A House Forever

We’re now several chapters in to 2 Samuel, specifically following the life of David. 1 Samuel tracks a lot of David’s young life, and 2 Samuel has been tracing his path to kingship. David’s been anointed king over all Israel, and we’re going to see what happens next.

Of course, we need to remember David is not the hero of the story; David is the LORD’s chosen instrument for this moment in history. David plays a big part in the Biblical story, in salvation history, to be sure. But only because of the One who proceeds from his line: the One who is the true hero of the story.

Today, we see the beginning of a promise. The promise-making God will keep this promise He makes to David—and from that promise, we will see our Savior, our true Hope, the Promised One, the Messiah.

If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to 2 Samuel. Keep your Bible open before you this morning and follow along as we go.

2 Samuel 7:1–7 NIV

1 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?” ’

Greater Plans (vv. 1-7)

King David and Nathan are just hanging out. King David and Nathan—a prophet in David’s court—drinking their post-dessert coffee. Decaf, of course, because it’s after 7:00 and you know how caffeine will keep a guy from being able to sleep. You know, you want coffee, but let’s have decaf.

David, seemingly out of nowhere, turns to Nathan and tells him how wrong it is that the king has a nice, fancy palace (courtesy of Hiram, king of Tyre 2 Samuel 5:11 and the cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons he sent to David).

David’s in a palace and the ark of God/ark of the covenant is just hanging out in a tent.

David and his buddy, Nathan, are on the same page. Nathan sets down his coffee mug and jumps into a pep talk sponsored by Nike: “Just do it!” And tacks-on “The LORD is with you,” for good measure.

This sounds right, doesn’t it? It’s a really good impulse from David, who is all nicely settled into his palace.

I think he might even be reflecting on what the LORD has done for him—the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him. And now, his thoughts turn to what he can do for the LORD. What he should do for the LORD, what the LORD deserves.

It goes unmentioned. But, like Nathan, we know what David’s intention is. He wants to build a house for the LORD, a permanent place for the ark of God.

I think any of us, sitting there with David and Nathan in the cool, evening breeze of the palace roof would have given our hearty approval. “Yeah, let’s do it, David!”

What we have here—good intention aside—is David’s thinking versus the LORD’s thinking. You see, the LORD’s thoughts, the LORD’s ways are higher far than David’s.

Higher than ours, to be sure.

Isaiah 55:8–9

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

What we have here in 2 Samuel is the difference between what the LORD needs/wants versus what David thinks the LORD needs.

It’s not a bad impulse this (building a house for the ark), but it’s nothing the LORD ever asked for.

Here’s a good reminder for each of us: the LORD doesn’t need anything from us. Not one thing. He is not lacking a single thing.

This is what the LORD says, and His Word begs for us to listen:

Psalm 50:9–12

9 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, 10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. 12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Paul preached something similar to the people of Athens:

Acts 17:24–25

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

What does the LORD need? Nothing. What’s He need from David? Nothing. From us? Nothing.

We might think, “Aha! I have the best idea!” And yet, our best ideas aren’t necessarily God’s idea.

Often times, our ideas and plans and ministry models are based on nothing more than human ingenuity and there’s nothing in His Word directing us to do what we do.

The LORD has plans much greater than ours. Did the LORD ever say to anyone, “Where’s MY HOUSE of cedar?”

No! David’s desire isn’t altogether bad, but it’s clear by God’s redirection that God’s plans exceed our intentions.

2 Samuel 7:7

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?” ’

There is something greater than what we envision. The LORD had something else in mind for David, something greater than David could begin to conceive of himself.

David’s desire to build something for the LORD wasn’t sinful. But it wasn’t right. And it wasn’t what God wanted. Thankfully, the LORD told Nathan what the LORD said and let him in on God’s greater plan.

We have to seek God’s guidance, trusting His plans, and not our own best thoughts.

How do we align our desires with God’s will? How do we know God’s purposes for our lives?

By learning His Word.

If you lack wisdom, ask. James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We all, I think, have a picture in our minds of what we want our lives to look like. An idea of what we think we should do.

When I was in grade school, I had big plans for my future. I knew what I wanted to be (and it wasn’t a pastor).

