1 Chronicles 17:1 – 27 “God’s Covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:1-17)
After David had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.”
And Nathan replied to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build a house for Me to dwell in. For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up from Egypt until this day, but I have moved from tent to tent and dwelling to dwelling. In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’
Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like the greatest in the land.
And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wickedness oppress them as they did at the beginning and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies.
Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you. And when your days are fulfilled and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he will be My son. And I will never remove My loving devotion from him as I removed it from your predecessor. But I will set him over My house and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.”
So Nathan relayed to David all the words of this entire vision.
David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving (2 Samuel 7:18-29)
Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God, You have spoken about the future of the house of Your servant and have regarded me as a man of great distinction, O LORD God. What more can David say to You for so honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant, O LORD. For the sake of Your servant and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed all Your greatness.
O LORD, there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears. And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself? You made a name for Yourself through great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt. For You have made Your people Israel Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God.
And now, O LORD, let the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be established forever. Do as You have promised, so that Your name will be established and magnified forever when it is said, ‘The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, is God over Israel.’ And may the house of Your servant David be established before You. For You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. Therefore Your servant has found the courage to pray before You. And now, O LORD, You are God! And You have promised this goodness to Your servant. So now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”
King David may have many failings, but he has always sought God and has remembered the lessons he has learned. Now that David has built a palace for himself with the help of Hiram, King of Tyre, he feels ashamed that the Ark should remain in a tent. Although the prophet Nathan initially agrees with David, God has other ideas and makes them clear. As a man of war, David is not the right person to build the temple in Jerusalem; however, God promises to establish David’s throne forever.
“Wait!” you might say. “Didn’t the Babylonians defeat the nation of Judah and carry off many of its citizens to Babylon?” Yes, you are correct. But here God is taking a much longer view. From God’s perspective, He is referring to Jesus the Messiah, who will be borne of David’s lineage and who will rule forever on the spiritual throne of David. That is how David’s house and lineage will continue forever.
The sweetness of God’s message to David through Nathan is almost unbearable. “Go tell my servant David…” God says this not once, but several times. God knows David and has been with David for all of David’s life. Now God is promising David and Israel immense blessings. Even when both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah fall into terrible sin and are carried off into exile, God’s promises remain awaiting the time of fulfillment.
APPLICATION: Anybody familiar with the history of the modern state of Israel knows that God has had to intervene on multiple occasions to establish the state and then to preserve it. Even now, despite all attempts of surrounding countries to destroy Israel, Israel continues to flourish. God’s promises to David are still working and are still being fulfilled.
One of the most poignant parts of this chapter is David’s response to God. David goes and sits before the Lord, waiting for God to speak to him. Undoubtedly, David must have gone to God at night when things were quiet around the palace and nobody was tugging on David’s robe, demanding attention. David was by himself with nobody to witness his conversation with God. This means that later David must have recounted the story of God’s promises to someone who was keeping records.
Sometimes people complain that they can’t sleep and struggle with all kinds of sleep aids. When I can’t sleep, I assume that God wants to tell me something, and I go sit in a quiet place and wait. God has never failed to meet me; my big challenge is calming my mind so that i can hear God properly. God is always present to anyone who will call upon Him.
While there is nothing wrong with prayer meetings, there is something terribly wrong when people assume that a prayer meeting consists of standing up and praying as rapidly as possible and as loudly as possible. Newsflash: GOD IS NOT DEAF!!! One dedicated Christian friend has given up on his church prayer meetings because they have become nothing but competitions to see who can pray the loudest, the longest, or the most violently. God wants to meet with us so that He can advise us and guide us, but the Holy Spirit generally speaks very softly. There are times and places in which loud exclamatory prayers are appropriate; however, if all you do is to make noise constantly, you will never hear the Holy Spirit.
The next time you are having trouble sleeping, don’t count sheep. Go meet with the Shepherd and Guardian of your soul. Roll your problems onto Him; He can handle them far better than you can!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow King David’s example and to meet with You quietly and privately. Thank You, that Your promises are true and sure. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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