The House

Title: The House
Preacher: Rev. Wong Siow Hwee

Recently, Singaporeans from all walks of life have been talking about a hot topic: a house. And since a house is the place where you stay, it can have great sentimental value for many of us, especially if you have stayed in a place for decades. Though my growing-up years were in Jurong West, I still remember my childhood flat in Clementi where I could go downstairs to fly kites. I remember practicing writing numbers in a small table in the kitchen. And I remember throwing a huge tantrum alone in the room, when my parents said I had to go to bed instead of watching TV. I know of some people who would rather keep a house empty than to rent out the place, even when they were overseas for a few years; because they didn’t like the idea of outsiders staying in their house. So I guess for this group of people, if it were to be suggested that their house be turned into a museum, with strangers moving around and touching their beloved private space, they would rather demolish it than to see that happen. A house is a home, and a man's home is his castle. However, a ‘house’ can have 2 other meanings. It can also refer to the family. For example, my family members belong to the house of Wong. And some might argue that the people in the family, the kinship and relationships are far more important than the physical place. You find such discussions occurring whenever there is a public fight over an inheritance. If you win the physical house but break up the house of relationships, is it really worth it? This is something we will think about today. On a bigger scale, a ‘house’ can even refer to a nation. And it was this meaning that Lincoln used, when he quoted Jesus in saying that “A house divided against itself, cannot stand”.[1] He was arguing for the entire United States, both north and south, to be undivided as a house, fighting against slavery. So a ‘house’ can mean the physical home, the family, or even the entire country. Of these 3 houses, which of them is the most important to you?

All 3 meanings of the word ‘house’ appear in 2 Samuel 7. After David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” David was referring to the house where he was staying, and he wanted to build a house for God. But later God rejected it as unnecessary. So far, the meaning of house is still referring to the physical house. But then the meaning changed.

Nathan the prophet said (to David), 11 “‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”
Instead of David building a physical house for God, God built a house for him instead. But this time, it was a ‘house’ that referred to his family. David’s son and his future generations would continue to be watched over by God. David’s son would even become God’s own son. But here we also find the third meaning, a house that refers to his kingdom. God repeatedly referred to David’s house as “my people Israel”. Whether it was his house as a family or his house as a country, God was giving David “a house” that came with a promise: that God would never take his love away as he did to Saul.

David fully understood the double meaning of house. And so this was how he responded.
29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
The blessing for David was for his house, both his family and his kingdom to last forever. The conversation began with David wanting to build a physical house for God, but it ended with God blessing David with a house, a house that was his family and his kingdom. Which do you think was his most important house? I think it was the house that came with God’s blessing.

Why did I begin today’s sermon with this sharing about ‘house’? It is because I want to tell you that this house was in trouble. This is clear from the end of chapter 11: 26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. At this point in time, despite the fact that Uriah was killed and dead, Bathsheba was still being called Uriah’s wife. And yet, David brought Uriah’s wife to his house. Was the house referring to his palace? I think it was more than that. It was also a reference to his family and his kingdom. And David’s house was in trouble, because the Lord was displeased.

How big was this trouble? To put this directly, this was enough to end David’s house, just as how Saul’s house was ended. Essentially, David committed the same sin as Saul. And if Saul’s kingship was dismissed for this sin, then by right David should suffer the same fate. On the surface, it does seem strange to equate David and Saul’s “sins”. If not for anything, David’s sins of adultery and murder were way worse than Saul’s. But there is one key word connecting the two of them. In our passage today, that word is found in verses 4 and 6. 4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” 5 David burned with anger against the man,… 6 …, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”
This was the sin that David had committed, described by both Nathan and David himself. The key word is ‘refrained from’ and no ‘pity’. The same word is also found in Saul’s episode of sin. The word is ‘spare’.
1 Samuel 15: 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly. (see vs 3, 15)

The key word may have been translated in different ways (refrained, pity, spare), but there is a common root, which is the issue here: what do you care about? On one hand, the rich man in Nathan’s story cared about his own possessions and was unwilling to sacrifice them for the traveler. That was why he refrained from taking his own. On the other hand, as David described him, he did not care about the poor man and his deep love for his lamb. That was why he took the lamb without pity and used it. Saul’s sin was that he cared for the spoils of the war with the Amalekites. It was why he was unwilling to destroy them. And David’s sin was no different. He did not care about Uriah, and he took his wife to be his own. Whether it was caring for the wrong things, or it was not caring for the right things, David had committed the same sin as Saul. And if Saul’s house was ended with this sin, then we should expect the same for David’s house. In fact, Nathan’s verdict did sound exactly like that: 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Did you see that? The word ‘house’ is repeated twice! Like I said earlier, David’s house was in serious trouble.

