David’s desire to build a temple
7
📚And it came about, when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest all around from all his enemies, 2 📚that the king said to Nathan 📖 the prophet, “See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent 📖 curtains”.3 📚And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you”.
7:3 Nathan said this without getting God’s thoughts about it. Even great prophets may speak rashly.⚜
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: Will you build me a house for me to live in? 6 📚For I have not lived in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt to this day, but have moved about with a tent and with a tabernacle. 7 📚In any place I have travelled with all the children of Israel did I speak a word with any of the leaders of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, Why do you not build me a house of cedar?’
7:4-7 God was satisfied with His tent. He (with His people) was a pilgrim on earth (v 6. Think of it!). The tent was an adequate symbol of His presence with Israel. He had not desired a temple, had not asked for one.⚜
God’s covenant with David
8 📚“Now therefore you shall say this to my servant David: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel, 9 📚and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from your sight, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are in the earth. 10 📚Moreover I will provide a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, so that they can live in a place of their own and move no more. Nor will the children of wickedness afflict 📖 them any more, as before, 11 📚even from the time that I commanded judges 📖 to be over my people Israel, for I have caused you 📖 to rest from all your enemies. “‘Also the LORD tells you that he will make a house for you.
7:4-11 God preferred to do something for David, rather than have David build a temple for Him (vs 9,11). He had already done great things for David (vs 8,9). Now He would do still greater things for him and for Israel (vs 9-11).⚜
12 📚And when your days are fulfilled, and you sleep with your ancestors, after you I will appoint your offspring 📖, who comes forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 📚He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom 📖 forever 📖.
7:13 See 1 Kings chapter 6. God here gives His approval for the building of a temple. He had not asked men to build one for Him, but He would permit it and use the temple as a picture to set forth certain aspects of the spiritual work of Christ (Eph 2:19-22). See note on something similar at 1 Sam 8:5-22.⚜
14 📚I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will discipline 📖 him with the rod of men 📖 and with the blows of the children of men, 15 📚but my mercy will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul 📖, whom I put away before you. 16 📚And your house and your kingdom will be established forever before you; your throne will be established forever.’”
17 📚Nathan spoke to David in accordance with all these words and in accordance with this whole vision.
David’s prayer
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 even this was a small thing in your sight, O Lord God, but you have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great time to come. And is this the custom of man, O Lord God?
20 📚“And what more can David say to you? For you, Lord God, know your servant. 21 📚For your word’s sake 📖, and in accordance with your own heart, you have done all these great things, to make your servant know them.
22 📚“Therefore you are great, O LORD God 📖, for there is no one like you 📖, nor is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 📚And what one nation in the earth is like your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem as a people for himself and to make a name for himself, and to do great and awe-inspiring things for yourself, for your land, before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? 24 📚For you have established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, LORD, have become their God.
7:24 Gen 17:7; Ex 6:7; 19:6; Deut 10:15; 26:18; 32:6; Isa 43:21. Observe that the nation Israel is God’s people forever. Compare Jer 31:35-40; 33:17-26.⚜
25 📚“And now, O LORD God, establish forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have said. 26 📚And let your name be magnified for ever, 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 made a revelation 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.
7:27 Effective prayer will be based on God’s revelation of His will. Compare 1 John 5:14-15.⚜
28 📚And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true 📖, and you have promised this goodness to your servant. 29 📚Therefore now let it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for you, O Lord God, have said it. And let the house of your servant be blessed with your blessing 📖 forever”.