God Makes a Covenant With David
December 31, 2020
Commentary
God’s covenant with David makes this one of the great chapters of the Bible. God promised a king and a kingdom to come in the line of David. God confirmed this promise with an oath (Psa. 89:34-37). It is very difficult to understand the prophets from this point on without knowing about this covenant. The Old Testament prophets based their message on the promise given to David here.
The story of this chapter begins with David’s intention to build a temple for God. He has just completed the construction of his palace. God gently rebukes David for his plan. He looks out his window and sees the Ark of the Covenant housed in a tent. A plan begins to formulate in his mind as to how he can build a house for God. So David calls his friend and confidant, Nathan the profit and outlines his intentions (vv. 1-2). Nathan hastily consents, thinking that David’s plan to build such a house will be pleasing to God (v. 3). But that night Nathan is corrected by God, and he has to return to David with a revised evaluation (vv. 4-17).
David had the wrong idea of trying to help out God, rather than the one who is constantly being helped by God. God reminds David of who is helping who. History would remind David (and us) that it has always been God helping; us, not us helping God. God did not ask for a temple, because He did not need one (vv. 4-7). David has fallen into the very trap that God warned Israel to avoid. He has begun to take credit for what God has done. He begins to think of God as dependent upon him, rather than to worship God as a dependent creature. He was wrong to think in terms of his successes. God reminds him that all of his successes were really gracious gifts from His hand (vv. 8-9). And the things which God promises David in the future are gracious gifts (vv. 10-17) for which He is to be praised.
Application
David accepted his part in God’s plan and did not try to go beyond it. Sometimes God says no to my plans. When He does I need to get involved in the other opportunities He gives to me.
2 Samuel 7:1– 17 (NET)
1 The king settled into his palace, for the Lord gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides. 2 The king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.” 3 Nathan replied to the king, “You should go and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.” 4 That night the Lord’s message came to Nathan, 5 “Go, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has said: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in? 6 I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent. 7 Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say to any of their leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’
8 “So now, say this to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you leader of my people Israel. 9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. 10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning 11 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you. 12 When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. 14 I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. 15 But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’” 17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.