THE DESIRE FOR THE TEMPLE

2 Samuel 7:1–3

David had a great desire to build a great Temple for the glory of God. His desire resulted in the grand and glorious Temple which was eventually built by Solomon. While David did not actually build the Temple, he got the things moving to have one built.

1. The Stewardship in the Desire (2 Samuel 7:1)

The desire to build a Temple showed the good stewardship of David.

The stewardship of position.

“King” (2 Samuel 7:1). Only the “king” could order the building of a Temple in Israel. Therefore David was a good steward of his position. Some use their position and the power that goes with it to seek personal gain and advantages. David used his position to honor God.

• The stewardship of prosperity.

“The LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies” (2 Samuel 7:1). God had given David a prosperous reign. It had resulted in subduing of Israel’s enemies, so that David had some leisure time. What one does with his prosperity reflects his character. David used his prosperity to honor God. He was a good steward of his prosperity as well as his position.

2. The Support for the Desire (2 Samuel 7:2)

In speaking of his desire for a Temple, David gave some excellent support for his desire.

The house of David.

“See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of god dwelleth within curtains” (2 Samuel 7:2). This argument to support his desire said that it was incongruent for David to dwell in a nice home and the ark to dwell in just a tent (“curtains”). Would that wealthy church members felt the same way about their church buildings, but too often they spend much on their homes but little on the church building.

The honor for God.

“But the ark of God dwelleth within curtains” (2 Samuel 7:2). David wanted to give honor God. He argued that the ark being in nothing more than a tent did not do justice to God (which the ark represented). Unlike our government officials, David was concerned that God was not given enough honor.

3. The Sharing of the Desire (2 Samuel 7:2, 3)

David shared his desires about a Temple with a man by the name of Nathan.

The calling of Nathan.

“Nathan the prophet” (2 Samuel 7:2). Nathan had a Divine calling as a prophet. This is the first mention of Nathan the prophet in the Scripture. Here he had evidently had become a spiritual advisor to David, the king.

The character of Nathan.

Nathan had excellent character as is seen by his faithfulness in doing God’s bidding. Nathan faithfully informed David that God denied his request to build a Temple (2 Samuel 7:17). Later Nathan had the difficult task of confronting David with his immoral escapade with Bathsheba, but Nathan was faithful to doing this task (2 Samuel 12).

The companionship with Nathan.

David kept company with good men. Saul, the previous king, kept company with evil men such as Doeg (1 Samuel 22:9). One’s character is quickly revealed by the company he keeps.

The consenting of Nathan.

“Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee” (2 Samuel 7:3). While this initial advice to David had to be rescinded later because of God’s denial, Nathan is not to be criticized here in giving David this advice. Nathan was not like some who throw a wet blanket on the spiritual enthusiasm of others, but he was an encourager in spiritual endeavors.