A Just and Godly Ruler—Lectionary Reflections for Christ the King Sunday (2 Samuel 23)

 

2 Samuel 23:1-7 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

23 Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
    the oracle of the man whom God exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
    the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:

² The spirit of the Lord speaks through me;
    his word is upon my tongue.
³ The God of Israel has spoken;
    the Rock of Israel has said to me:
“One who rules over people justly,
    ruling in the fear of God,
⁴ is like the light of morning,
    like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
    gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.”

⁵ Is not my house like this with God?
    For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
    ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
    all my help and my desire?
⁶ But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away,
    for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
⁷ to touch them one uses an iron bar
    or the shaft of a spear.
    And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

                *******************

                The liturgical year comes to an end with Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday. We start in Advent pondering the coming of the Messiah. As the year progresses, we consider Christ’s birth, baptism, ministry, death, and resurrection, followed by his ascension and the coming of the Spirit upon the church at Pentecost. Now, that “Ordinary Time” has ended, we conclude by emphasizing the coming reign of Christ. After that, we begin with a new cycle.

Traditionally this Sunday is called Christ the King Sunday, but many see the concept of king and even monarchy being anachronistic and patriarchal. Thus, some speak of Reign of Christ Sunday. Either is appropriate because they emphasize Christ’s rule. Of course, there are those who would raise questions about divine power and sovereignty. But these are debates that we can, at least for now, leave to others. In this reflection, I focus on the first reading for Christ the King Sunday, which comes from 2 Samuel 23. The passage before us is known as the “Last Words of David.” 

                The connection between David and Jesus is strong. The Gospels envision Jesus being the Messiah, the son of David. Though Jesus’ understanding of what that meant differed from most of his contemporaries, who envisioned a warrior, not a prophet, who ended up dead. Nevertheless, this song or oracle in 2 Samuel 23 is a worthy companion to the other texts chosen for Reign of Christ Sunday. It’s worth noting that this song follows another oracle attributed to David. In 2 Samuel 22, we find David’s “Song of Thanksgiving,” which celebrates his deliverance from his enemies, including Saul. That song begins with the words:

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

³     my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation,

    my stronghold and my refuge,

    my savior; you save me from violence.

⁴ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

    and I am saved from my enemies. 

So, even if the “Last Words of David” doesn’t mark the end of David’s story in 2 Samuel (there is still another chapter and a half), with these two songs in play, the end is in sight. This is, we are told, the oracle of “the man whom God exalted, the anointed of the God of Jacob and the favorite of the Strong one of Israel.”

                David was not a perfect man or king, and yet he has been honored throughout history as Israel’s greatest king. Not even Solomon in all his glory was greater than his father, even if his empire was greater in area and he was the one who built the Temple. Solomon played his role, but David was the fountainhead of this nation. For Christians, David is the honored ancestor of Jesus, whose throne Jesus inherited, even if it was not an earthly kingdom. That is because David is the anointed one, the first Messiah, the one whom God exalted above all others. That honor that was placed upon him leads to this oracle that defines David’s special place in God’s heart. Even if David was a rather complex character, whose life and reign were marked by scandal and tragedy, he is still recognized as the exalted one, whose kingdom shall have no end (even though the remnant of that kingdom ended in the sixth century BCE).  

                Because this is Christ the King Sunday, we might want to read this oracle through the lens offered by the second reading for the day, that being Revelation 1:4b-8.

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

⁷ Look! He is coming with the clouds;

    every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him,

    and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.

So it is to be. Amen.

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

This apocalyptic text, which envisions Jesus coming in the clouds, is described as the “ruler of the kings of the earth.” This reading from Revelation reminds us that human authorities have a temporary role, but God is the Alpha and Omega. Therefore, the buck stops with God. Not even David can outshine God.

It is with that understanding we can read David’s oracle that expresses his own sense of purpose. The focus here is on God, who speaks through David. His oracle speaks of the one who rules justly in the fear of God. Such a person (David) is “like the light of the morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.” That sounds rather glorious. 

                The oracle speaks of David, who is understood to be “exalted of God,” “anointed of God,” and the “favorite of the Strong One of Israel.” These three descriptors of David exalt him to an honored place in the heart of God. It is on this basis that God covenants with David and his house (his dynastic house?). It is, David proclaims, an everlasting covenant. This covenant orders everything for David, such that God will cause David and his household to prosper. This is the kind of word that a community would hold on to, especially if that community was trying to rebuild after experiencing exile. The oracle points back to the one whom God chose to lead the people of Israel, and the covenant that established that reign was eternal. Surely the expectation was for someone from the Davidic line to reclaim the throne and restore Israel to its former glory.

                The oracle concludes with a word concerning the godless who are like thorns to be thrown away. They can’t be easily picked up by hand, but with an iron bar or a spear shaft, it’s possible. In the end, they will be consumed by fire. Who the godless might be, is not specified. But surely, they include the enemies of David and his dynasty. They will, David foresees, be defeated and destroyed.

                We read these words on the final Sunday of the Church year while celebrating the coming reign of Christ. The interpretation that Christians might bring to this passage will point to Jesus being the one who fulfills this oracle. He is the exalted one whose reign will never end. The word about the thorns serves as a reminder that judgment is part of the process. There are different ways of envisioning judgment, but at the very least there is here the possibility that entering God’s realm involves some form of refining fire. Some things simply don’t belong in God’s realm, and they must be set aside so that God’s reign will lead to true prosperity.