OT Israel Kingdom [Wednesday in Advent 2]

TEXT ONLY

READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:

• Malachi 3:1-5, 4:5-6

• St. Matthew 11:11-15

 

Grace to you and peace from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come; from Jesus Christ the faithful Witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. (Rev 1)
 
Jesus speaks in both Malachi and St. Matthew of His Kingdom, saying:

“Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”, and

“the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple”. So we will follow Jesus and think on His Kingdom of Israel.

 
To recap from last Wednesday: we said that Geographic Israel of earth and map was unimportant if we only understand it in terms of God, His blessings, and the end of the world. Though God’s plans for salvation mention an “Israel” as a tract of land, that land’s only purpose was to exist as a place for Jesus to be born, God Incarnate.
 
And that is the end, or completion, of the geographic Israel. We should expect no more from a piece of land, except that it today host a Church of Word and Sacrament.
 
Tonight we will ponder the Old testament Israel. Though it too is found by being on land, we will be focusing on it as a kingdom and its institution and organization. We don’t have to worry about land or maps, because the kingdom of Israel was instituted by promise, not treaty or war. 
 
It is the promise made to Abraham when there was no land yet. But the way God works is that He creates from nothing. He makes those things lovely which He will love. So too in this case. Though there was no land or king yet, the Lord still made the Promise. Yes, it was a promise of land, but first and foremost it was a promise of care and concern.
 
Listen to it again: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:1-3)
 
Notice how the land doesn’t matter, only that God will show it when it is appropriate. What matters more is the blessing, as God repeats it five times in just two sentences. Indeed, the Lord’s purpose in creating His Old Testament kingdom on earth is nothing but noble. He says in Isaiah 65, “But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness” (v. 18).
 
What joy and gladness are coming from Israel today? None. What adherence to God’s covenant is being held in Israel today? None. Even the Old Testament Kingdom that the Lord creates, is supposed to be a blessing, but which king accomplished that?
 
Was it Saul who quickly lost faith and the throne? Was it David the adulterer whose sons caused havoc in the kingdom? Was it Solomon, a greater king than his father David and a greater adulterer, whose sons would divide the kingdom and lead it to its destruction?
 
When we think about an earthly kingdom, what is it that makes one up? You need a king to rule, victories against enemies, and prosperity for citizens. The king must guard his heart against idolatry (specifically by not marrying foreign wives [17:17]); he must not rely on the power that comes with extreme wealth (17:17); and finally, he must rule according to God's law (17:18-20).
 
The Lord was always fighting for and giving victories to Israel, even from Joshua on. “Go up to battle”, says the Lord, “and I will deliver them into your hands” (Josh 11:8), many times. He promises the people, “you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, in Exodus 19:6.
 
The problem we run into when we try to bring these promises forward in time, to an earthly kingdom of Israel, is when God describes this kingdom as eternal. He says to King David, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam 7:16).
 
The “forever” word is the problem because kingdoms don’t last forever, much less do people. Now, we can squirrel our way out and make excuses for God saying He meant it figuratively and He meant it for future generations. But where is it all today?
 
Thus, the kingdom is based on Promise and the Promise of God is forever. The Old Testament is the Testament of Promise, the promise to fulfill the prophesy of David’s throne being occupied forever. Forever only applies to God. God must sit on David’s throne then.
 
So it is that the Lord turns our ears and hearts to St. Gabriel who utters these words, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (St. Luke 1:32-33).
 
There is no way around the Christ. You may want to redraw maps or rebuild an Old Testament kingdom, but the truth of the matter is, it all points to Jesus. Jesus is the Old Testament Covenant, for it promises a Messiah. Jesus is the true king, Who lives forever, forever occupying His father, David’s, throne. He is of the line of David through St. Mary. 
 
He is the eternal victorious, having conquered His people’s enemies of sin, death, and the devil. He is the true, High Priest, and He alone is Holy. So why is there doubt about this today? There is doubt and confusion over the kingdom because our sinful nature wants castles and gold. We refuse to believe that the Kingdom can be victorious through water, bread, and wine.
 
And that’s it. It is a battle over whether or not God needs us to rebuild His kingdom here or if He has already established His Kingdom in His Son and His Son’s Bride, the Church. The Kingdom is built on the Promise and the Promise comes from God. So if God is making the promises, He will fulfill it how He wants and when He wants, at His good pleasure.
 
And we all know and believe that the Father’s pleasure resides with the Son, and not any moldy throne room. The Father is pleased with His Son alone. If we want God’s Kingdom to come among us also, here on earth, we must go along with how God wants the Kingdom to come, which is through Word and Sacrament.