After God's Own Heart?

As New Covenant Christians, most of us are content with picturing the church as the house of God. Living stones, (1 Peter 2:5), built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 3:11), providing a resting-place for God. (Psalm 132:13-14, Matthew 18:20). In line with the great commission, the church rightfully occupies a prominent place in our lives. Matters of discipleship and community are inseparable from the faith.

As I discuss the issue of violence in the Kingdom God with people, it is common to hear appeals to King David as “a man after God’s own heart,” attempting to reconcile the use of the sword with godliness. While it stands that David was a military man, this is not the whole story. Besides living under a different covenant, he was specifically denied the right to take an active part in building God’s house.

“And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God: but the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Thou has shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.’” - 1 Chronicles 22:7-8

What is so significant about this? Only that here, we have a behind-the-scenes glimpse of God’s eternal heart, right in the midst of the old covenant. In Ezekiel 33:11, Ezekiel 18:32, and Lamentations 3:33, the Lord makes it abundantly clear that destruction is not something He does for recreation. In short, He takes no rest in violence.

Accordingly, I maintain that the New Covenant was constructed without a shred of dependence upon force of arms. This does not mean the church is passive, it just means we fight differently. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, John 18:36) “Mercy rejoices against judgment.”