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THE RETURN OF THE KING
2 Samuel 23:1-7
Revelation 1:4-8
November 22, 2009
How bad does a government, or even a single ruler, have to be before the people have had enough and there is a revolution? Two hundred and thirty three years ago we hosted a revolution here in America. But, we had the advantage of being an ocean away from our oppressors; and it was really hard for them to show up on our doorstep and subdue our rebellious attitude. It seems the closer you live to the king, the harder it is to break free.
Adolf Hitler led his nation into a world war. They were hopelessly outgunned and fighting simultaneously on two fronts. Their cities were firebombed, and their entire economy was destroyed. A wheelbarrow of fifty mark bills couldn’t buy a loaf of bread. An entire generation of young German boys died. And yet, there is strong evidence that if Hitler hadn’t killed himself the majority of the people would have continued to follow him.
Kim Jong Il in North Korea appears to be certifiably insane. Mahmud Ahmadi Nejad, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a total crackpot who wants to build a nuclear weapon and bring on Armageddon. Whether you agree, or disagree, with the war in Iraq, you have to admit that Saddam Hussein was a bad man. He tortured and murdered thousands upon thousands of his own subjects. And, like Hitler he attempted the genocide of an entire race of people – the Kurds. Yet, none of these men has been in the least danger of their subjects rising up against them in revolt. You have to admit; when it comes to bad government we will tolerate a lot.
Our Hebrew Bible reading today begins by telling us these are the last words of King David. Although, it’s obvious they aren’t his last words. He keeps on talking for two more chapters in Samuel, and then another two chapters in 1 Kings. It is clearly several more years before he actually dies, and we get to hear his real last words (1 Kings 2:1-12). We should think of this more like the Last Will and Testament of King David. Or, this may well be what David wrote for his own obituary. Consequently, he paints himself as a pretty decent guy.
If we read ancient Hebrew we would see that these seven verses are a poem. In the NIV translation which we read today David calls himself Israel’s singer of songs. In KJV he is the sweet Psalmist of Israel, and in other translations yet he would be identifying himself as the ‘Premier Poet of Israel’. In David’s day royalty considered being an excellent poet just as important as being an excellent leader of men into battle. For many years the nation has praised David’s military expertise, he wants to make sure that when he’s gone his artistic side will also remembered (1 Samuel 18:7-8). In this same verse David calls himself a prophet and the voice of God. He sees himself as pretty much the complete package. What’s not to like?
Next he launches into poetry about how great it is when a good king rules over you. And, our first thought is, “Could this guy’s head get any bigger?” But, the truth is he is not talking about himself at this point. He’s talking about when the Messiah comes to rule. God the Father explains to David what it will be like when the One who rules in righteousness, in true fear of God, is on the throne. That word ‘fear’ equates to complete knowledge. One day there will be a king who rules with the complete knowledge of God.
I want that. Some days I am so beat down by the never-ending hostile debates over abortion, gay marriage, universal health care, euthanasia… Sometimes I just want to pull completely back from the world and totally withdraw from society. Let everybody else beat each other up with their vicious political rhetoric; I just want to sing to my granddaughter. But, if we had a king that ruled with the complete knowledge of God – how great would that be? Every time a new ruling came down I could be absolutely confident that it was issued with love and compassion, and was completely ethical and moral. No name calling, no arguing, no debating – just simple obedience. The Messiah, the righteous one, will rule just like God the Father himself (Jeremiah 23:5, Zechariah 9:9). So, David literally tells us it will be all sunshine and rainbows when the Messiah rules.
And, then he says, “Is not my house like this with God?” Really? He thinks it is just that good with himself as the king? Is he nuts? I mean, this is the David who stayed home instead of going to war with his troops, and seduced and impregnated another man’s wife (2 Samuel 11:3-5). This is the David who had Bathsheba’s husband murdered so he wouldn’t have to fess up to the people about his adultery (2 Samuel 11:6-17). This is the David who’s son raped his daughter (by another wife), then was murdered by a different son (2 Samuel 13:22-34). Does it sound like living under his rule is just as wonderful as living under the Messiah? Not to me it doesn’t.
You might think that those are stories from his past. Perhaps David had finally learned his lesson – so his final days were just as sweet as if the Messiah were in charge. Not a chance. Several years before this David had been riding his horse to Jerusalem when a man named Shimei began throwing rocks at him (2 Samuel 16:5-14). He called the king a murderer and a scoundrel. He heaped insults on David. David’s entourage watched to see how the king would punish Shimei. David just smiled and said, “Maybe God has told him to say these things. I promise not to injure him just because he has hurt my feelings.” Then, David rode on home.
You want to know what David’s real last words were; what he really had to say from his death bed (1 Kings 2:1-12)? He called his son Solomon close to him and said, “Remember Shimei? I promised I wouldn’t harm him, but I never said a word about what you might do. The second I’m dead hunt him down and cut his throat!” Does that sound to you like David had learned his lesson, and his final days were as pleasant as if the Messiah were ruling? No! David’s house was not right with God. So, where does he get off writing, “Is not my house like this with God?”
