2 Samuel 7:1-14
Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his
enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”
enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; 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: Are you the one to build me a house to live 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
and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders 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 following the sheep to be 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 appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so
that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and
evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and 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 ancestors, I will
raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth 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. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.
Reflection
After reading passages like these I'm always reminded of Isaiah 55:8 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." God doesn't do things that we might think are normal or even common sense. In the passage above, David would like to build God a place to live and rest - a temple. This seems like an act of worship and devotion.
After reading passages like these I'm always reminded of Isaiah 55:8 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." God doesn't do things that we might think are normal or even common sense. In the passage above, David would like to build God a place to live and rest - a temple. This seems like an act of worship and devotion.
However,
God tells David that he will not build a temple for God. Instead, God
turns the tables and says that he will build an eternal Kingdom through
David. God will build a house for David. Ultimately this passage is
eluding to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. God will establish an
eternal Kingdom on earth through the mighty name of Jesus, the Savior of
the world. God is the one who is giving us rest in Christ
Questions:
Morning: Has God ever done something unexpected in your life? Has God ever told you something that is unexpected?
Afternoon:
Are you the kind of person who always thinks they have to be "doing"
something for God? What does this passage have to say in response to
that?
Evening: How does this passage change your understanding of how God works? Does it comfort you? Why?
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