Sermon Seeds: For Confirmation

Sunday, August 25, 2024
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost | Year B
(Liturgical Color: Green)

Lectionary Citations
1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-11), 22-30, 41-43 and Psalm 84 • Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 and Psalm 34:15-22 • Ephesians 6:10-20 • John 6:56-69
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?z=p&d=70&y=382

Focus Scripture: 1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-11), 22-30, 41-43 in conversation with Psalm 84
Focus Theme: For Confirmation
Series: Here I Am…Praying (Click here for the series overview.)

Reflection
By Cheryl A. Lindsay

Confirmation is often associated with a rite of passage found in Christian traditions that baptize infants. It serves as a process, often involving classes and faith formation activities over a period of time that culminates in the participants, called Confirmands, affirming their faith in communal worship. Confirmation, in this sense, typically occurs during or around age 13, give or take a year or two, a time full of physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual maturation for many. It’s an age of gaining more independence, asking questions, and self-discovery. Confirmation, as a process, acknowledges and companions on that journey. At the same time, the rite (or sacrament in some traditions) invites the Confirmands to make commitments that typically were made on their behalf by parents and parental figures at baptism. Confirmation also recognizes and emphasizes the covenantal commitments made by God toward those who profess faith.

Confirmation generally is a relational action, whether it takes the form of a sacramental rite or a quick phone call to solidify weekend plans. To confirm something, an agreement or understanding must already be in place and known to the parties involved. Expectations may be clarified, but they already exist.

In the Old Testament passage, generational expectations are being met. During the reign of King Solomon, son of King David, there was an era of prosperity and material flourishing that was a continuation of the peaceful era that concluded David’s rule. During that period, David had an idea that he should build a dwelling place for the God he served as the king found himself living in a luxurious palace. The Holy One rejected David’s plan as it did not align with the will of God. Yet, God promised David that his son would have the privilege and responsibility to build a dwelling place for the Holy One. Further, the Holy One signified that David’s son would be blessed and favored by God in extraordinary ways. It was a promise that would reassure any parent, and one that David certainly communicated to his son, Solomon who would inherit the kingdom and its riches.

The passage carved out of 1 Kings 8 tells the story at a point of fruition. The ark of the covenant would be brought into the house built for God’s presence to dwell. The enduring symbol of God’s presence and, more importantly, the promise of everlasting presence was placed within the inner sanctuary where only the consecrated and appointed could go. Once the ark was in place, the glory of God manifested as a cloud, providing confirmation of the covenant through an immediate demonstration.

Now Solomon begins his actual prayer. He first praises Yahweh for his incomparability and for his covenant faithfulness (v. 23), but immediately returns to this major concern, Yahweh’s fidelity toward the Davidides. Reminding Yahweh that he has not only spoken a promise to David but has fulfilled it as well (v. 24), Solomon introduces parallel pleas in v. 25 and v. 26 with the connective particle, “so now,” asking Yahweh to keep the faithful Davidic posterity, a reference to the kings of his own late period, safe from being “cut off.” With this plea expressed, Solomon returns to the subject of the temple that he is in the process of dedicating, first expressing the wondering question whether such a God as Yahweh, who is too great for earth and heaven to contain, will indeed dwell on earth, and in a manmade temple (v 27). For this characteristic deuteronomistic sentiment the closest parallel is the postexilic passage, Isa 66:1. But Solomon prays nonetheless that Yahweh may deign to make this temple the place where his Name dwells, the Name being, in deuteronomistic ideology, a hypostasis or extension of Yahweh’s true being, but not the Deity in the fullness of his being (vv. 28-29). The purpose is that the temple may serve as a listening-post or sounding board, continually receptive to any prayer that may be directed toward it. (v. 29b; cf. vv. 30, 33, 35, 42, 44, 48).
Simon J. DeVries

The prayer begins, however, with a personal plea related to Solomon’s own rule. He asks that the Holy One confirm the promises made to his father David regarding him. In some ways, he’s asking for the fullness of what he considers to be an inheritance. A bequest is not the same as a covenantal promise. One is a gift of entitlement. The latter is an agreement forged in mutuality. While some inheritances have strings attached, most of the time, they are outright gifts. Nothing needs to be done to earn them. No conditions need to be satisfied for their distribution.

The Holy One’s promise to David regarding Solomon and his rule is not the same as the covenant represented by the ark. The king may or may not have conflated the two, but the covenantal promise may be distilled as God’s promise to be with God’s people. The Sovereign One will not abandon them or their offspring. That is an everlasting covenant where the terms are all on God. Humanity need only exist to receive the benefit of this mutual agreement, which gives it the character of a gift. The particular promise about Solomon as king has conditions attached, which the king acknowledges as he asks for confirmation.