The LORD led me along, even though I fought it pretty hard. My selfishness and greed were directing my path forward. Thankfully, the good LORD directed me, through His Word communicated to me by His people.

Kids, young people, even you adults who don’t quite know what you’re meant to do, here’s the answer: seek the LORD. Open the Bible and ask Him to reveal His will for you. Older Christians, more mature Christians, find a younger Christian and help them. Spend time with them. Study God’s Word with them.

God’s plans for us are greater than we can begin to imagine. And they will, in the LORD’s own way, bring Him glory and be what’s best for us.

The LORD will often, like He did for David, stop us in our tracks. He will redirect us. He’ll take our good intentions and shift them to align our desires and our wills with His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

He has greater plans than we do.

2 Samuel 7:8–11 NIV

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 will not oppress them anymore, 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:

Traceable Faithfulness (vv. 8-11)

The LORD wants David to consider how good the LORD has been to him.

He starts a ways back, to when David was tending his father Jesse’s sheep. This is decades ago. But it’s important for David to remember where he was and who he was when the LORD called him and appointed him.

David was the LORD’s choice, chosen by Him out of all the sons of Jesse. He wasn’t the oldest, the tallest, the strongest, the best looking. But David was the one God chose.

The LORD chose David and appointed David.

And the LORD has been with David wherever [he] went.

All of David’s success, all of David’s power stems from God’s being with him.

1 Samuel 18:14 “In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him.”

2 Samuel 5:10 “And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him.”

The LORD had been present with David.

And the LORD fought for David.

There is story after story after story of how the LORD protected David, provided David with victory after victory, over all of David’s enemies.

We saw in verse 2 of our text today that David was at rest from all his enemies. All of them. Everyone of them. Why? Because of the LORD’s power. The LORD was fighting for David.

That’s what the LORD rehearses for David in verses 8 and 9. Incredible, isn’t it? All the LORD has done. We need a similar rehearsing of what the LORD has done for us.

It’s not a bad idea to go back through your life and trace the faithfulness of God shown to you.

I love the word “traceable.” It means: “able to be found or discovered.”

God’s faithfulness and goodness and mercy are traceable; they’re able to be found and discovered. Not just in David’s life, but in the life of each and every Christian.

You could—and maybe should—hit “rewind” on the tape of your life and make note of all the ways the LORD has been faithful to you. All the ways He’s been good to you. All the ways He has shown you undeserved mercy.

If you have eyes to see, you’ll run out of ink before you’re able to scribble it all down. You would wear a pencil down the nub, scratching out all the ways the LORD has acted on your behalf.

But I think you should try. I can’t technically assign you homework, but I can encourage you to get a notebook and spend some time thinking backwards. Write down all the ways the LORD has been faithful and good in your life. And you’ll see something.

At JoAnn Buterbaugh’s 90th birthday celebration this past Wednesday, we were shooting the breeze and talking about all sorts of stuff, when JoAnn shifted and said, “I can look back over my life and see how good God has been to me. Over and over and over.”

She has spent some time tracing His faithfulness, His goodness, His mercy—that’s a habit you should make. Stop biting your fingernails and, instead trace the faithfulness of the LORD.

Just as the LORD reminds David of how the LORD called him, was with him, and fought for him, we can think of those same actions.

If you are a Christian, these are traceable truths:

The LORD has called us from death to life and has made us His own possession.

The LORD pulled us from the miry pit and set our feet on the rock.

The LORD is with us, always, to the very end of the age.

The LORD is fighting for us. Jesus is interceding for us. The Holy Spirit has sealed our salvation.

After rehearsing the past for David, the LORD tells David what’s to come. He lets David know what He’s going to do for him and for the people of Israel.

The tense of the sentences changes to what the LORD will do. It’s future tense:

I will make your name great

I will provide a place for my people and will plant them

Wicked people will not oppress them

I will give you rest from all your enemies

It’s the promise of grace on top of the grace He’s already given. The LORD is going to do all of these things—make David’s name great, provide a place for the people, give them rest from their enemies—but He also puts a spin on the word house.

David sets out at the beginning of this chapter, wanting to build a house for the LORD. But the LORD says HE is going to be the builder of the house, that is, a family, a household, a dynasty for the king.

The LORD Yahweh puts the building of a temple on the back burner; it can wait a few years, and it will.

