Slices
Prepare
‘What is man that you are mindful of him … the son of man that you care for him?’ (Psalm 8:4, ESV).
Bible passage
God’s promise to David
7 After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, ‘Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.’
3 Nathan replied to the king, ‘Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.’
4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
5 ‘Go and tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord says: are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”
8 ‘Now then, tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people shall not oppress them any more, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
‘“The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.”’
17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
Explore
When we first read this passage, we may think, ‘Good for you, David! You’re seeking to serve the Lord rather than enjoy your own comfort.’ But the Lord doesn’t quite see it that way…
God asks David a rhetorical question: ‘Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?’ (v 5). In response, God answers his own question, ‘I will make you a house’ (see v 11, ESV). David had the resources to build a temporary temple. God promised to make David a wonderful everlasting ‘house’ that wouldn’t perish or crumble (v 16). God had taken David from pasture to palace (v 8), had ‘cut off’ all his enemies and now promised to make David’s name uniquely great (v 9). God also spoke of a time when he would bless David’s heir who would build a temple (vs 13,14), and though he would discipline him for sin, he would not remove his love from him (vs 14,15). In time, the King of kings, Jesus, would be born through this blood-line.
God doesn’t need anything from us. He is three-in-one, perfect, not lacking in any way. The fact that humans can serve him is because he chooses graciously to involve us and work in and through us, for his glory and our good.
Respond
How do you serve God? Have you slipped from joyful gratitude into somehow thinking that you’re doing God a favour?
Deeper Bible study
Lord, I lay before you all my plans, my heart’s desires for you and my family. Lord, open my heart to hear all your words, even the hard ones.
Nathan is represented as a faithful servant, a man of God. Giving words of affirmation to people is a beautiful gift, yet undertaking the opposite is challenging. For all prophets, to speak words from God with integrity inevitably means delivering a message that runs counter to man’s heart. Nathan bravely and humbly returns to the king and shares the word of the Lord (v 17; ‘But…’, v 4), which is in complete contrast to his first statement (v 3). One was his thought, the other the Lord’s instruction!
In those times, to face kings with bad news could cost your life, as history has shown over generations. We know David’s heart was for God, but we can change when circumstances no longer please us. Ultimately, Nathan was prepared to say, ‘God says “No”’. That is a hard statement to make – and to take. Often we have great plans and visions in God’s service and it hurts when others disagree, or interject with practicalities, or tell us to wait.
Nathan also has a promise to share, for God is preparing David for far more than temples in earthly realms. This is of messianic and supernatural proportions (v 13). As God declares ‘I AM’, look again and see what God will do for David and his people: ‘I took you from the pasture … I have been with you … I will make your name great’ (vs 8,9) … I will provide for my people, give you rest, raise up your offspring, establish his kingdom, be his father, punish him when he does wrong, but never stop loving him as I did Saul (vs 10–15). These are not temporal promises for one man (v 16), but to all God’s people, promises that will endure for ever. What joy, hope and protection!
‘I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.’1 Are we trusting ourselves, or God?
1 Isa 45:2
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezra 7,8; Luke 4
Pray for Scripture Union
Thank God for the commitment and willingness of the trustees to serve God and SU. Pray that as the Board meets next Wednesday to review and sign off the Annual Report and Accounts, they will know God’s wisdom and discernment in their discussions and decisions.
