ESOCS Devotional 21 October 2024 – Building a House: David’s Plans for God
MEMORY VERSE: “Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”2 Samuel 7:1-2
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 7:1-END
Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”
3 Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes 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 shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, 11 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.
12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will 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 his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? 20 Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, know Your servant. 21 For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. 22 Therefore You are great, [f]O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? 24 For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.
25 “Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. 26 So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. 27 For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.
28 “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 29 Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”
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And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him…And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel (2 Sam. 5: 10, 12). So, in light of how God has been establishing David, listen to what the writer of Samuel tells us about something that was bothering David in 2 Samuel 7:1-3. What was bothering David? It’s right there in verse 2. It’s the disparity between his residence and the Ark’s residence. He’s got a beautiful house built of cedar, courtesy of Hiram, king of Tyre. But the Ark was just sitting under a tent.
He sought counsel from a man named Nathan. We’re told here that Nathan was a prophet of God, but there was no indication that Nathan’s response was from God. Nathan was just giving his own opinion, as a subject of the king, maybe as a friend. Given that God had blessed David in almost every project or venture that he had attempted, it seemed that Nathan thought this was a ‘no-brainer’. If the king wanted to build a house, that is, build a temple for God, what could be better than that? How could God not be pleased?
Do you see what God said in verses 6 and 7? When it came to the issue of building a house or a temple, David did need to restore something that once was and should be again. David did not need to meet a requirement that God had placed on his leaders; some sort of expectation for a temple that every other judge or king failed to meet. Where the people went, God went with them. And where did that Tabernacle, that Tent of Meeting come from? Was that something Moses thought up? No, God commanded Moses to build it. He even gave Moses the exact specifications. So is God upset with David because David was trying to initiate something that God had not commanded?
Well, listen to what David’s son, Solomon told us many years later about David’s desire (Kings 8:17-19). So, on one hand, God was pleased that David was so concerned about the things of God. But on the other hand, God wanted to remind him not to get ahead of Him. Just because God had blessed him in so many ways did not mean that all of his plans would be approved. It did not mean all of his ideas will be established. He needed to slow down and listen to God. It’s an important reminder for David and an important reminder for us, isn’t it? Do you see the amazing reversal here? We started the chapter with David’s intention to build a house for God. But ten verses later we read, not only will that NOT happen, but that God was going to build a house for David. But wait a minute.
- God has a special appointment and works for you. Have you reported at your duty post?
- Father, please let me not do a work you have reserved for someone else.
Further Reading: Proverbs 26:1-12; Matthew 11:20-end; Luke 21:3-20
ESOCS Devotional 21 October 2024