If you read this same verse in the King James Version you see the result of textual editing. The translators couldn’t believe David had the audacity to make such a claim, and they change his words to, “Although my house is not so with God.” They change David’s words to match the truth as they know it.
We’ve learned a lot more about ancient Hebrew in the 400 years since the King James Version was translated. It turns out that a better translation of that sentence is, “Will it not be so with my household?” You see, David is not claiming that living under his rule is like living under the Messiah. Instead, he is holding fast to the hope that God has made him a promise – someday the Messiah will come from his own family. On that day, it will be good to live under the king. David isn’t bragging about the way things are, he is trying to vision the way they will be. God is sending an heir who will be a righteous king who rules with the complete knowledge of God. He will be more than a mere man. He will be divinely initiated, and divinely sustained. It will be sunshine and rainbows when he comes.
You are familiar with what we call First Advent. Next week we begin celebrating the arrival of the Baby Jesus. Christ was born as a man, lived among us and taught us the will of God, was crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, and has ascended to heaven where he sits at God’s mighty right hand (Hebrews 1:3). That was the first time that Jesus came to us; First Advent. But, it is not the last time. There will be a Second Advent; in Greek a Parousia. Jesus is coming back again. To borrow from J. R. R. Tolkein, we are waiting for the Return of the King.
We know this is true because we read it in the Holy Scriptures. The Apostle John writes his Revelation to the seven churches in Asia. Why only seven, aren’t the other churches important too? Seven is the number of perfection and of completion. God created the universe in seven days. This is the symbolic way of saying that while the letter will single out seven distinctively different churches, they are representative of the entire Christian church at large. John greets them with grace and peace. Grace is the traditional greeting to a friend in Greek; peace is the traditional greeting to a friend in Hebrew. It doesn’t matter whether we are Jew or Gentile; we are now one holy people in Christ Jesus (Romans 10:12, Galatians 3:28).
John brings the greetings from the triune God to his people. The greetings come from “him who is and who was and who is to come.” That is a mystical and divine name for God the Father. This is very much like when God the Father tells Moses, “I AM WHO I AM." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). These are equivalent names. They each mean that God has always been, and will always be. This is the Divine name of the Father.
Next he brings greetings from the seven spirits at the throne. That is a fancy way of saying the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:2-6). It would probably be better translated as, ‘the seven fold spirit’. Remember seven meaning complete and perfect. Only the Holy Spirit is complete and perfect. Finally, he brings greetings from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. I think that’s pretty self explanatory, don’t you? John brings greetings from the triune God – God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the Son.
For those of you who read the Dan Brown novels, such as The DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons, and The Lost Symbol; you have heard him say for years that Jesus never claimed to be God. He believes the Catholic Church made up that rumor in the fourth century to justify keeping people under their control. Well, he’s dead wrong. Revelation is written somewhere between 90 and 100 AD by a man who knew Jesus personally. The Apostle John clearly identifies Jesus as God the Son, the Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us.
Jesus will return. There will be a Second Advent, a Parousia. And, when he comes, we will finally live in the perfect Theocracy; our king will have the complete knowledge of God. He will be righteous. It will be wonderful. We will all be children of God, priests of Jesus, in heaven. Jesus will rule over a kingdom of priests. John wants us to live in confidence, with no doubt whatsoever. Jesus will come. When he arrives everyone will know it. The Baby might have snuck in under the radar, but the King will arrive with authority and power and nothing will be hidden.
Then John says something a little disconcerting. Everyone will know he is here, and everyone will mourn. Why? Why should Christians mourn? I can see why the non-believers might be upset; the ardent atheist is going to be in a really sticky situation. But, why should a life long Christian mourn? It is because everyone who pierced him will know he is back. It wasn’t just the Romans who pierced Jesus. Every sinner has pierced him. Jesus had to die to pay the debt for sin. If you have sinned, you participated in his execution. When we stand in the presence of the most Holy King and acknowledge our responsibility for his crucifixion; how can we not mourn?
Still, tears will not be the order of the day (Revelation 7:17). There is perfect forgiveness available. The Alpha and the Omega will rule over us; the beginning and the end, the start and the finish. There was a time when everything was perfect. We lived in a perfect place and God ruled over us with perfect love. That day is coming again. The new heaven and the New Jerusalem will arrive (Revelation 21:1-2). The only perfect king will be king again. And that is really good news.
How bad does a government, or even a single ruler, have to be before the people have had enough and there is a revolution? That question won’t even make sense to us. There will be no context for such an argument. It will be like baby talk and gibberish. There is no bad government, there never will be. There is only God, our God, our great and glorious king. AMEN.
H. Neil Richardson, “Last Words of David: some notes on 2 Samuel 23:1-7”, Journal of Biblical Literature 90:3 (September 1971), 257-266.
Ralph W. Klein, “The Last Words of David”, Currents in Theology and Mission 31:1 (Fall 2004), 15-23.