2 Samuel 7:4-16 | King
James Version (KJV)
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan,
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan,
5 “Go and tell my
servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in?
6 I have not lived in
a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day,
but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.
7 In all places where
I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the
judges[a] of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying,
“Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
8 Now, therefore, thus
you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you
from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince[b] over
my people Israel.
9 And I have been with
you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I
will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
10 And I will appoint
a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in
their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no
more, as formerly,
11 from the time that
I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all
your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a
house.
12 When your days are
fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring
after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a
house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be to him a
father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will
discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,
15 but my steadfast
love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from
before you.
16 And your house and
your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.[c] Your throne shall be
established forever.’”
To ground ourselves,
take a quick look at the first 3 verses of this chapter. The ark of the
covenant (see below) was carried back to Jerusalem. David loved the Lord so
much that he wanted to use his wealth of resources, given to him by his great God,
to build a grand temple in which to worship the Lord. Nathan, David’s most
trusted confidante, has just “touched and agreed” with him that David should
build the Lord a temple.
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| Image from Wikipedia |
Side Note: This is a scripture that should resonate with spiritual leaders,
especially pastors. When David told Nathan what his desires were, Nathan
advised David to “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you” (2
Sam. 7:3), instead of seeking God first. It’s easy for us to see how this misjudgment
could have occurred…looking at what Nathan witnessed, God was with David. How
else could he have been this blessed in the city and in the field? The Lord
MUST have been with him. Nathan was looking at the human track record of David,
but only God knows our beginning and end, our peaks and valleys, or strengths
and weaknesses. This is something Nathan could have never know was coming down
the pike. Before a spiritual counselor responds from his/her position to those
being counseled, understand that the response should always be one that has
been given by the Lord, and not a common sense judgment call.
During this time, King
David was experiencing triumph and victory at every turn. In this particular
passage, he is reigning over Jerusalem and thinking ahead of how he will
continue to honor God for His grace and favor. Nathan was a friend and
encourager for David, but he was first a prophet for God.
We see here that the
Lord is instructing David not to move forward with building Him a temple,
through the counsel of Nathan. God said "No" to David's offer because
David was a man of war, and God wanted a man of peace to build His temple. 1
Chronicles 22:8-10 explains this: But the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
'You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house
for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight . . . a
son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest . . . He shall be build a
house for My name.
So, God is honored
that David would want to build Him a temple. He eases David’s mind and lets him
know that He would provide a place for the people of Israel, which David loved.
But, furthermore, God wanted David to understand that through his bloodline
would come someone who come and “establish his kingdom…He shall build a house
for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
An eternal kingdom
could only be established by and for an eternal God. Jesus, the Messiah, is promised
here. The answer of this promise is even greater than the original desire of David’s heart.
A key take away is the
heart and mind of David. He was experiencing success and knew it was all because
of God. His desire to “give back” is one that can set an example to those today
who find great success in their business, family, health, gifts and abilities,
and intellect. All of this comes from God. Always think about how to honor God
by finding a way to give back.
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