How differently would this story have played out if Solomon had asked for confirmation, not only of God’s part of the agreement, but also sought confirmation of the means he undertook to fulfill the temple building part of the bargain?

The building comes at a great cost to the people who are the children of the covenant as much as Solomon was the child of a king.

The construction reflected the stratification of the society. The three divisions marked the intensifying degrees of exclusivity, the vestibule having more public access; the nave, more limited; and the holy of holies, forbidden except to the most senior priests and only on special occasions. The rich latticework and carvings, the costly stones, the great bronze pillars and basins, the numerous vessels and accoutrements of gold and silver, and so forth (1 Kings 7) all have a flip side. This great extravagance for the few came at the cost borne by most of the population. First Kings 6:1 notes that Solomon began this construction “in the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt.” Long after Israel was freed from Egyptian slavery, Israel ironically had to endure forced servitude and exploitation again under its own king. The building and its furnishings are described in all their opulence, but in the midst of these details of conspicuous consumption is an important condition in both the temple’s construction and inauguration accounts: If Solomon obeys all of God’s commandments, God will keep the promise made to David and dwell with Israel and not forsake them (6:11–13; cf. 8:56–61). Here the royal ideology of the monarchy that highlights God’s promises to the Davidic dynasty stands in tension with the Mosaic covenantal demands that the people, including Israel’s king, remain obedient to God’s torah (Brueggemann, 88–89). We will soon see that Solomon was not successful in following God’s commandments.
Gale A. Yee

Solomon enjoyed being king more than he enjoyed his relationship to his God. He adopted the religious practices of his many wives including worship of idol gods. Moreover, in the building project, he lost his way and emulated the ruthless determination of the pharaohs from years past rather than continue in the faithful, servant leadership style that his father adopted. Solomon seems to take on the worst attributes of the monarchs before him and surrounding him, wasting the wisdom he asked for and received, and moving the kingdom further and further away from the ways of his ancestor Moses.

This passage does not tell that complete story, and some homiletical scholars suggest to only preach the text before you. Yet, that approach can lead us to an overly optimistic understanding of deeply human and significantly flawed biblical characters and the wisdom we may glean from knowing their full story.

The process is as important as the outcome. Solomon’s request for confirmation comes far later than it should. And, he should have, in part, asked it of himself. Confirmation is a mutual act that invites self-evaluation and reflection as much as it questions the other party. Let us remember this as we pray…for confirmation.

Reflection from Voices of People of African Descent
The 33rd General Synod adopted a Resolution to Recognize the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024). As part of its implementation, Sermon and Weekly Seeds offers Reflection from Voices of People of African Descent related to the season or overall theme for additional consideration in sermon preparation and for individual and congregational study.
“Legacy”
By Amiri Baraka
(For Blues People)
In the south, sleeping against
the drugstore, growling under
the trucks and stoves, stumbling
through and over the cluttered eyes
of early mysterious night. Frowning
drunk waving moving a hand or lash.
Dancing kneeling reaching out, letting
a hand rest in shadows. Squatting
to drink or pee. Stretching to climb
pulling themselves onto horses near
where there was sea (the old songs
lead you to believe). Riding out
from this town, to another, where
it is also black. Down a road
where people are asleep. Towards
the moon or the shadows of houses.
Towards the songs’ pretended sea.

For Further Reflection
“We should ask God to increase our hope when it is small, awaken it when it is dormant, confirm it when it is wavering, strengthen it when it is weak, and raise it up when it is overthrown.” ― John Calvin
“Life, he realize, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it’s in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile.” ― Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song
“There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Works Cited
DeVries, Simon J. 1 Kings, Volume 12. Bruce M. Metzger et al, Eds. Word Biblical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Yee, Gale A. “Kings.” Gale A. Yee, Ed. Fortress Commentary on the Bible: Two Volume Set. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014

Suggested Congregational Response to the Reflection
This sermon series invites us to explore the call to Christian discipleship and to examine our response. Consider a time of discernment evaluating existing and envisioned ministry efforts for confirmation of God’s will for your communal efforts.

Worship Ways Liturgical Resources
https://www.ucc.org/worship-way/after-pentecost-august-25/

The Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, Minister for Worship and Theology (lindsayc@ucc.org), also serves a local church pastor, public theologian, and worship scholar-practitioner with a particular interest in the proclamation of the word in gathered communities. You’re invited to share your reflections on this text in the comments on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SermonSeeds.

A Bible study version of this reflection is at Weekly Seeds.