Good morning! A huge thank you to my amazing husband for being willing to teach!
Question of the Day: What is your favorite book (other than the Bible) and why?
Today we are going to look at a passage in 2 Samuel 7.
This is a beautiful passage where we get to be a fly on the wall while David and God are having a conversation. I love that we get to read the dialogue! What a fun thing.
God’s Promise to David
After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, ....
Ok let's stop for a moment! This little passage is beautiful!!!!!
Have you ever spent a long period of time unsettled?
I remember the three months in Ethiopia we spent before we received our shipment. We just lived out of our suitcases! It was an unsettled time for sure. Not just the lack of stuff or belongings but being in a new country where we didn't know anyone and didn't speak the language. It was very unsettled!
This past week Chris and I finally finished one room in our house. It has been unfinished for 20 years. I can't begin to explain the glorious joy of having that one room settled!
When have you been unsettled?
I love this passage because it shows that God values and knows that we need to be settled!
Secondly in this passage God gives him rest from ALL his enemies!
Wow what a moment that would be! What a glorious vacation to rest from ALL our enemies!
What would that be like?
Have you ever experienced it?
Ok let's continue....
(2-7) He said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.” But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying: “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
So what do you find interesting about this passage?
There are two important points to highlight.
- Nathan the prophet ran ahead of God. Why is this important?
- Just because an idea is good, just because it is going to glorify God, doesn't mean it is God's will or it may not be God's will for right now. This is extremely important for us to know! Why?
- If the above statement is true then we can't assume anything! We can't assume that we should make that change in our life...unless we are sure it is God's will. Maybe He wants our focus on something else!
- Just because we can and it is good doesn't mean we should. Maybe it is for someone else to do.
- We are less likely to judge those around us for not doing the "obvious" if we understand this principle!
- It is fascinating to know that God was content in the tent!
- What can we learn from the fact that God was content in the tent?
There is also the illustration of Servant Leadership. God never intended that any one person should lead without question. David saw a problem but sought direction from Nathan. Through that action he demonstrated an important characteristic - accountability.
God teaches both men a lesson. To David - don't assume that all good ideas are Godly. To Nathan - don't assume that a leader I have chosen is always right.
Ok let's read what God asked Nathan to tell David:
(8-16) “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”
How beautiful is this!!!! I would like you to imagine what it would be like to hear this from God to you! Put some of your things in it.... some of the places God has brought you, the battles he has won for you.... what would this sound like....?
Point - Notice that God was always with His people.
Beth Moore summarizes this prayer this way: "David, you won't build a house for Me. I'm going to build a house for you!" Read Romans 8:32
Point - We cannot outgive God.
What would your response be? Davids response was....
(17-29) Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
David’s Prayer
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:“Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!
“What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.
“Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.
Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
Where did David's response come from? Was it compulsory?
Did all of this come true? If no, why not?
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