II Samuel 7:1-17 - Covenant
The Living Word With Chuck Davis
II Samuel 7:1-17 - Covenant
Welcome to the Living Word with Chuck Davis. 2 Samuel 7, 1-17, covenant. 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. Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you." But that same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan. "Go and tell my servant David, thus says the Lord, 'Would you build me a house to dwell in?' 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. In all the places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, Israel saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?' Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'I took you from the pasture, from the following the sheep, that you should be my prince over my people, Israel. 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. And I will point a place for my people, Israel, and I 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. From the time that I point to judges over my people, Israel, I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up for your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. And 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. But my steadfast love will not depart from him. As I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you, and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me, your throne shall be established forever. In accordance with all these words, in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. David is living in a palace. Life's pretty good for him, and he's concerned that the Lord have a house, a temple, a place that's designated for him more than a tent. He proposes it to Nathan, and initially Nathan sees it as a good idea. But here we have the idea of the prophet, has not yet inquired of the Lord. And that evening, the Lord is going to speak to him and tell him of a better plan. The Lord says, "This was never my plan. I've never given this instruction to the leaders in the past." He reminds Nathan of this word that it's the Lord who had elevated David. It was the Lord who had given him a great name. It was the Lord who had given him a place to exist and for rest. Covenant blessing is all over this, because land was a significant part of the covenant blessing. And then there's this long prophetic declaration, "I will establish my kingdom through your line. Your throne will be forever." This is very messianic, and anticipates the one we know coming a thousand years later in the name of Jesus. All of this is an expression of the steadfast love of God, as it has said. The narrative is shifted here. We've been at a high pace with lots of war, but now we're moving to a place of prayer. Peterson's response about David's word to Nathan and how Nathan responds so quickly, "What looks so wonderful in the daylight of enthusiastic but prayerless good intentions is now seen to be quite inappropriate." All things need to be generated by Yahweh. He's the one. He can't be bound. He doesn't need a specific place. If there's a place, it's only for the benefit of the people to have a focus. We never want to see Yahweh reduced to our local patron. The soul watt of this passage to me is making sure that I'm trading my plans for the plans of the Lord. I was reading this passage months ago and praying about a couple assignments that were coming up to me. Should I continue with them, or should I cancel them? I wasn't feeling complete confirmation. They went on the chopping block, even though I didn't want to put them on the chopping block. As I'm making this recording right now, I'm in the process of finishing up an assignment at Ridgeway Church and moving back to Stanwich Church. I had no idea that was coming down the road, listening to the Lord and giving up the things that I wanted. He's put me in a place to enjoy familiar territory, much like David here, of finding his place of blessing the people at that stage of his life. My soul watt of this passage, then, is a reminder to trust. I don't want to ask God just to bless my plans. I want to submit to His will and know His plans. Lord, we give you back all of our thoughts and ideas, and we wait upon you for your best thoughts and your best ideas. In Jesus' name, amen.