The Game of Thrones- Israel’s Experience with Human Kings”
“When God Says No”
What do you do when God says “No”? How do you feel when God says “no”? Are you happy? Do reject His suggestion and try to find your own way?
In Scotland a family by the name of Clark had a dream: husband and wife with their nine children wanted to emigrate to the United States. To make that dream a reality, they struggled, scrimped, and saved. Finally they managed to accumulate enough money and obtain all the paperwork they needed to take the trip and begin a new life in a new land.
Ship reservations were made and the family was ecstatic. Then, as often happens, tragedy struck. Seven days before they were to leave the youngest of the children, a little boy, was bitten by a dog. The bite wasn’t serious; the doctor stitched the lad up in no time at all. The tragedy was the doctor also had to hang a yellow sign on the Clark’s front door. The yellow signed warned everybody to stay away: there was a possibility, a very small chance, that the boy had contracted rabies from the bite of the unknown dog. Their ship was to sail in one week, the family was quarantined for two. They would have to stay behind as their ship, and their dreams, sailed into the sunset.
The father, outraged at what he felt was the unjust, unfair hand that he had been dealt, went down to the pier to stare as the ship set out. Furious at God, frustrated with his son; he cried and he cursed. He stomped home in a foul mood. He stayed that way, too. Then only a few days after his vessel had left port he got word that on April 15th the very ship which was to have brought them to a new life, had been sunk. The Titanic had gone down. As it disappeared, it had taken with it the lives of over 1,500 passengers. Hearing that news, Mr. Clark’s attitude was instantly transformed. Excitedly, enthusiastically, eagerly, he hugged his son. Plainly, powerfully, and prayerfully, he thanked his God. Their lives had been spared.
Sometimes God says “No” to our dreams and to our plans. When He does, it is not to defeat us or to discourage us. He does it because He has something far better than we could have ever imagined planned for us. The Apostle Paul and his companions wanted to take the Gospel to other parts of modern day Turkey, but God said “no”. In answer to prayer God sent Paul across the sea to Greece and Lydia became the first Christian in the city of Philippi.
Fifteen years ago I had spent 25 years of wonderful ministry in another place. I said to myself… This is good. I plan to retire here in this place. The church was healthy. The ministry and school were successful. God said, “no”.
So I came to this place. God had other plans. His promises are true. “In all things God works good for those who love Him.”
This event described for us in II Samuel describes what were possibly the best days in the life of King David. He was the King of Israel. His nation was united and at peace. David was enjoying a time of rest, after all the problems that he had been forced to endure. For David, these days were a time to meditate and reflect on the blessings and the grace of God.
David has just completed the construction of his palace. He looks out and sees the ark of the Lord, housed in a tent, and then begins to wonder. . . He wanted to build God a permanent dwelling place. A plan begins to formulate in his mind. Why not build a house for God, a temple? So David calls his friend and confidant, Nathan the prophet, and outlines his intentions. Nathan hastily consents, thinking that David's plans for such a “house” will be pleasing to God.
But that night, Nathan is corrected by God, and he has to return to David with his revised prophetic evaluation. Through Nathan, God speaks to David. It is as though God were looking down at the blueprints which David had drawn up for God's “house”. II Samuel 7. (read)
I think David shows us what we are supposed to do when God looks at our dream and says “No, that is not My plan for your life.” David’s response was one of humility and prayerful acceptance. (read 11 Samuel 7:18ff)
Our text contains what theologians have come to call the Davidic Covenant, one of the great covenants of the Bible. We will see that God had other plans. A promise is made to David that matches the promise to Abraham. One of your descendants will be the Messiah, The Savior… who will remove Adam’s curse which has brought death to humanity. You and I know…. Jumping 100 years into the future that an angel told Mary the Messiah’s name would be Jesus. Thirty years after his birth Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, and passing though the town of Jericho a blind man calls out… Jesus, Son of David… have mercy… He was given his sight.
Back to our story. Since the time the Tabernacle had been built during the days of Moses; God’s presence had dwelt in the Holy of Holies of that temporary building. A tent prepared for it, and a daily service established in connection with the tabernacle, the place where the priest daily offered sacrifices for the sins of God’s people.
Let’s be honest. David knew the “power of the presence of God.” He knew the stories. During the years of the Judges when Eli and Samuel were Judges over the children of Israel the Ark was captured by the Philistines… each Philistine city to which the ark was taken were afflicted by plagues. Their stone gods when the ark was placed before them, fell to the ground and shattered as if there was an earthquake. When the Philistines sent the Ark” down the road… upon stopping at a Jewish village…of Beth Shemesh. They decided to look inside….(I Samuel 6:19) and 70 men died.
Reminds me of that scene in the Raiders of the Lost ark……
In 1936, archaeologist Indiana Jones(Harrison Ford) the Nazis are searching for the location of the Ark of the Covenant; the Nazis believe that if they acquire the Ark their armies will become invincible. The Ark is recovered and placed in a cave. Harrison Ford and his beautiful companion Marion (Karen Allen)….are captured, and bound. As the Nazi Leader opens the lid on the Ark of the Covenant...an angelic and beautiful, ghost-like beings emerge from the Ark and float around the assembly. Jones cautions Marion to keep her eyes tightly closed and not to observe what happens next. As the lid is lifted and the others look on in astonishment as the apparitions are suddenly revealed to be angels of death. A vortex of flame forms above the opened Ark and energy surges out into the gathered Nazi soldiers, killing them all. As they all scream in terror, the Ark turns its fury on them. Flames then engulf the remains of the doomed assembly, save for Jones and Marion. The Ark's lid is blasted high into the air before dropping back down onto the Ark and sealing it.
