Psalm 89: A Hymn in Time of National Struggle – Part III
Thursday, January 23, 2025
The next several posts were published in 2018, and they seem appropriate this year in a time when nations around the globe struggle to find effective, authentic, life-giving governance.
Finding the Servant
Moving forward into 2 Samuel, we see that King Saul and his son Jonathan die, the former David’s nemesis, the latter David’s dearest friend. Ordering the execution of the messenger who brings him this news, David says, You brought this on yourself. You condemned yourself when you confessed that you killed the one whom the Lord chose to be king. And so we consider, when we navigate the turbulent waters of national conflict, do we live by the standards of our times or do we open our hearts to other ways?
Following instructions and bolstered by the Lord, the young king leads his troops in victory as they bring the Ark back to Jerusalem. We might pause in chapter 6 for the accounting of Uzzah who acts in his own time rather than God’s; and we watch David move forward cautiously in the arc of his reign. In Chapter 7, David prays, Sovereign Lord! What more can I say to you! You know me, your servant. It was your will and purpose to do this; you have done all these great things in order to instruct me. How great you are, Sovereign Lord! And so as we reflect we consider, Do we add to the violence or do we work for the way of peace?
In Chapters 11 and 12, we discover that the gifted and blessed young king succumbs to the easy temptation of deceit, infidelity, betrayal and even murder. The prophet Nathan uses a parable to bring David to the reality of his offenses. Nathan said to David. “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul. I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much. Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands? David confesses and repents, and then he hears the news that darkness will cloud his own future. The intertwining lives of David, Nathan, Bathsheba, Uriah and the yet unborn sons Solomon and Absalom play out before us. And so as we reflect we consider, Do we add to the violence we experience or do we look for the way of peace?
The faithful servant stumbles. Our generous God forgives. Betrayal or fidelity, desperation or hope, hatred or love. Clear choices with difficult paths lie before us when the word of the Lord is rare and visions are scarce in our lives.
We hear this story . . . we take it in . . . and then we reply . . . O Lord, I will always sing of your constant love; I will proclaim your faithfulness forever.
Tomorrow, God always abides.
Compare other translations of these verses by using the scripture links and drop-down menus.
For other reflections on Uzzah and the ox cart, enter his name into the blog search bar and explore.
Images from: https://allenvandermeulen.org/2015/08/02/sermon-silence/ and
The Noontimes 