Mistaken Discernment (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost)

Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss domestic violence, discernment, God’s presence, and collaborative reading practices in 2 Samuel 7:1-14a. The text is appointed for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.

More Yale Bible Study resources, including a transcript of this episode, at: https://YaleBibleStudy.org/podcast

Brandon Nappi is Executive Director of Leadership Programs and Lecturer in Homiletics at Yale Divinity School and Ned Parker is Associate Dean for Institutional Advancement at Andover-Newton Seminary at Yale and a Lecturer in Homiletics at Yale Divinity School.

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Transcript

Voiceover Voice:

It’s also an opportunity to dig into those parts of biblical narrative that are troubling.

Helena Martin:

This is Chapter, Verse, and Season: a lectionary podcast from Yale Bible Study. Join us each week as two Yale Divinity School professors look at an upcoming text from the Revised Common Lectionary.

This episode, we have Brandon Nappi, Executive Director of Leadership Programs at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and Ned Parker, Associate Dean for Institutional Advancement at Andover Newton Seminary at Yale. Both of them also hold the title Lecturer in Homiletics. They’re discussing 2 Samuel 7:1-14, which is appointed for Track 1 of the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 11, in Year B. Here’s the text.

[2 Samuel 7:1-14]

Now when the king was settled in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel , and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and be disturbed no more, and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel, and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.

Ned Parker:

Brandon, what strikes me in this passage is actually what is left out of it by those who compose the lectionary. And that is the missing, last half, final half of verse 14, 4b, which is, in my eyes, a very strong reference to domestic violence. And I think juxtaposed with the rest of the passage really interesting, because we’re talking about the building of dwelling places and the relationships between family members, divine and earthly. And so, to have a passage that references dwelling places and places to dwell, places to live, households, to leave off this reference to what I would consider an act of domestic violence is it takes away an opportunity for those of us who explore biblical passages in lectionary to address these things from the pulpit. And I think sermons should be about hope and joy, but it’s also an opportunity to really dig into those parts of biblical narrative that are troubling. To do it in a community context. So, you know, I’m sorry to say that what stands out to me the most is what’s left out of this passage.

Brandon Nappi:

Thanks, Ned. I appreciate that. That reflection. It’s why it’s so helpful to read scripture together, right? Because I wasn’t tracking that and so, you threw some sort of powerful dynamite in my head space. So, I want to go and dig in and read the part that was redacted. So, there’s messiness in the creation of a lectionary. I honed-in on the messiness of David’s discernment, right? It’s almost comical. David has this realization that he’s living in a nice house, right? He’s got this house made of cedar and he realizes that the Ark of the Covenant, God’s dwelling place on Earth has been in a tent. And he with great enthusiasm says, “Oh, God, I’ll make you a permanent house.” Presumably a temple. And he’s really clear that this is what he’s supposed to do. And yet in the end, he’s not the one to do it. In the Book of Chronicles, it’s clear that his role is actually to gather the materials and Solomon’s to build the temple. And I’m thinking, so often in my life when I thought I was really clear, God is asking me to do this. There were even in my early days, my teens and college years, there were ultimatums. God, just show me this. Just be clear and I’ll do whatever you want me to do. But what’s revealed here is just how messy discernment is. In fact, what David thinks he’s called to in the end, he’s not really called to. And so, the spiritual sort of discipline that’s required here is deep listening, bold self-searching, discernment.

As a spiritual director, I feel like 95 percent of my work is just helping people to discern what God is asking of them and it’s really tricky. It’s subtle work. It’s hard. And sometimes we only learn what we’re called to by first making a mistake and learning, oh, this is obviously not what I’m called to because it’s not working. It’s not a good fit. I’m failing miserably. There’s just, it’s not bearing fruit. So, you pointed out sort of the messiness behind the lectionary. I’m sort of pointing out, it’s kind of the messiness in the lectionary. But it’s a mess all around sometimes. 

Ned Parker:

It is a mess all around. Yeah. At least when we think we’re answering call or potentially answering call and don’t necessarily get it exactly right, our failings are not chronicled in the sacred texts of the Bible as in other cases. I mean, there’s this case where David thinks that he is called to build the temple. It’s actually not David. David has a series of unfortunate events. Noah is called to build the ark. Does it. Finally makes it through the flood and to dry land and ends up in a cave naked, drunk and naked or his sons find him. And Jenny Canoost [sp], makes a very strong argument that, I don’t know if I can say this on a podcast, but makes a very strong argument that when his sons find him, he’s actually masturbating. So, he has gone from answering call and being on the sacred ark and steering the ship, and ends up in this dark hovel  naked and drunk. These are two biblical greats who end up in very difficult places and they’re answering calls. So, you know, based on your assessment of your own, the journey of answering call or believing you’re answering call. I don’t know, I don’t know what that offers, but certainly stands out.

Brandon Nappi:

Well, I mean, on the one hand, I don’t feel the need to tie it up with a bow all nicely, right? It’s no easy answers. And amid the messiness, something in my own faith life that I cling to that’s right here in the scripture, of course, is that God commits to being present to God’s people. In the temple, in the ark, traveling around the desert, and in moments in life where despair seems [laughs] easily accessible. There’s all too many reasons to despair. I cling to this unswerving commitment that God has made to be present amid the mess.

Ned Parker:

Brandan, if we anthropomorphize a podcast, I feel like you’re the angel sitting on one shoulder and I’m the little devil. I feel bad. I apologize. But I think holding fast to that is really extraordinary because being in the ocean, the middle of nowhere, nothing to see, surrounded by what I assume after that kind of storm must be churning green water. I was a lobsterman so I can just kind of imagine being out in the churning ocean with nothing but water to see for miles. And then to compare that with being in the desert and having total stillness, but still being in the middle of nowhere. Those are very stark images. And holding fast to God’s presence in those places is really extraordinary and an important reminder because how many of us will go through those dark nights of the soul? Whether they be surrounded by ocean or surrounded by desert. 

Brandon Nappi:

I think we need a podcast that explores all the jobs you’ve had. 

Ned Parker:

A podcast for another time. 

Helena Martin:

Thanks for listening. For a transcript of today’s episode and lots more, check out YaleBibleStudy.org.

Chapter, Verse, and Season is a production of the Center for Continuing Education at Yale Divinity School. It’s produced by: Creator and Managing Editor, Joel Baden; Production Manager, Kelly Morrissey; Associate Producer, Aidan Stoddart; and I’m your Host and Executive Producer, Helena Martin. And our theme music is by Calvin Linderman.

We’ll be back with another conversation from Chapter, Verse, and Season.