God’s Message, David’s Prayer
Introduction: After many years of struggle between Saul and David were well past, King David desired to build a permanent temple for the Ark of the Covenant. Nathan the prophet brought a message from God to David which evokes the prayer that is the subject of this study. Scripture passages are from the KJV.
A — Background: David’s Kingdom Was Established
2 Samuel 5:10 “And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.”
2 Samuel 5:25 “And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.”
2 Samuel 6:11–12 “And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household. And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.”
Comments: David would have been at least in his late thirties when the account continues in 2 Samuel 7, or in the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 17. Considering that David had been taken from his shepherding duties by King Saul, perhaps in his late teens, David, now king of all Israel, had twenty years or more of varied trials and triumphs when he expressed the desire to build a permanent temple for the Ark of the Covenant. Adding years of service under King Saul to the forty years as a king himself, David likely served Israel for a total of fifty years or more by the end of his life.
Before Saul became the first king over Israel, the nation had come to the point that “every man did what was right in his own eyes” during the period of judges. The ark had been separated from the wilderness tabernacle all through the forty year reign of King Saul, and the tent which David placed the ark in was not that original tabernacle. David had conquered many enemies of Israel, and King Hiram of Tyre had provided lavish materials, carpenters, and masons, to build David’s own residence. Below is God’s message through Nathan, after Nathan and David had their brief conversation about building a permanent temple for the ark of God.
B — 2 Samuel 7:1–17
1 And it happened when the king dwelt in his house, and when the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains. 3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you. 4 And that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan saying, 5 Go and tell My servant David, So says the LORD, Shall you build Me a house for My dwelling? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the sons out of Egypt until this day, but have walked in a tent, even in a tabernacle. 7 In all places in which I have walked with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, those I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, Why do you not build Me a house of cedars? 8 And now so shall you say to My servant David, So says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. 9 And I was with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies out of your sight, and have made you a great name like the name of the great ones in the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more. Neither shall the sons of wickedness afflict them any more, as before. 11 And even from the time that I commanded judges to be over My people of Israel, so will I cause you to rest from all your enemies. Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house. 12 And when your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall come out of your bowels. And I will make his kingdom sure. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not leave him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever. 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
Comments: Whether this message through Nathan came near the end of David’s reign, or perhaps twenty years or more prior to the end as I believe, is not clear, but it may have been even before the birth of Solomon. At some time after David’s prayer, apparently the Lord revealed to David the plans for the temple and its furnishings, and that is found only in 1 Chronicles 28. David had also expanded the territory which Israel controlled far beyond that held during Saul’s reign, and he had even collected tribute from foreigners outside of Israel’s borders for years. There is no indication in God’s message or David’s prayer, of David’s sin in the matter of Uriah and his wife, or of the many heartaches from David’s own sons. The message given to Nathan emphasizes that all victories for Israel were wrought directly by the Lord. David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord, but God’s message back to David held the promise to build David’s “house” and establish it forever! David prays in faith that God will fulfill His word that David’s son will build the temple, and that David’s seed will be established forever, because both will take place only after David rests with his fathers.
C — 2 Samuel 7:18–29
18 Then king David went in and sat before the LORD. And he said, Who am I, O Lord Jehovah? And what is my house, that You have brought me here? 19 And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God. But You have spoken also of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God? 20 And what can David say more to You? For You, O Lord Jehovah, know Your servant. 21 For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things to make Your servant know. 22 Therefore You are great, O LORD God. For there is none like You, neither 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 for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name, and to do for You great things and terrible, for Your land, before Your people, whom You redeemed to You from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? 24 For You have confirmed to Yourself Your people Israel to be a people to You forever. And You, LORD, have become their God. 25 And now, O LORD God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant, and concerning his house: establish it forever, and do as You have said. 26 And let Your name be magnified forever, 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 revealed to Your servant, saying, I will build you a house. Therefore Your servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to You. 28 And now, O Lord Jehovah, You are that 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, to be forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken. And with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.
Comments: David seems truly overwhelmed by the message from the Lord through Nathan. David realizes that God knows every detail of his life, all the failings as well as his faith, and yet the Lord deals with him according to his faith. And David continues to demonstrate his faith in this prayer, praising the Lord because he is indeed God. And David requests that God carry out that which he has spoken for David’s seed and for the temple that will be built; and this because it will honor the Lord, not David. David seems to be at complete peace with that which God has revealed shall happen according to God’s own plan.
Reflections in Prayer
Through Christ, the promised son of David, I come before your throne to say with David, who am I O Lord God, that you should turn your attention to me? And the present blessings of today are yet a small thing in your sight, for you also have sealed me with your Holy Spirit to guarantee life eternal! This is not the way man would deal with me, for what can I say to you to gain favor, for you know far more about my many sins; far more than could any man ever know. But for the sake of your written and living Word, and according to the great mercy of your heart have you provided thusly for me, that I might know you better. Therefore Lord, I declare your greatness, for there is no other like you, and there is no God but you just as it is written in your word.
What nation in all the earth is like Israel that God redeemed for a nation unto himself, out of Egypt, from the nations and their Gods? For you have confirmed to yourself your people Israel to be a people to you forever. And you, LORD, have become their God. And now I am witness that you have extended salvation to all nations, in Christ Jesus, the son of David and the Son of God. This continues the “house” of David forever, and establishes “your house” forever in Christ and all who are his church. So let your name be magnified forever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel. You have revealed these things to me through your word, Therefore have I found in my heart, desire to pray this prayer to you. Lord Jesus, you are that God and your words are true, and you have promised this goodness, for you, O Lord GOD, have spoken. And with your unsurpassed blessing, let the house of the redeemed in Christ be blessed forever! Amen.
Published on MPNHome.net 28 May 2004