Evening
Read 2 Samuel 7:18-29
Silence is kept for two minutes.
8 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; 29 now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
Reflection
In 2 Samuel 7, David stands in awe at the promises of God, not their fulfillment, merely the promise itself. In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, John describes the “word becoming flesh.” Another way of saying this, is that God himself comes as the confirmation that he keeps his promises. Two things are important here. First, Matthew’s Gospel begins with a genealogy tracing the heritage of Jesus straight back to David. The same David who speaks in 2 Samuel 7. This isn’t some fancy biblical trick showing how there are prophecies given in the Bible about Jesus. Rather this highlights, that God’s promises are always a part of a story. Second, God’s promises always entail God dwelling with and near his people. The “word becomes flesh” or as Eugene Peterson translates it, “moves into the neighborhood.” God does not promise and fulfill from far off, rather he promises by speaking a word and fulfills his promises by fully embodying that word in Jesus, the Son.
Prayer
Lord confirm to me your promises. Help me to draw near to you as you have drawn near to me.