It is about 1000 B.C., 250 years after God led the people from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. It took a long time for these people from different tribes to unify as a nation.
The turning point came when David became king.
Today's first reading deals with God's covenant with King David. In the passage above, the prophet Nathan speaks to David on God's behalf, assuring the king that God will preserve David's dynasty. Nathan will speak to David several more times, but he won't always bring a message David wants to hear.
A covenant is a commitment between two people. It's different than a contract or a financial arrangement. It is personal. When you became part of the Church, you weren't just accepting a body of beliefs. a system of precepts. You sealed a covenant with God, through Jesus Christ.
It's more difficult to live by a covenant than a set of philosophical beliefs. Jesus's covenant with his Father wasn't always easy for him - e.g. the temptation in the desert, the cross. In the desert, it is said that angels helped him. In the Hebrew concept, angels meant "the presence of God."
There are time when you need the experience of the presence of God to see you through a difficult moment. A list of teachings or commandments isn't enough.
- Little Blue Book, Diocese of Saginaw