Covenants & Commitments

"For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God" (2Sam.7:24)

David was a poet. God is a poet. And they were friends. Much of the Old Testament is written in poetry. We should remember that, and read the Word that way. And I think I know the reason why.

God inspires the beauty inside of us.

In 2Sam.7 David gives a beautiful prayer of praise to the Lord after being told that he cannot build the Lord a house. What a righteous goal, though. David sees his palace of cedar and the Lord tabernacle of tents, and recognizes that something's wrong. God's house should be bigger than his, and He doesn't even have a house. But, as the Lord explains, it's because He has been wandering with His people Israel. In fact, this chapter is a great description of covenants, what they are and why they're needed.

Before I get into that though, I want to take a quick look at Nathan the prophet, and prophets in general. So, paraphrasing 7:2-5: David has this wonderful idea to build a house for the Lord. Nathan gives not only his approval, but implies that God desires it as well. "And Nathan said unto the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee" (2Sam7:3). Nathan was probably thinking that not only did David have a good idea, but it sounded like an inspired idea. And maybe it was. What was there to make Nathan think for a second that God would veto David's request? David desired the glory of God with all his heart, and God had blessed him and given His Spirit to him. Then, that night, the Lord spoke to Nathan, explaining that David would not build Him a house, but another of his posterity. I guess that what I'm trying to get at with this story is that don't assume that every word from a prophet's mouth is the voice of God. Or that having said one thing, another cannot be said. Prophets are people. Let them be. And give yourself the space to acknowledge God.

Now, covenants. God does not have a house because Israel did not have a house, and He was with them. He went to redeem them (2Sam7:23) that they would be His people, and they would be His God. So, to make this simple, a covenant is commitment to a relationship. It's like marriage. You promise to help each other out. To promise to only them. Your relationship is special, and cannot be shared or imitated with another. You're committing to each other. You have the same goals. And, the most important, you love each other. And that's why you commit. Because sometimes the road is going to be bumpy. Sometimes love isn't enough. But you committed, and sometimes that promise can get you through the tough years so that you can arrive exhausted and happy and have so much love you can't hold it all. In fact, it's those tough years that make you love each other more.

People Will Be Human 2Sam3

We have seen it before, and are seeing it again: drama. The Old Testament has been divided into different sectioins of writing, and 2Samuel is still history. This means that what I'm reading isn't doctrine or holy thesis, but is about God dealing with men, men dealing with God, and men dealing with men. The latter gets the most messy.

For example, in 2Sam.3, we see bad things happen, sad things, that are messy and have no clear solution. Abner is accused by his king, which makes him turn to serve David; David wants his wife Michal back, who married him first but then was given to another man, and when she comes back: "her [second]husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned." (2Sam3:16); Joab kills Abner because he killed his brother, even though Abner was helping David become king of all Israel. See, messy. It is a part of the blood cycle, those who won't forgive and those who want revenge, all around in a circle that has no end.

David ends the chapter with what I call 'King David's Motto': "the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his own wickedness" (2Sam3:39). David says this a lot, especially to King Saul. It is very political, but based on doctrine all the same. This is David's way of saying, I don't want to deal with this, it's messy, everyone is wrong and right at the same time, I'll just let it be and if God wants to deal with it He can. So, yes, political, but also it always David to forgive others. In this there is at least some small recognition that he is no judge, the Lord is. It allows him to be merciful.

Holding Hands

This blog is supposed to be about discovering God, but I keep talking about us, humans. But, maybe there is something to that. Because, apparently, God also likes to talk about us, watch us, help us, and overall is concerned with our wellbeing. It makes sense then that He is our Father. He does very Father-like things.

Also, if I want to know more about God, who He is and all that, then looking at David isn't such a bad idea. He is the John the Beloved of the Old Testament, the Friend of God, favored. This teaches us two things: first, God probably liked David because he did things that were similar to his Father, and so to know David is to know more of the personality of God; second, that God knew the end from the beginning, that David was going to commit adultery and murder, would repent, but still not be able to make it to 3rd degree celestial, and still loved him anyways. God will bless our righteousness now, even knowing what wickedness we will do. Now, that is justice, and that is mercy. And, that is love.

So, what can we learn from David? Lately, I have been occupied by the verse, "life up the hands that hang down." (see Isaiah 35:3; Hebrews 12:12; D&C 81:5) And so imagine my surprise when I read this:

"Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them" (2Sam. 2:7)

Hands hang down because people die, money is lost, children get sick, and life is hard. But, but, God will always provide a way for these hands to be strengthened again, to be brave when all we really want to do is cry. And David was that person. He did not gloat over the death of his enemy and king, nor his new appointment to kingship. He just recognized their sorrow, and let them know that even in grief they have something to look forward to. Hope is not gone, nor is the future. Maybe that's why God likes David, because he holds hands. Sometimes God doesn't change history, or take my hurt away, but He will sit with me while I cry, and hold my hand.

