King David looms large throughout Scripture – he is the second King of Israel, but it is under him that Israel, as the Unified Kingdom, reaches its furthest extent – A David is held up as the example of a king – and it is to David that there is this great promise of God – “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.”
Yet where did that throne go? Where is that Kingdom? – While his son Solomon inherited the throne – after him, it split between the 10 tribes in the north and the two in the south, with a king of the house of David only sitting on the throne of Judah in Jerusalem, a small kingdom in the south – that unified kingdom of Israel is no more.
Even that small kingdom fell to the Babylonians in 587 BC – Jerusalem conquered – Judah sent into exile – there is no kingdom – there is no throne – what of God’s promise to David? - “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.”
Under The Persian empire, they returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple – Later, they were under the Ptolemaic Kingdom – then the Seleucid Empire – Then, at last, they had a short time as a kingdom once again– under the Hasmonean dynasty – … - But not the house of David – the throne of David still empty –and after a short time this kingdom ends when the Romans come in – for nearly 600 years there had been no King on the Throne of David – There is no kingdom of David – where is God’s promise?
We often have a view of how God should fulfill what he promises – yet how often we do not understand – how often is God’s timing we might not be what we think – Surely there were many who thought that promise to David is over – yet the promise of God holds firm – not always how we expect, usually very different but far more than we expect – then we would plan.
For the answer to this promise to David is not found in a military leader – nor any economic elite – but instead, one must look to Nazareth – a town supported by a single well - a small town of such little importance that it did not show up on maps until the 3rd century – Yet it is here that God’s plan is revealed – it is here in Nazareth that there is the answer to God’s promise to David is found – through a visit to a humble virgin – one conceived without sin – the annunciation to Mary – and her fiat - "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
For what does the answer Gabriel say? – “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." – For it is a child born of the virgin who will inherit the throne of David – who will rule forever– not just a temporal kingdom on earth – but The Kingdom of Heaven – not just a throne of a small region of the Middle East – but Heaven and Earth – King of the Universe.
Unexpected? – yes – but greater – far greater than any reasonable expectation – for greater than any plan of ours – for Christ is not merely a human king – but the son of God, the second person of the trinity taken on flesh, born for the salvation of the world, freeing not so much from the Romans, but sin and death! – “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever." – A promise held firm – truly fulfilled – even not as expected – no army, no great general – no territorial empire at the expanse of the territory of King David – yet fulfilled in a way far greater – through that simple fiat of a virgin in a town not even on any map. Something unexpected.
God's promise holds sure – even if it is in unexpected ways – the annunciation – the birth of Christ – the son of God – not the expected, but superior –as we prepare for Christmas - A celebration not far away - less than 24 hours away – in fact, the first Christmas Mass is only 5 hours away – We are making our final Advent preparations – We have our expectations and plans about how things should go – how God should fulfill his promises – what grace we ought to receive - but it is not us who decides – for it is usually not what we expect – just as Christ was not what anyone expected when David was promised “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.” – but God did fulfill that promise in a way far greater than expected – there in a manager 2023 years ago.