Broken Dreams Restored Series

2 SAMUEL 7: 18-29 [The Life of David]

BROKEN DREAMS RESTORED

[Psalm 73:25-28]

While David's proposal has been turned aside, God's acceptance of David's desire is not denied. God takes the desire of David's heart to build Yahweh's house and sovereignly declares that He will build an everlasting house for David. While God had other plans for David's life, God has dramatically and astoundingly promised to respond to the desire of David's heart by making an everlasting covenant promise to him.

It was with great gratitude and awe that David learned of God's gracious plans for him and his descendants. For he is overwhelmed at the magnitude of the Lord's promise. His emotions tumble over one another as they seek expression. There is thankfulness, delight, gratitude, and praise. God has supercedingly reciprocated to the request of David's heart (Psalm 37:4) and has done so in ways that far exceeded his wildest dreams. [Knowing that only God could do it David addressed Him as 'adonay Yahweh Sovereign Lord (NIV, LORD God, NASB) seven times (vv. 18-20, 22, 28-29).]

The Lord still delights to honor those who serve Him. Often we react to a negative response from Him or life in ways He never intended. We then blindly ignore His numerous blessings that He has lavished and continues to lavish upon us as we bemoan our supposed loss.

The way David responded to God's correction and the new Word from the Lord is a good example to follow for any Christian. For David could then be over whelmed by a sense of God's grace. He humbles himself before God and called himself the servant of God ten times. His prayer of praise and thanksgiving acknowledges the Sovereignty of God and the magnitude of His promises (CIT).

The covenant God had just established with David was unconditional. All David had to do was affirm it and let God do the work. So David pours out his heart before the Lord in thanksgiving for God's promises to him and his people.

I. PRAISE FOR THE PRESENT PROMISE, 18-21.

II. PRAISE FOR THE PAST PROVIDENCE, 22-24.

III. PRAYER FOR THE FUTURE PROMISE, 25-29.

David's initial response to this magnificent revelation concerning the covenant of eternal kingship was to acknowledge the Lord's graciousness in bestowing it (vv.18-21). David is so overwhelmed all he can do in verse 18 is go before the Lord to sit and wonder. "Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?"

David has just heard God tell him the answer is no. God states in verse 10 that, "I have a plan to establish a center of worship, but not now, and not by you." You're not going to fulfil your dream. I'm going to honor you though, because such a noble dream was in your heart, but it is not part of My plan for your life.

David does not question the veracity of Nathan's visionary words. He accepts them as coming from the Lord. He requires no further confirmation of God's will. He goes and in humility sits in the presence of the Lord. Then in wonder asks, "Why would You allow me to be a part of this grand plan?"

There is a genuine sense of humility. David picked up on God's reminder that He had taken him "from the sheepfold" (v. 8) and raised the question many reflective Christians raise: "Who am I that You have brought me this far?" Sitting before the Lord, David's mind ran back to the beginning, to Samuel's visit to his father's house. He was overwhelmed at the memory of all the good things which God had done from that day on to bring him to the throne in Jerusalem and to bring peace and prosperity to Israel.

One of our great temptations is to take for granted the blessings of God. It is good for our spiritual life to sit before God and remember how far He has brought us.

David softened God's "forever" in verse 16 to "a distant future" in verse 19. "And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the way of man, O Lord God.

As David sits in God's presence he sees himself as he really is and the king recognizes his weakness, his insignificance. Thus he is overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for God's promises. It was God's grace that had brought David this far-from the sheep to the throne-and now God had spoken about his descendants far into the future. Only as we realize our shortcomings can be struck with awe and wonder that God would bless us as He has.