Introductory Considerations
1. The land was theirs. God’s promise to Abraham and the people of Israel had been fulfilled. The kingdom had been established and David had been anointed King of Israel. After reigning for 7 years in Hebron, David captured Jerusalem and made it the capital. The ark of God was brought to Jerusalem as a sign, not only of God’s presence but that David’s rule and God’s rule were directly related, and God had given David rest from His enemies.
2. Just like after World War 2 in Europe, it was the time of new beginning. Governments had to be re-established and a foundation laid for how things would run.
3. And so David proposes to build a temple, a dwelling place, a house for God. It seemed like a good thing to do, even Nathan the prophet gave his blessing. But he had forgot to ask God so God comes to Nathan and tells him what to tell David.
4. It is in the words of God, in His response to David, that God re-establishes His covenant and clarifies the type of relationship that He will have not only with David, but with His descendants and with His people.
5. As we look at God’s covenant we see how amazing God’s word really is, for He teaches David the terms, the principles of the relationship and we can apply them to us today.
6. He also makes promise that were fulfilled in part in the OT reign of Israel, further fulfilled in the NT and are being fulfilled even today until they are completed. God’s promises are so great that He allows their fulfilment to unfold in part, like a flower slowly opening up.
7. By seeing in part the beauty of God’s ways, we realize our role in His work and how wonderful and faithful He really is.
8. Lets begin with God and David
Teaching
1. As we said David wanted to build a house for God. After all, David had a palace, should Israel’s heavenly king not have one as well. All the others nations around them had build temples for their kings.
2. But God know there is a danger in this. It is not for man, not even for David to determine where God will make His presence and how He will rule.
3. And so God challenges David’s plans. "Who decided that you are the one to build me a house? I have not had a house in the past, I have been content to move around in a tent as my dwelling place. Who says that I now want a permanent dwelling place? Have I asked anyone to ever build me one? Did I ask Moses, or Joshua or any of their other leaders? David, this is your idea not mine. You may be the King but I am God and I am the one in charge. I am the one who took you from being a shepherd and made you king. I am the one who has provided for you and for the people and I will continue to do so. I will give you rest from your enemies.
4. God tells us here that He is the one who provides for us, not us for Him. He will determine our relationship with Him not us. He will not be boxed into the temple or building of our choosing.
5. We will serve Him but our service is not to be of our scheming but of His desire for us.
6. God promises what he will do. "I will establish a house for you." God does not mean that He will build a dwelling place but rather when He says "house" he means a "Dynasty", a "kingdom". God will establish a kingdom for David and His ancestors. He will provide offspring from David’s own body who will establish His kingdom. And He will build a house for His Name.
7. There so much meaning in these words, where do we begin?
8. First, God says He will first build a house or dynasty for David and then in that dynasty, David or His Son will build a house, a dwelling place for God.
9. The principle here is that God’s grace comes first. It is His grace that establishes His people and gives them the strength and power and very being to serve Him.
10. This is true in church. So easy to determine what we are going to do for God and then go ahead in out own strength. Remember, first need to know what God wants of us. Then, we need to know we work for Him not in own strength but in His. Even the good things we do for God can only be done as He enables us to.
11. The kingdom of God is that which is being established not kingdom of David. And God will establish it not David. This we will see more fully.
12. But the kingdom, while in short term, was the Davidic rule over the kingdom of Israel, is now God’s rule through and in the church, for the Davidic rule is really God’s rule.
13. Later a king in the line of David would rule and as Paul says "Eph 1:22-23 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
14. The church today is God’s kingdom on earth. That is why Peter says we are a holy nation, a royal priesthood. We are here to build a dwelling place in the hearts of mankind. We are here to let God rule in our lives and in the world.
15. But we can do so because God, in His grace has established or built us for that purpose. Jesus says "I will build my church." We are the house God built so we can build a house for Him.
16. Who specifically will build this house? David’s offspring. It was Solomon that God allowed to build the temple in Jerusalem. God would establish Solomon’s kingdom. And the temple that David wanted to build would be built but it would be built by the one God chose to build it.
17. This temple would not be the permanent dwelling place of God. It was symbolic of His being in and with His people. The Jews presumed because they had the temple that God would always be with them and for them.
18. But as Stephen says in Acts 7:47-50. And so God would allow the temple to destroyed when the people turned away from Him.
19. Although there was that immediate fulfilment of God’s promise, the same words have a long term implication, for the one whose kingdom God would establish is Jesus Christ.
20. The one who would establish Kingdom of God would be Jesus who would build this permanent dwelling place for God amongst mankind. As the angel told Mary: (Luke 1:3-32)
21. God’s throne would be established forever in Jerusalem - the new Jerusalem. (Rev 21:2-3) God’s promise to David will then be fulfilled in fullness.
22. As one Bible dictionary describes this event, "John saw the new Jerusalem descending from heaven to the new earth. This incomparably beautiful city is described in such a way that it is clear that the goal of the whole sweep of biblical revelation (the glory of the nations, the tree of life, a river of life, eternal vision of and communion with God) is fulfilled, and God reigns with His people forever and ever (Rev 21:1-22:5)." (Holman Dictionary by Parson’s Technology)
23. God promises that David’s throne will be established forever. His descendants would rule in Jerusalem for 400 years. This was a long time - the average dynasty in Egypt and Mesopotamia during the days of their greatest stability was less than 100 years.
24. But as we said already, it would be through Christ that the throne would be forever. And God says that although Christ would be a son of David, for Mary was a descendant of David, He will be the Son of God. "I will be His Father and he will be my Son."
25. Term used to show special relationship God had with the descendants of David, but ultimately refers to His own Son, our Lord and Saviour.
26. We need to remember that God is talking at two levels with David. We see this throughout OT. God’s promises slowly unfolding and signs of God’s fuller promises fulfilled through Christ.
27. God’s promise is unconditional. He will not go against His word. He does not say that He will establish David’s kingdom forever only if certain conditions are met. He simply says that He will do it.
28. But this does not mean that God will simply allow David’s sons to do what they want with no consequence s to them. He warns that He will punish those who do wrong or evil, that He will chasten or punish them with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men.
29. We see this with Solomon himself. In 1Kgs 11:11, we read that because Solomon had sinned, God would tear away the kingdom from him. It seems that God was forgetting His commitment to David, but He did not. (1Kgs 11:13).
30. Time and time again there would be evil kings in Judah, but if you look through the books of 1 and 2 Kings, you will read how God would defend the city for His own sake and for David’s sake. And although there were periods after the exile when there was no ruler, there was in actuality a ruler-in -waiting.
31. Christ would enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as a ruler coming home to sit on His throne.
32. And he would bear the chastisement that the house of David, including you and me deserved
33. I believe we can see how God’s promise continues through the history of the church. Many times apostate - church in Rome selling salvation, but church still survives. God sees it through - what Reformation is about.
34. Means that His covenant continues to be one of grace. If chosen He will not break promises. Will be chastised but as said few weeks ago, this is discipline to restore us. His love will never be taken from the line of David as it was from Saul.
35. Refers to David and to Christ. What about us? If we are part of kingdom, promise is that God will never remove His love from us.
36. Rom 8:35-39.
37. We can stand on His promises. Thanks be to God, to the Son of David, our Lord and Saviour with whom we shall reign forever.
