David And The Beginning Of Royal Messianism
Right beside the king's palace within the citadel of Zion, stood the Ark of the Covenant of Mosheh, the throne of YAHWEH, invisible and present. David, who was devout, concerned himself continually about the worship to be paid to YAHWEH, the protector of the house of Yacob. One day he had the prophet Nathan summoned to his presence to discuss this question.
Nathan is a new character who now comes on the scene. He was called on to play a role of the highest importance at David's and Solomon's court in the spiritual, and even the political spheres. David appears to have adopted him as adviser in certain very difficult cases. On occasion Nathan had no hesitation in admonishing the king severely. For the time being, however, he was merely called in consultation about the project of building the tabernacle.
David spoke: 'Look,' he said, 'I am living in a house of cedar while the Ark of YAHWEH dwells in a tent.' Nathan considered the king's remark to be a very proper one in the circumstances. 'Go and do all that is in your mind,’ he replied, 'for YAHWEH is with you.' Was David to be the founder of the Tabernacle?
YAHWEH Does Not Allow David To Build The Tabernacle
The next day, of his own accord, Nathan came into the king's presence to inform him of a revelation that he had received during the night. The substance of the message was that it was not to be David who would build a house in stone for YAHWEH, it was YAHWEH who would build a (genealogical) royal house for David. This was a revelation which in some sort connects the whole plan of the Old Covenant with the beginning of the New.
YAHWEH 'refused' the building which David proposed to put up to shelter the Ark, the reason being given that for a long time YAHWEH had lived a wanderer's life in a tent, and never had he told the Shophtim, appointed as shepherds of Yisrael, to build him a tabernacle of cedar wood. YAHWEH showed his disapproval of a permanent building and seemed to want to retain the nomad customs of the wilderness. This reason, as it is given by the Scriptural writer, seems difficult to accept: in the time of Solomon YAHWEH agreed to the idea of a tabernacle to be built in Yerusalem, but the same arguments put forward previously still keep their force. A different explanation, that given in Divre Hayamim, seems preferable; there it is David himself, when he was very old and near to death, who explained the matter to Solomon, his heir: 'My son, my heart was set on building a house for the name of YAHWEH my ALMIGHTY. But the word of YAHWEH came to me (probably through the prophet Nathan), "You have shed much blood and fought great battles; it is not for you to build a house for my name, since you have shed so much blood on the earth in my presence'" (1 Divre Hayamim 22:7-8). Later on David returns to the matter: 'I have made preparations for building, but YAHWEH has said to me, "You are not to build a house for my name, for you have been a man of war and have shed blood'" (1 Divre Hayamim 28:2-3).
The king went on to explain that by YAHWEH's express will it was Solomon, heir to the crown, who would be charged with building the Tabernacle. Later still, on YAHWEH's orders (again very probably through the mouth of Nathan the prophet) David was to bequeath to Solomon not only many gold and silver ingots intended to constitute the treasury of the Tabernacle and to ensure the construction of the splendid liturgical furniture, but also the detailed plans of the tabernacle in which the Ark of the Covenant was to rest. YAHWEH no longer spoke of his desire that the Ark should remain in a tent. Quite certainly it was the blood that had been shed -and there was a great quantity of it which was the deciding factor. 11
The blow to David was a heavy one. As if to soften it the second part of Nathan's message informed David of something quite extraordinary: YAHWEH was to grant a remarkable favour to David's descendants: 'Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.
David then went into the tent where the Ark was and, in eastern fashion, seated himself on the ground to pray (2 Schmuel 7:18-29):
'Who am I, ALMIGHTY YAHWEH, and what is my House, that YOU have led me as far as this? Yet in YOUR sight ALMIGHTY YAHWEH, this is still not far enough, and YOU make YOUR promises to extend to the House of YOUR servant for a far distant future. ...There is none like YOU, no God but YOU alone, as our own ears have heard. ... You have constituted YOUR people Yisrael to be YOUR own people for ever....Yes, ALMIGHTY YAHWEH, YOU are Sovereign Ruler indeed, YOUR words are true and YOU have given this fair promise to YOUR servant For YOU, ALMIGHTY YAHWEH, have spoken and with YOUR blessing the House of YOUR servant will be for ever blessed.'
11 Here again we have two divergent traditions which the Scriptural writer drawing on different literary sources. has set side by side without trying to combine them.
King David and the Foundation of Yerusalem Index King David Sitemap Scripture History Through the Ages