revolutionaries, the ultra-nationalists who saw their special status as the chosen people of God not as a call to be a light to the nations, but as a confirmation of their spiritual and political superiority. They did not wish to draw others in, but to drive everyone else out. In condemning the religious elites for turning the Temple into a "brigand's den," Jesus was expressing the righteous anger of God against Israel for having abandoned its true vocation, turning in on itself rather than reaching out to the world.
The Temple was the place of sacrifice. There was nothing morally or religiously suspect about the exchange of money in the Temple courts for the purchase of sacrificial animals. It was not economic injustice Jesus was decrying when he overturned the tables of the money-changers. Rather, he was bringing the whole Temple system under judgment because it was not serving its intended purpose. Indeed, the Temple could never be anything more than a vague reflection of God's ultimate intention to draw all nations into the light of his eternal kingdom. The moment Jesus entered the Temple, its days as the symbol of Israel's special relationship with God were numbered.
The fall of the Temple at the hands of the Romans, a mere forty years later, was decisive because there was an inextricable link between it and the true "house" which Jesus himself "raised up" through his death and resurrection. In his vision of New Jerusalem, John says, "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place [literally, "tabernacle"] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." (Revelation 21:3) A few verses later, he says, "I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (Revelation 21:22).
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus restored the original dynamic of God's relationship with his people. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt [literally, "tabernacled"] among us" (John 1:14a). From the very beginning, God has desired to dwell not "in houses made by hands" (Acts 7:48b), but in the midst of his people, finding in their hearts, cleansed from sin by the blood of the Lamb, his true and eternal home.
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
David thought it was a good idea. He wanted to build a dwelling place for God which was, at least, comparable with his own "house of cedar" (2 Samuel 7:2). After all, why should the Lord of the universe dwell in a tent while the ruler of such a small kingdom enjoyed such plush accommodations? David was embarrassed by this seeming inequity and wanted to correct it. His heart was in the right place.
But God saw things from a different perspective.
Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord said to David, "Would you build me a house to dwell 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 for my dwelling" (2 Samuel 7:5-6). All those many years, God had never complained about his accommodations. By dwelling in a tent, he was able to move freely among his people. In the days of the tabernacle, the people did not have to come to God. Rather, God would come to his people. His true home was with them.
When Solomon succeeded David as king in Israel, he did build a house for God, a magnificent temple in Jerusalem which became the center of religious life for the nation. It only seemed right, for God had told David that Solomon would build the temple, hadn't he?
Well, not really.
God said to David that "the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and 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 to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him" (2 Samuel 7:11b-15a).
The reference to David's "offspring" encompasses far more than just Solomon, David's immediate successor. It refers to the whole "house" which the LORD promises to "make," that is, the house of David from whence will come the Messiah who will take upon himself the iniquity of all the people, endure the discipline required for it, and demonstrate through his suffering the steadfast love of God.
The true "offspring" of David, the one who will "build a house" for God's name, is Jesus. In him is embodied the not only the true character and nature of God, but also the true heart of God which yearns for fellowship with his people. From the very beginning, God's desire was to be "Emmanuel," God with us.
Yet when the temple was built, it dramatically changed the dynamic of the relationship between God and his people. Rather than God coming to the people, the people had to come to God. God's presence was no longer symbolized by a tent, free to roam about. It was instead symbolized by a huge, ornate, stone structure in the heart of Jerusalem. Now, God's presence was restricted and confined within the temple. In time, it was further restricted to the people who were most closely associated with the temple, namely the priests and other religious leaders who drew their livelihood from the religious cultus. As these elites became more and more important to the maintenance of temple life, they became enamored with, and inevitably corrupted by, its treasures. Meanwhile, the people on the outside were viewed as "outcasts" and "sinners," unworthy of the bountiful favor of God which the elites thought was theirs to do with as they pleased.
With the best of intentions, the temple had been constructed to house the presence of God and stand forever as a symbol of that presence in the midst of God's people. But, by Jesus' day, it had become a symbol of elitism and corruption, a prime target for God's wrath. Thus, when Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the money-changers, he quoted the prophets in pronouncing judgment, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."
The use of the term "robbers" in most English translations obscures the true meaning behind Jesus' words. Most interpreters today will read this passage as merely a condemnation of the commercialization of sacred space. We have lost a lot in the translation.
The word translated "robbers" is better rendered "brigands." In Jesus' day, "brigands" were not robbers or thieves, at least not in the sense we think of today. They were the radical revolutionaries, the ultra-nationalists who saw their special status as the chosen people of God not as a call to be a light to the nations, but as a confirmation of their spiritual and political superiority. They did not wish to draw others in, but to drive everyone else out. In condemning the religious elites for turning the Temple into a "brigand's den," Jesus was expressing the righteous anger of God against Israel for having abandoned its true vocation, turning in on itself rather than reaching out to the world.
The Temple was the place of sacrifice. There was nothing morally or religiously suspect about the exchange of money in the Temple courts for the purchase of sacrificial animals. It was not economic injustice Jesus was decrying when he overturned the tables of the money-changers. Rather, he was bringing the whole Temple system under judgment because it was not serving its intended purpose. Indeed, the Temple could never be anything more than a vague reflection of God's ultimate intention to draw all nations into the light of his eternal kingdom. The moment Jesus entered the Temple, its days as the symbol of Israel's special relationship with God were numbered.
The fall of the Temple at the hands of the Romans, a mere forty years later, was decisive because there was an inextricable link between it and the true "house" which Jesus himself "raised up" through his death and resurrection. In his vision of New Jerusalem, John says, "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place [literally, "tabernacle"] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." (Revelation 21:3) A few verses later, he says, "I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" (Revelation 21:22).
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus restored the original dynamic of God's relationship with his people. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt [literally, "tabernacled"] among us" (John 1:14a). From the very beginning, God has desired to dwell not "in houses made by hands" (Acts 7:48b), but in the midst of his people, finding in their hearts, cleansed from sin by the blood of the Lamb, his true and eternal home.
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of Heav’n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.
Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in Heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
- Charles Wesley
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