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2 Samuel Chapter 7
The Lord's Covenant with David
- 2Samuel 7:1 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;
- 2 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.
- 3 And Nathan said to
the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is
with thee.
Nathan was encouraging David to go and
do what is in his heart but he wasn't really speaking for God here
but showing support for what he wanted to do. It was commendable for
David to think this way though. He lived in a palace and the Lord at
least in the earthly realm came to them in a tent or tabernacle that
was movable from place to place when they traveled from Egypt to
Canaan years previously. He was thinking that God deserved a better
place then a tent.
- 2Samuel 7:4 And it
came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto
Nathan, saying,
- 5 Go and tell my
servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house
for me to dwell in?
- 6 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.
- 7 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?
God never seemed to be interested in a
physical house here on the earth but an everlasting kingdom in the
future. He did allow it to be built later through Solomon but these
words spoken are speaking of the future Messiah, whom we now know as
Jesus who will be the eternal king coming from the seed of David. So
these scriptures here are a Messianic prophecy although I don't know
if David understands that yet.
Joseph spoken of in the New Testament was the
father of Jesus only by being the husband of Mary. This gave Jesus
the right to the throne of David. Mary was also of the line of David
so that also made Jesus born into the line of David.
- 2 Samuel 7:8 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:
- 9 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.
- 10 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,
- 11 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.
- 12 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.
We see from reading further in the
kings that Solomon was chosen king after David and did build a
temple for the Lord but his kingdom was lost after his death. The
kingdom was split again. What we are reading here is prophecy of the
eternal kingdom under Jesus Christ. This prophecy was fulfilled only
in part in 1948. They have since been surrounded by many enemies and
are not yet living in peace.
- 2Samuel 7:13 He
shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne
of his kingdom for ever.
- 14 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:
- 15 But my mercy
shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I
put away before thee.
David's descendents were never perfect
but God promised that he would not take the promise of an eternal
kingdom from them like He did Saul.
- 2Samuel 7:16 And
thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before
thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
- 17 According to all
these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan
speak unto David.
Peter tells of this in Acts Chapter 2
showing this message to David is a double prophecy or sorts. Solomon
did come after him and built a literal house but the deeper real
message given to David here is something eternal through Jesus
Christ the Messiah.
- Acts 2:29 Men and
brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us
unto this day.
- 30 Therefore being a
prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him,
that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would
raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
- 31 He seeing this
before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
- 32 This Jesus hath
God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
- 33 Therefore being
by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the
Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this,
which ye now see and hear.
- 34 For David is not
ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said
unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
- 35 Until I make thy
foes thy footstool.
- 36 Therefore let all
the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same
Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
- 37 Now when they
heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto
Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what
shall we do?
- 38 Then Peter said
unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- 39 For the promise
is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
- 40 And with many
other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves
from this untoward generation.
- 41 Then they that
gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there
were added unto them about three thousand souls.
David's Prayer of Gratitude
- 2Samuel 7:18 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?
- 19 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?
David knew that this prophecy was not just
here and now but continued into the future.
- 2 Samuel 7:20 And what can
David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy
servant.
- 21 For thy word's
sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these
great things, to make thy servant know them.
- 22 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.
- 23 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?
- 24 For thou hast
confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee
for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.
- 25 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.
- 26 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.
- 27 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.
- 28 And now, O Lord
GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast
promised this goodness unto thy servant:
- 29 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.
Whether David understood the whole
meaning of this, I don't know. I would guess yes though because in
many of his writings in the Psalms we see Messianic prophecies and
also from verse 19 of this chapter in 2 Samuel. This is an honor
given to David similar to God's plan to save Noah and his family
from the great flood. God chose Noah because he believed in God.
David was the same. He believed. That doesn't mean they were perfect
in all their past ways but they believed to the point of desiing to
live right, desiring to honor God and desiring to obey God in all
things. God sees what is in our hearts. While, David, Peter and
others may have failed at times, it wasn't without cost. They paid
dearly for any sins they did do, yet their repentance was real and
their faith in God was strong that God wipes away their past sins
through the shed blood of Jesus even though to those in the Old
Testament, had to look forward to that time while the rest of us
look back to that time.
We also can be forgiven and cleansed from sin
when we look to Jesus for salvation and He will give us the promise
of eternal life. He doesn't just leave it there though. He sends His
Holy Spirit to abide within us. This is ours for the asking and
receiving. -DC
2 Samuel Chapter 8
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