King David and the Temple
I've been reading 1 Chronicles. Almost finished it.
This afternoon I was surprised to read that Nathan originally told King David that he should go ahead and build YHWH a temple, before God told him that he didn't want David to build it (17:1-6). I think Nathan would have had to be pretty humble to go back to David the next day and admit he'd been wrong.
When YHWH says:
'I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' (17:5-6)it seems to me as though he is suggesting that he is a wild deity, and that David is (conscuiously or unconsciously) trying to contain or domesticate him.
This reminds me of one of Pro Hart's paintings, which we saw at his gallery in Broken Hill:
It's called The Search for God. I'm finding it hard to put into words why I've been reminded of this painting though.
Any ideas?
2 comments:
I look at the painting and think if I was God I wouldn't want people building me a house either. The painting illustrates so many wrong concepts that people have about God.
Goes to show that Nathan--man/prophet of God that he was--was still human like the rest of us.
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