OT Notes 2 Sam. 7, 11

2 Sam. 7 1) This is a major messianic theme here, of course. In the dark ages when I wa sin seminary, we spoke of this as the core of a Zion theology. 2) If you were a religious person during the fall of Jerusalem, centuries later, how would you respond to these words of a permanent dynasty? 3) do you trust David’s desire to build a house for God?do you think it sincere, or does it have an admixture of political calculation? 4) Examine Nathan’s change of mind due to the dream. 5) What do you make of God’s preference for the mobile ark? 6) Consider working with Ps. 89 as an example of Zion theology. 2 Sam. 11- 1) Bathsheba (daughter of the south or daughter of the oath) - This is a projective text to some degree. Is Bathsheba pure victim of power here, or not? On the other hand, is it possible to admonish David’s multiplying sins enough? Few stories show the inter-relationships of various sins better than this cascade of wrongs. Is David an example of power corrupting? 2) Why do you think David has become indolent? 3) Given David’s power, what is pushing the cover-up? This could be an excellent device to look at political cover-ups from Watergate to the RCC and priestly abuses or the P{enn State horror. 4) Uriah is a foreigner but follows the rules of the faith better than David. This is a classic example of finding the ability to do small sacrifices enables one to face bigger moral issues. What must be going on in David to see such honor? 5) What pushes David to keep his hands clean from taking Uriah’s life directly but pushes this indirect deceptive approach? 6) Pay attention to the verbs chosen in this passage. What effects do they have on building up a character as well as narrative?