Beyond the God of Violence

2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:15a

Roger Lynn

September 17, 2017

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

You have heard me say it before, and now you are going to hear me say it again – because it is still true and it bears repeating. What we believe about God matters. It makes a difference in how we experience life. It makes a difference in how we live. And how we think about God is greatly influenced by the stories we hear as a part of our religious tradition.

So when I read the story in 2 Samuel about what Nathan had to say to King David, my first thought is to just ignore the whole thing. I simply don’t want to deal with one more example of violence being understood as God’s will. But then I realize that I can’t in good conscience just walk away from it. I need to stand up and say as clearly and as forcefully as I can possibly manage that violence is not the way of God.

This story is filled to overflowing with painful, unhealthy choices. David sees a beautiful woman (Bathsheba) and allows his lust to overshadow his basic understanding of what it means to live in relationship and community. He falls into the trap of thinking that because he is king he can do whatever he wants with no consideration of the consequences. One thing leads to another and before long the list of consequences has grown to include a pregnancy and a murder. A sordid tale of power and greed if ever there was one.

But then the prophet Nathan gets into the act and drags God down into the mud along with everyone else. In an effort to challenge David’s violent actions, Nathan proclaims violence in the very name of God. As punishment for the murder of Bathsheba’s husband and the inappropriate sexual relationship with Bathsheba, Nathan declares that God is going to kill the child which Bathsheba is carrying.

So, let me be clear. God does not kill babies. Not now. Not ever. Not for the very best of reasons. Not for any reason. God does not kill babies, or anyone else. Indeed, killing is not what God does.

Biblical scholar Rick Lowery once remarked that every time he reads the Bible he receives a message from God, and sometimes the message is, “Don’t do this!” That’s how I feel about this story. The message that I hear is, “Don’t for one minute think that this is what God is like.” Believing this way is not only painful, it is dangerous. If we believe that God kills babies, or anyone for that matter, then we are only a very short step away from believing that it is OK for us to kill on God’s behalf. This is not just a theoretical possibility. It happens. Doctors who work in women’s health clinics have been killed by folks who believe that God’s laws are being violated and murder is an appropriate response. Matthew Shephard was killed by folks who believed that homosexuals are an abomination in the sight of God and therefore deserve death. Wars are waged by people who believe that God is on their side and it is their duty to stop the “enemy” (God’s enemy?) at any cost.

What we believe about God matters. And when we encounter stories which contribute to dangerous understandings about who God is, even when they are stories contained in the Bible, we have a responsibility to speak out. It is not enough to simply say, quietly to ourselves, “I don’t believe that” and then turn the page. Remaining silent only perpetuates the violence. It is time, and well past time, for us to move beyond the God of violence – to recognize the stories which serve to support such understandings and name them for what they are – dangerous. Such thinking only feeds our fear, and fear is the perfect breeding ground for more violence. It’s time to change course and move in a different, more life-filled direction.

In the midst of this story in 2 Samuel, there is a statement of truth. It very quickly gets laid at God’s doorstep, which leads us back to a “violent God” image. But as a basic statement of reality, not because it is “God’s will”, but simply because it is how things work, it offers a sobering word of warning. Nathan tells David that because he chose to have Uriah killed with the sword, “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house...” (2 Samuel 12:10) Violence begets violence. War begets war. So, if we truly believe that God is the God of Peace, then we must reject any and all claims to the contrary. What we believe about God matters. The God of Peace does not kill. If we speak of God in terms of violence, in whatever form, to whatever degree, then we are not speaking the truth. If we find such language within the pages of the Bible, then it is particularly important that we recognize it for the mistaken and dangerous understanding that it is. And it is important that we help the rest of the world to recognize this as well. There are plenty of wonderful, helpful, life-giving stories and ideas contained in the Bible. And we do no one any favors by pretending that every word and every story is equally efficacious. Sometimes the message we need to proclaim is, “This absolutely does not represent the God we believe in.”

Jesus lived his life in relationship with the God of love and peace and acceptance. That understanding shaped his life, his ministry and his relationships with everyone around him. What we believe about God matters. May we be ever vigilant in seeking to discover ways of moving beyond the God of violence. May we seek, instead, to live ever more fully into the God of love. Amen.