Why exactly is this sin of caring or not caring such a big deal? We all have our preferences of the things we care about, or the things we cannot be bothered with. If our possessions belong to us, or if our lives belong to us, then we should have the freedom to determine where our attention lies, whether we should care or don’t care about this or that. But the challenge here is the ‘if’. Do our possessions and our lives really belong to us? Or are they really a grace from God? And if our lives and possessions are really a grace from God, then I think we really should ponder if we are putting our cares on the right things.

And this was the same challenge from Nathan to David: all that you have comes from the grace of God. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. Again, we see the double meaning of ‘house’. David’s family and his kingdom were both a grace from God. David’s house belonged to God. And when he put his cares on the wrong things such as Uriah’s wife, or when he did not care about the right things such as Uriah, then this was a big deal. As David himself acknowledged: 13 “I have sinned against the Lord.”

In my mind, David was mistaken about his true house. He thought his physical house was his security. The place where he could relax while his men were out fighting a war; the place he could stand above others, looking into other people’s business; the place he could do his secret deeds, and plan his secret schemes. And a place from which he could take and bring back the possessions of others. But palace walls could not hide him from God. And in putting his security and cares in the wrong places, he had brought trouble to his true house, his family and his kingdom.

Will David’s house survive this trouble? Will it be God’s promise of blessings, or will it be God’s judgment that will prevail? From the looks of today’s passage alone, we do not have anything definite. I believe a lot of it will depend on David’s future actions and decisions. Just because God blesses, it doesn’t mean it will be smooth-sailing. And just because God judges, it doesn’t mean it will be irreversible doom. This is why our theology is to co-create our lives with God. Our future continues to be shaped by the path we have chosen in our walk with God.

But for now thankfully, David had come to fully realise that his house, especially his family and his kingdom, belonged to God. As a king, he might have thought in the earlier chapter that he could send or take whatever he fancied. But now he realised that his house was actually his responsibility from God to be managed, both his family and his kingdom. And we see this immediately when disaster struck. When his child was ill, he interceded for his child, even though that was to no avail. When his wife was grieving, he was there to comfort her, and this time they were blessed with another child. And in the earlier chapter, David remained in Jerusalem “at the time when kings go off to war” (11:1), he sent Joab instead to fight his battles. But this time, when Joab called, it was he who answered, in order to finish the battle. And we also see how he continued to manage the house, by putting all the Ammonites from war to nation building.

Brothers and sisters, what is your true house? We spend a lot of our time and effort on the physical house, looking for the right place, renovating it to satisfaction, and years servicing the mortgage loans. A nice place to stay is no doubt a daily comfort, a shelter in times of storm. But perhaps we can also be equally mindful of the house that comes as a blessing from God, by that I mean our family and our nation. Sometimes a family can fall apart and sometimes even a nation may break. What I learned from today’s passage is an acknowledgement that our house is actually a grace from God, and we have to cherish this gift. And the way to cherish it is by Hesed. As Rev. Enoch said, in the first sermon of the series, to show hesed is to honor the commitment made. To show hesed involves being gracious, kind and merciful. As family members, we have a commitment to one another. What did David do when he realized the true importance of his house? He prayed for his children. I think we can do the same. He comforted his wife. We can also do the same. It is in these little deeds as a parent or as a child, as husband or wife, that we cherish the house. To me, the family is the true house, and staying committed to this house, is far more important than serving the physical house. If your house has been broken over inheritance and wills, I hope you listen to my message and show hesed, and mend the house with acts of love, such as praying and comforting, even forgiving. We should also show hesed to our other house, the country. As fellow citizens, we have a commitment to the betterment of the nation. When we honor this commitment, by being kind and gracious to the less fortunate, we cherish the house. Lastly, we have a commitment to God’s house. May we show love in all that we do, and that’s the best way to show our love for God.
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln%27s_House_Divided_Speech