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     The promise made to David was seen by the early Christian community as applying to Jesus, "Son of David."  Historically, David united the twelve "tribes" of Israel and established a kingdom with its political and military capital at Jerusalem.  He also centralized all Jewish worship at a temple in Jerusalem.  Prior to that time, the "temple" was a collection of tents containing the Ark of the Covenant.  The temple was completed in Solomon's time and its construction nearly bankrupted the kingdom.  Solomon's successor proved to be so tyrannical that a revolt took place and the kingdom was divided.  Eventually the kingdom and the temple would be destroyed both North and South.  In Jesus' day, it was a Roman territory, with a recently renovated temple which Herod the Great had accomplished.  In Jesus' time, the importance of the temple was huge, even if controversial because it required monetary as well as material donations to support.  All of this entered into Jesus' ministry as we can see in gospel incidents about paying the "temple tax" (Matt. 17:24), the action of Jesus in "cleansing the temple" (John 2:16), paying tribute to Caesar (Luke 20:22).  

     The early Christian community saw itself as a "New Israel."  The Twelve Apostles were symbolic of the twelve tribes.  They were to be a new "kingdom in which Christ ruled."  This put them at odds with the Roman empire in which only Caesar was king and led to persecution that would last more than three hundred years.  The tension still exists when Christian values clash with civil values and when we attribute religious significance to purely political gestures and policies.  

     The Old Testament scriptures we are hearing about David and his long-ago kingdom are not mere history.  They shaped the way the Christian community saw themselves, and continue to shape the way the Jewish community understands the political entity which is the country of Israel.  These scriptures remind us that what we consider politically lasting can come to ruin when faith takes a back seat to politics.  AMEN