"The beauty of Israel is slain" 2Sam1

"The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen![...]Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions[...]Ye daughters of Israel, weep[...]How are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle! O Jonathan, thou was slain in thine high places" (2Sam.1:19-25)

Although there are conflicting accounts of exactly how Saul and Jonathan died, compare the last chapter of 1Sam with the first chapter of 2Sam, either way it was an epic, tragic death of a king and his heir. No matter Saul's faults, he was a mighty man, and the first anointed king of Israel. He is worthy of mourning.

There are so many things to say about the end of Saul and the full rise of David thereafter, but I'm not going to say much. Just that David really is a poet, and his lament over the death of his master and his best friend is beautiful, and should be read.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 135, John Taylor echoes David's words when he describes the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph, and his brother the Patriarch, Hyrum: "In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!" (D&C135:3).

The difference here is that while Joseph and Hyrum's place with God had been assured, Saul's eternal standing remains unclear. We cannot judge. We don't know everything. I would be happy though, to go to the presence of God one day, and see that he and his son were there. If not, then David truly has cause to mourn. And so do we for such a tragedy of souls.

"the LORD answered him not" 1Sam28

"And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets" (1 Sam. 28:6)

Saul, as we've seen him do again and again, tries hard, but in the end has a fatal misunderstanding of the LORD. He has been seeking to kill David because of his own paranoia and his inability to maintain a relationship with God, which was a requirement for his appointment as King of Israel. That's why he is judged a little harsher, his actions have greater consequences. But as he makes mistakes, albeit, understandable mistakes, he still cannot understand or refuses to repent.

In the above quote, Saul is in trouble and is looking for advice from the Lord. Great. But, he is not getting any answers. So he goes to all the right sources. Urim, means of revelation connected to the temple. So he went to the high priest and the tabernacle, the holy place. Check. He went to the prophets. Check. But still no answer. So he goes to "familiar spirits." The spirit of Samuel answers and says that the "LORD is departed from thee, and become thine enemy." (28:16)A thing which, apparently, Saul was aware of, since God wasn't answering the telephone, his cellphone, or email.

But, it takes two to tango. The Lord had departed Saul because Saul was the first to leave Him. God had become Saul's enemy because Saul turned against Him first, seeking to kill His anointed, David, as well as other sins and disobedience. And, the means of repair is easy. Saul just has to return to God, whom he had departed from. He has to become God's friend, whom he had made an enemy. This is called repentance.

Yet, nowhere in the scriptures does it say that Saul repented. He was sorry for his mistakes, but he did not sacrifice to make himself clean, or confess his sins. He had forgotten the way back to God.

Sometimes the same things happen to us. We feel like the Lord is far away, and isn't coming back. That's when we have to say sorry first. We're the ones who made the mistake, and we all know it. We cannot wait, we cannot afford to wait, for Him to come to us. We have to drop everything, even pride, and go to where He is. Besides, usually where we are isn't all that fun, or happy. Why stay there?"

Beloved

You are the hugs

That never held me

as a child,

the kisses that never tasted

that bitter blood.

But your tongue

Now lingers over

the raised scar tissue

from bicycles and potato peelers.

You are

Who my soul loves.

You are mine, beloved.

You tell me stories.

You had your own Brutus,

A knife in the back.

Your own Judas,

A kiss on the cheek.

But here you are now.

Ruth has followed

you home.

Welcome home.

I am yours, beloved.

Now let us go

Sing the song!

Let us go

to Solomon’s garden!

Let us go

To the Holiness!

You dress me in robes.

On you I place a crown.

Kneel with me.

We whisper between the cherubim.

“We are yours, Beloved.”

"The Lord Passed By"

"And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." (1Kings19:11-12)

After the 3.11 disaster in Sendai, my mission president Tateoka sent us off, evacuated, with these scriptures. After the tsunami and earthquake and Fukushima nuclear blowup there were a lot of fingers being pointed. Some were even saying that this was God's punishment on a wicked people. Maybe they're right in a way, God certainly didn't stop the tides. But, there were miracles.

There's a lot I'm trying to say, a lot that this scripture says, so many things to say for those who can't say anything for themselves. But I guess that what this blog is, is trying to discover the reality of that last part: "after the fire a still small voice." So I'm opening my ears to listen, looking for that face I used to know so well. And instead of waiting for Him, I'm searching out that still small voice on any of the winds.

Speak. I'm listening.