With David firmly ensconced as king of Israel, and the
Philistine army routed, There was a period of peace in Israel, giving David
time to think and plan. In moving the
Tabernacle and the Ark to Jerusalem he had become aware that for over six
hundred years, they had been using the Tabernacle as the center of
worship. When it had been built, they
were moving every little while, and a portable structure had been essential,
but they were no longer moving around, and most of the people, including David
himself were living in permanent housing rather than tents.
When the people were living in permanent housing, it didn’t
seem right to David that all they had for God was a six hundred year old tent,
so he proposed to build a permanent house for God, in II Samuel 7:1-2. “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.”
When he consulted God’s prophet, Nathan thought it was an excellent
idea that was long overdue. He advised
David to go ahead, in II Samuel 7:3. “And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all
that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.” He was sure God would bless David’s
actions.
While it seemed a logical and desireable course of action to
both David and Nathan, God forbade David to build it, because, while there was
peace at the moment, it was only temporary respite. While God appreciated his desire to do
something nice for him, he also knew that there were going to be repeated
attacks, and David must not be distracted with trying to build a temple at the
same time. David’s son would not have
the same problems and would be able to build the temple without interruption,
as II Samuel 7:4-17. “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?
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.
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. “According to all these words, and
according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.”
While God was pleased that David wanted to build him a
temple, other things were more important at the moment, but he was content to
continue with the Tabernacle until the other problems were resolved. Because of David’s devotion, he promised
to make David’s family kings over israel for ever, although they would suffer
conflicts with other nations when they were disobedient.
When Nathan told him what he said, David thanked God for the
wonderful promises and his blessings on Israel and his family. He accepted God’s instruction to leave
building the Temple to his son. II
Samuel 7:18-29 describes his prayer of praise and thanksgiving. “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. 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.
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.
David knew he didn’t deserve God’s wonderful promises, but
that God had given him this promise because he loved him. He recognized God knew his limitations, and
that he knew best when he said he was not to build the temple.
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