The books of 1 and 2 Samuel (and in the Hebrew it’s just the single book “Samuel) are pivotal in the overall scheme of God’s World Renewal Plan. These books, even though named after Samuel the prophet, are all about David.
But wait a minute, the first half of the collection is focused on the two characters of Samuel and Saul. How can these books be all about David when David does not even play a central role until much later?
Great question. The answer is that everyone’s story is tied up in another. This literary structuring is also true of Genesis being a preface to the story of Moses and the Exodus. The book of Genesis, while having its own theological message, its own set of characters, its own elaborate story line and unfolding of episodes, prepares us for the great event of the Exodus and for the main character of the Torah, who is Moses.
Think about the gospels as well. The gospels are ultimately all about Jesus, however, they start with, “In the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was a man named John” (italics original). Even at the end of the Gospels, Jesus reminds the disciples that he is leaving them and all that he had done for them was to launch the church into the world. It was all for another. The Gospels, in other words, prepare for the book of Acts.
We could point to many other examples in scripture where this is the case. The point is this: our stories are always tied up with another. This is the nature of a reality that came to be out of Three. The fundamental foundation for reality is Triune, Three Persons, a community.
Who is the Father without the Son? Who is the Son without the Father? Who is the Spirit without the Son, whom He glorifies? etc.
This puts things into perspective for us today. All that we are today is the result of another who has gone before us. This is what I call “belly-button theology”. Every person that’s ever been (with the exception of Adam and Eve, of course), have a mark on their body reminds them that they came from another. If it weren’t for the other we would not be. The belly-button reminds us that no man is an island.
We can extend this reality the other direction as well. Our lives are to be lived in preparation for another. Our lives aren’t to be lived for us, but for the other. This is very counter-cultural. Media espouses that we are to live OUR LIVES TODAY. “This is my life, and I will live it the way I want.” I’m just not sure how true this is. We owe our lives to someone—this is the nature of things. We should be living in light of the other, in light of those who are around us and those who will come after us.
Let’s not be curved inward on ourselves, that’s world stuff.
Our entire lives, our thinking, our decisions, and our behavior, should not be shaped by what we want or what’s best for us, but for another. This is best exemplified in the cross.
Live for another, for you live thanks to another.
