Now, we do not want to be too down on Solomon, just as we do not want to be too down on David. Both were men, prone to corruption and failures, as evidenced by the Biblical record that is unflinching and unswerving in its criticism of those that find themselves deserving of such. We have, in some ways, laid bare the life of David, but the faithful God of Israel is not diminished in the least. With our first look into the life of Solomon, we find him following what would seem to be the less-than-noble path that had been previously traveled by his father. Our examination of Solomon will, of necessity, include an examination of the idolatrous, exile generating practices into which he fell. However, what we will also find is that God, viewed through the life of Solomon, continues to stand undiminished. To quote the Apostle Paul, albeit slightly out of context as we consider the lives of men that God raised up and anointed, but who often failed and fell, we say “What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? Absolutely not!” (Romans 3:3-4a) God’s redemptive plan, of rescue and deliverance for His image-bearers and His creation, will continue its inexorable and indefatigable march towards its consummating eschatological climax!
So quickly looking again at Solomon, so as to “rescue” him from consignment to the realm of politically calculating tyrants, we can revisit our analysis of what Solomon had actually undertaken in the executions that he had ordered near the commencement of his reign. We decided that Solomon began his journey on to the exodus path of God’s purposes for him, and for Israel through his leadership, by bringing about a state of exile (death) for those that might be able to thwart the purposes that had been determined by God; and that he took it upon himself to eliminate those that were potential rivals to his power that could either subjugate him, or alternately, lead God’s people down a path not purposed by the Lord, which could then lead to their subjugation. Solomon’s “rescue” is accomplished by our acknowledging that in this area, Solomon becomes something of a mimicking forerunner of Jesus. No, Jesus did not put his political opponents to death, but rather, dealt with the power that stood behind any and all opposition to His purposes (and the purposes of God---recognizing that Jesus, as Messiah, was the embodiment of the Creator God). That power to which Jesus delivered exile, to which He stood up to eliminate, to which He would not be subject, to which He would ultimately not allow God’s people to be subject, was death itself.
Beyond all of these things, as we return briefly to the “Davidic ruler” promise of Jeremiah, we reiterate that it is a promise upon which all of Israel heavily relies, with that reliance reaching its zenith, in terms of the Scriptural narrative, with the eventual coming of Jesus and the Christ-event. The promise of a permanent dynasty implies a land over which to be ruled, as a ruling, dynastic presence hardly carries any meaning without a land and a people over which to rule. Israel, of course, traced the promise of a land of their own, which would represent God’s favor and faithfulness, all the way back to Abraham. In much the same way, the whole of humanity can trace a promise in regards to land to its first parents, and the promise to Abraham takes up the task of that initial promise that had been forfeited by the receivers. Therefore, the promise of a Davidic ruler is of tremendous importance as it relates to the exile and exodus narrative with which the divine catalog is thoroughly imbued, as another lens through which we are able to view the faithful, covenant-making, Creator God’s plan of salvation.
The raising up of a Davidic ruler, thoughts of which must be in the background as Israel’s history between David and Jesus is explored, is going to be significant on a number of levels. Certainly it would produce hopes of a king like David, who would be a man of war and a cunning military strategist, wielding purposeful power over Israel and the surrounding lands and peoples, as God worked through such a ruler to establish His kingdom. More importantly though, the coming of a Davidic ruler would, perhaps more than anything else, prove up God’s faithfulness, corroborating the historical narrative upon which Israel has staked its position in the world. The story of that faithfulness, and a trusting response to that faithfulness, began with Abraham and the covenant of being blessed and being a blessing. This Davidic promise from the book of Jeremiah carries with it Abrahamic covenant overtones and undertones, and by it, the promise of a Davidic ruler becomes intertwined with that initial covenantal promise with Abraham that provides structure for God’s plans and purposes for His people (Israel and renewed Israel) for all time.
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