“Dad, I Hope You’re Pleased.” – Part One

A few summers ago while on vacation, I traveled through Atlanta, GA.  While in a mall, I stopped to get my shoes shined.  Curtis, my beloved and on son, was with me.  As I sat in the chair and the shoe shine man did his deed, Curtis, true to the nature of an energetic and young child, bounced all over the place.  Repeatedly, I implored him to stop and sit still.  Yet, Curtis continued to frolic and play, ignoring my commands.  Then, the shoeshine guy said to Curtis, “You stop and be quiet like your father told you.”  He went on to say to me, “Whether he knows it or not, you are the only real friend that he has in the world.  Any Black man in America whose father is present in his life has only one friend, his father.”  That comment blew me away!  I had never thought about it.  Yet, I wholeheartedly agree with the gentleman.  In many ways, a father is indeed a son’s very best friend. 

That incident reveals the special love that fathers have for their sons.  Admittedly, the love between a father and daughter is very special.  I am told, “Every family needs a daughter.”  Most assuredly, I do not disagree because I deeply value the love that I share with my daughter, Sariel.  However, I equally but rather distinctly share a powerful love with my son, Curtis.  For my Fathers’ Day 2004 sermon, I explored the intricate and unique love a father has for his son by examining the relationship of David and Solomon.

Fathers and son participate in an enduring generational relay of a family.  The father passes the baton to his son, should a father fail to fulfill his goals and dreams.  Every good father wants a greater standard of living for his children and grandchildren than he has, hoping they exceed his accomplishments.  He wants the net worth, reputation, professionalism, contribution to society, and spirituality of future generations to greatly surpass his.  Try as hard as he may, a father may not achieve these commendable aims.  Myriad extenuating circumstances in life often prevent a father’s success.  Sometimes, his shortcomings inhibit his achievement.  Yet, fathers should not despair.  He has a chance to fulfill his dreams and goals through a son; imparting his future vision to his son.  In receiving the plan, the son accepts his generational baton and runs with it. 

David greatly desires in his heart to build the Temple.  One day, as he prays and meditates, David asks himself, “How can I sit here in my luxurious residence when the Ark of the Covenant has not a permanent resting place?”  At that moment, David seals his lifelong dream of building a house to the honor and glory of Almighty God.  He desires to house permanently the Ark of the Covenant as a lasting tribute to the Lord’s faithfulness to Israel.  Additionally, the Temple shall remind Israel of the Lord’s enduing love and faithful provision in fulfilling His covenant with their forebears.  Other nations would look upon the magnificence of the Temple and declare freely the God of Israel is the Lord of the universe.  However, David will not be able to achieve this most heartfelt dream.  Accordingly, David passes the baton of building the Temple to Solomon, his heir to the throne of Israel.

The Lord tells David that he would not be the one to build the Temple.  The extensive amount of bloodshed denies David of this possibility.  Immediately, the image of blood-soaked hands chiseling stone and cutting wood emerges.  It is a rather distasteful sight.  Had David built the Temple, then the rest of the world would have assigned cynical motives to it.  Furthermore, the thought of a conquering general erecting a house of worship would have led many people to question the character of the Lord in whose Name the edifice would stand.  More practically speaking, the bulk of David’s career had been spent completing the settlement of the Israelites into the cities of the Promised Land.  There simply was not enough time and energy left to fulfill his heart’s desire. 

Like any good father in his dilemma, David turns to his son, Solomon, to finish the work that David begins.  First, David makes elaborate preparations for building the Temple.  He gathers materials and furnishings with meticulous detail.  But, David’s most effective and productive preparation is his tutorial of Solomon.  David, in essence, builds the Temple through Solomon.  David makes an eternal investment in Solomon; passing the baton to Solomon as he, David, exits the race of life.