David knew where the “power of God” resided. When trying to move the Ark to Jerusalem one priest who touched the Ark was killed and the house where the Ark rested was blessed. The most practical truths any Christian can know are that God is all-powerful, all-wise, and all for you. Nothing will have a more important practical impact on the way you live than to know that God is all powerful, all knowing, and that he loves you, even though he knows you! He has plans for you that may be different than your plans.
David wanted to give the Lord a proper, permanent place to manifest His glorious presence. David had a bright idea, but it did not correspond with God's plan. The question which God asks David sets the tone for what is to follow: “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in?” The only problem with this dream is that God said “No!” David’s reaction to God’s “No” is something we should all take to heart.
I like the way Eugene Peterson puts it:
“But there are times when our grand human plans to do something for God are seen, after a night of prayer, to be a huge human distraction from what God is doing for us.”
That's what Nathan realized that night: God showed Nathan that David's building plans for God would interfere with God's building plans for David.”
In verses 1, 2, and 3 David is referred to as the king, but when God refers to David, He calls him My servant David (verse 5). I think it is safe to suggest that David is a little too conscious of his position as king. Now in relation to all the people of Israel (and those outside Israel for that matter), David is the highest authority in the land. But in relation to God, David is merely a servant.
David is living in a palace, and God is living in a tent, at least in David's mind. David almost appears to be wanting to give God a helping hand. It would be like me, creating and designing a new line of ties, then sending Donald Trump a gift certificate to buy the clothes I designed.. It is for this reason, I believe, that God appears to put David in his place, first by referring to the king as His servant, and second by saying to him, “Who are you to be building Me a house?”
Just over 1000 years later Acts 6:13 we find that Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin on trumped up charges, one of which was that he spoke against the temple. Stephen did not deny the charge brought against him by false witnesses. Instead, he defended himself by pointing out from the Old Testament Scriptures that God was not nearly as impressed with the temple as the Jews were. He argued that God gave Israel the tabernacle, and that the temple was David's idea.
“However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: 49 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE? 50 'WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?'“ (Acts 7:44-50).
II Samuel 7 is in agreement with Stephen's argument. God explains to David why He does not need a temple made by him. The first reason is given in verse 6 and can be summed up in these words: “If it isn't broken, don't try to fix it.” In verse 7, God gives yet another reason for there being no real need for a temple: “I didn't ask for one.”
God returns to the subject of a “house.” Would David build a house for God?
David’s Desire Was A Good Desire – As David sat in his palace, he felt guilty that he lived in the lap of such luxury when the presence of God lived inside of a tent. David believed that a God of such glory should have a house befitting His majesty. This was a good desire and David was praised by the Lord for having this dream, 2 Chron.6:7-9. (Note: The Lord’s house and these grounds ought to look the best that they can. When people come here, inside and outside, what they see reveals what we believe about the glory of God.
It Was A Gracious Desire – David is not asking for anything at this point, his desire is not to receive, but to give. He wants to give something back to the God Who has given him everything. We could never possibly repay the Lord for all that He has done for us. He has not asked us to! But, there should be a desire within us to see Him honored and glorified, regardless of the cost.
It Was A Godly Desire – David had no ulterior motives in wanting to build the Lord a house. His desire was to see the Lord glorified and honored.
the motives were right; but the dream was man’s and not God’s!
But, when God says “No” to David, He does not just shatter David’s dream and leave him with a broken heart. When God says “No”, He tempers His no with some very precious words that are designed to soothe the heart of David.
You may not have gotten all you wanted out of life; but hasn’t God given you so much more than you imagined? Has He not saved you by His grace? Has He not used your life to accomplish His will in the world? When God says “No” to your dreams and plans, it is because He has something far better in mind for you. This was David’s discovery. This was the experience of the disciples. They thought their dreams were shattered when Jesus died on the cross. They soon found out that God had something far better in store.
God's purpose was larger than David could have imagined. David simply wanted to build a house for the ark of the Lord, but God had a bigger purpose. God's purpose involved something larger. David's plan involved building a temple.
The temple was a temporary structure.
No is not always the last word, and not every No is from God. Life hands us blows simply because we are human beings and live in a fallen world. God has chosen to allow other forces to be at work for a time. Evil is at work. Free choice is operative. An orderly universe means the same water than quenches thirst drowns. Not everything that happens in this life is God's will. Not every crushed dream is willfully crushed by God. And if we trust, the Lord God will bring some good for someone out of every calamity.
But there are times when God says No. For reasons we cannot see, God doesn't ratify our plans. And when this happens, God says to us as to David, No, I can't approve your plans, for I have a better plan.
God said No to David's plans, and God said No to David's purpose in life. David had expected to be a shepherd, but God said: No, I need you to be a prince. Undoubtedly David didn't understand at the time. He was secure in his father Jesse's house in Bethlehem. His mother, six brothers and two sisters were there. His life seemed set. He was a shepherd and a shepherd he'd remain. That was his purpose in life. But everything changed.
So things change just because they do, but sometimes things change because God says No.
God said No, David, you can't be a shepherd, for I have a better purpose for your life.
In our religious life, we want to practice worship our way. We'd like to enjoy our Sunday services, our Sunday School classes and circles, a few close church friends and stop there. But God says No. You can't stop there, Reach out. Bring others into the church and to the faith.
FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING DESERVES TO KNOW HE OR SHE IS LOVED BY GOD AND INVITED TO CHRISTIAN FAITH. And those outside the church will never know unless Christians tell the story with their words and their lives. It is costly in time, effort, and money to practice our faith God's way. But when we do, we see like David, God says No to our way because God has a better way.
