II Samuel 7:1-29
“And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.” (II Samuel 7:1-3)
David had consolidated the kingdom and established himself as a good king, having defeated and broken the Philistines’ power. He had built his palace and had no major problems. As he looked around and realized how he had been blessed, he realized that the house of God was still just a tent, while he had upgraded to a permanent structure of wood. Nathan told him he should act on what he was thinking about, because God was blessing him.
“And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?” (II Samuel 7:4-7)
That night, God spoke to Nathan giving him a message to David. God pointed out that he had not asked for a regular house any time during the preceding six hundred years they had lived in the land. He had been content with what he had for the entire time.
“Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
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; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies.” (II Samuel 7:8-11)
Nathan was to remind David that God had called him to rule over his people, to deliver them from their enemies and guide the people in serving God. His focus was to build and train the people, establishing them securely in the place God wanted them.
“ Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (II Samuel 7:11b-16)
God wanted David to focus on the Job God had given him, and would bless him for doing it, but David was not to worry about building a nice temple. Later his son would be allowed to do so, but for the moment, David needed to stay focused on the needs of the people. While he didn’t know it at the time, David still had a lot of other things that needed done.
When the Baptist Bible Fellowship first started, most of the churches started in a home or storefront and remained there until they grew enough to build their own building. In recent years, so-called “experts” have insisted that you can no longer do it that way because people have become too “sophisticated.” As a result, the focus has changed to obtaining a nicer building rather than on teaching the people.
I frequently receive letters from pastors or missionaries wanting a donation to help a new church obtain a building that they can work to fill. In most cases, they are getting the cart before the horse, worrying about the building rather than about the people. People who are turned away because the building is less than ideal are more concerned with appearances than with God. A church full of them will not please God, and the rush to get a nicer building has caused a lot of church splits and bankruptcies.
“According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.” (II Samuel 7:17-20)
When told that God didn’t want him to build a temple at that time, David acknowledged that God knew him and what he could do. Rather than proudly deciding he could do both, and being upset, he accepted God’s will and was thankful that God was blessing him with what he was doing, and for his promise to bless his family in the future. He thanked God for letting him know what he needed to do and that God was going to reward him for his obedience.
“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.” (II Samuel 7:22-24)
On behalf of Israel, David thanked God for being the only God and for having chosen them for his special people, gathering them out of Egypt and giving them their own nation.
“And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.” (II Samuel 7:25-29)
He finished by thanking God for his past blessings on himself, and for the as yet unfulfilled promises to come, asking that future generations would continue and obtain the blessings promised.
“And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.” (II Samuel 7:1-3)
David had consolidated the kingdom and established himself as a good king, having defeated and broken the Philistines’ power. He had built his palace and had no major problems. As he looked around and realized how he had been blessed, he realized that the house of God was still just a tent, while he had upgraded to a permanent structure of wood. Nathan told him he should act on what he was thinking about, because God was blessing him.
“And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?” (II Samuel 7:4-7)
That night, God spoke to Nathan giving him a message to David. God pointed out that he had not asked for a regular house any time during the preceding six hundred years they had lived in the land. He had been content with what he had for the entire time.
“Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
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; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies.” (II Samuel 7:8-11)
Nathan was to remind David that God had called him to rule over his people, to deliver them from their enemies and guide the people in serving God. His focus was to build and train the people, establishing them securely in the place God wanted them.
“ Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (II Samuel 7:11b-16)
God wanted David to focus on the Job God had given him, and would bless him for doing it, but David was not to worry about building a nice temple. Later his son would be allowed to do so, but for the moment, David needed to stay focused on the needs of the people. While he didn’t know it at the time, David still had a lot of other things that needed done.
When the Baptist Bible Fellowship first started, most of the churches started in a home or storefront and remained there until they grew enough to build their own building. In recent years, so-called “experts” have insisted that you can no longer do it that way because people have become too “sophisticated.” As a result, the focus has changed to obtaining a nicer building rather than on teaching the people.
I frequently receive letters from pastors or missionaries wanting a donation to help a new church obtain a building that they can work to fill. In most cases, they are getting the cart before the horse, worrying about the building rather than about the people. People who are turned away because the building is less than ideal are more concerned with appearances than with God. A church full of them will not please God, and the rush to get a nicer building has caused a lot of church splits and bankruptcies.
“According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.” (II Samuel 7:17-20)
When told that God didn’t want him to build a temple at that time, David acknowledged that God knew him and what he could do. Rather than proudly deciding he could do both, and being upset, he accepted God’s will and was thankful that God was blessing him with what he was doing, and for his promise to bless his family in the future. He thanked God for letting him know what he needed to do and that God was going to reward him for his obedience.
“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.” (II Samuel 7:22-24)
On behalf of Israel, David thanked God for being the only God and for having chosen them for his special people, gathering them out of Egypt and giving them their own nation.
“And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.” (II Samuel 7:25-29)
He finished by thanking God for his past blessings on himself, and for the as yet unfulfilled promises to come, asking that future generations would continue and obtain the blessings promised.
Dear Donald,
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK there are a number of spectacular cathedrals which are more of a tourist venue than a place to worship God. St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey are two of the most famous in London, along with Canterbury Cathedral and York Minster, which attract visitors to admire their architectural beauty than to set their hearts right before God. Even the disciples were awstruck by the sight of the Temple when they arrived in Jerusalem.
Unfortunately, too often we forget that it is God who matters and focus on the building. As you mention even the disciples got caught up in the building, and the Scribes and Pharisees were more concerned about it than about God.
ReplyDelete