The LORD’s agenda here is to underscore HIS grace. He doesn’t need anything from David. The LORD is going to give, and give. Grace, grace, and more grace.

It’s a promise that will come to pass. We can trace the faithfulness of God and depend upon it going forward.

There’s a great deal in God’s Word that is anticipatory for us. We get to anticipate what the LORD is going to do, to look forward to the fulfillment of His promises.

As you’re tracing His past faithfulness, go ahead a look forward, believing every.single.word the LORD has spoken.

Every.Single.Promise of God is going to come true—we just have to wait for it, and we’ll see what He does in His time.

2 Samuel 7:12–17 NIV

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 forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will 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 will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ ” 17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

Eternal Kingdom (vv. 11-17)

There’s nothing that can shake the “house” the LORD is going to build for David.

What God has promised will not be undone by David’s death. When David’s life comes to its end, the LORD will raise up David’s offspring.

David’s descendants are promised the kingship after David. This refers to the “he” who will build a house for the LORD (that’s Solomon) and an ongoing line of kings who will rule over the LORD’s people.

Death cannot undo the LORD’s promise. Neither can sin.

When the king—whomever it is—does wrong, the LORD will discipline him and punish him.

If the promise of God was dependent upon the faithfulness of any mere mortal, it would be doomed from the start.

The LORD will absolutely punish and chasten each of the Davidic kings who go astray, but the LORD’s judgment will never go so far as to remove the love of the LORD from them.

This word—love—is hesed. It’s covenant love. Steadfast love. The LORD’s “never ending, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love.”

Sin and iniquity are no match for hesed. The covenant love of the covenant God is undefeatable. The LORD will never take His love from David’s house.

Neither death, nor sin, nor time can wear out this promise of the LORD.

We read the word “forever” three times in these verses, once in verse 13, and twice in verse 16.

The LORD’s promise to David will never be exhausted by the passage of time.

If you know the Biblical story, you know David is going to mess up big time in any number of ways. So will Solomon. So will the next king and the king after that. King after king after king in David’s line absolutely botch it.

Foolish failures and blatant wickedness mar the reign of every king in David’s line, generation after generation. It’s pretty ugly. Israel will soon be swept into exile. Foreign powers will rule over them.

But, at just the right time, a child is born. A Son is given. One from the line of David—the One to whom this promise points.

Isaiah 9:6–7

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

There will be no end of Jesus’ rule. He will reign FOREVER!

David’s not the one we hope in. Neither is Solomon. It’s not Rehoboam or Abijah or Asa, not Jehoshaphat or Jehoram, not Zerubbabel or Zadok.

Matthew 1:1 gives us“the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David…”

Jesus is the descendant of David we need. Jesus, the Son of God—there’s no sin in Him. He, the perfect, sinless, spotless Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of God, trampled all over death and has begun His endless reign at the place of supreme power and authority in the universe.

He is seated on His throne at the right hand of God forever, forever, forever.

Jesus is the King of an Eternal Kingdom. The King of kings and LORD of lords. And He shall reign forever and ever.

To Jesus’ mother, Mary, the angel said this:

Luke 1:31–33

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

The salvation of every believer is achieved by means of this covenant—the covenant God makes with David—as it’s fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Friends, here we stand years and years after the LORD God made these promises to David.

The promised offspring of David has come. Acts 13:23 “From [David’s] descendants God has brought… the Savior Jesus, just as He promised.”

The eternal kingdom has begun. Jesus Himself came preaching, Matthew 4:17 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

In verse 17 of our text today, we read that Nathan, the prophet, went to David and reported to him every word the LORD had spoken—all the words of this entire revelation.

Here today, we have God’s Word to remind us of the promises God has made and fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

And this Jesus says to you and me today: “Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

Friends: turn from your sin, and run to Him—for forgiveness, full and free.

Turn to Him for salvation and life everlasting.

Trust Him. Put 100% of your trust in Him and in His plan for your life.

Those who belong to the LORD God by faith in Jesus Christ are loved with a steadfast, covenant-love that never, ever lets go. It’s unstoppable, undefeatable, unconquerable.

Come today and bow yourself before Jesus: the death-defeating, sin-forgiving, promise-keeping KING.