DAVID SERIES: A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART - PART 16: WHEN GOD SAYS NO, THEN WHAT?
2 SAMUEL 7: 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?¡¨¡¦ 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: 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. 18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: ¡§Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?¡¨
Intro: David: Man After God's Own Heart (Pt. 16) What Do You Do When God Says No?
Song: Have Thine Own Way / Quote: ¡§If You Want To Hear God Laugh, Tell Him Your Plans¡¨ / Saying ¡§No¡¨ To People Is Not Easy. It takes a lot of love and courage. Saying ¡§yes¡¨ all the time is certainly not what is best for children and people. Psychologists, parents and educators are realizing that it¡¦s time to stop looking the other way and start teaching kids that life does not revolve around them. Kids have become demanding, rude and spoiled. There is no longer any respect for adults, God or authority. They lack compassion for others and they do not know the value of any kind of work. They refuse to wait. ¡§No¡¨ is a way in which we set limits on their behavior. Whether we like it or not, society sets limits. Families set limits. Parents set limits. Employers set limits. Our spouses set limits. There are all sorts of ways in which we live and function in a world where there are limits. How can we go wrong with our children? We can go wrong when we allow our babies to con us into getting things by crying out loud or throwing tantrums. God, our Heavenly Father is a perfect parent and that¡¦s why there are times when God says ¡§no.¡¨ As God¡¦s children, we probably don¡¦t like it when God says ¡§no¡¨ any more than when earthly parents said ¡§no.¡¨ We say prayer is talking to God ¡V If so, then God has a right to say know when we ask. Examples: God said no to Paul. He said no to Moses regarding Miriam¡¦s leprosy and his entering the Promised land. He said no to Paul. He said no to Jesus. The Father has a right to say no. That is part of His Godly attributes.
A LOOK AT DAVID¡¦S PERSONAL DESIRE:
The Ark Of God Had Been Ushered Into The City Of David ¡V Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6). But it had no home. For hundreds of years, it had been carried by poles from tent to tent. Now David¡¦s years of wandering were over, he felt it was time to look closely at the issue:
ľ He Was King Over The Entire Nation
ľ His enemies had been subdued.
ƒæ He Had Established A New Capital, ¡§The City Of David¡¨
ľ He Could Sit At a Home In The Evening With Family And Friends.
ľ He Had A New Close Spiritual Advisor, The Prophet Nathan.
ľ He Was Living In A Time Of Peace Everywhere (7:1)
It's A Wonderful Thing To Dream Of Doing Something To Honor God. Often people come to this place in their lives and become bored and restless. Rather than using their stability as a base from which to do good, they focus on themselves in an effort to become more secure or find more pleasure. David wanted to use his time, resources, and knowledge to honor God. This dream would serve as his gratefulness to an Almighty God ¡V to build the most spectacular temple in the world. One Factor That Caused Him To Declare His Interest & Intention to Nathan was the contrast between the house in which he lived and the tent provided for the Ark of God. Not everyone is bothered by the contrast between their opulent lifestyle and the neglect of the church. It isn't hard to see why Nathan was impressed by David's desire and gave his blessing to the project.
ƒæ It Was A Good Desire ¡V 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. The Lord¡¦s house and grounds ought to look the best. When people come here, inside and outside, what they see reveals what we believe about the glory of God.
ƒæ It Was A Gracious Desire ¡V David¡¦s desire is not to receive, but to give something back to the God who had given him so much. Note: That ought to be the desire of every redeemed heart today. We could never possibly repay the Lord for all He has done for us. But, there should be a desire within us to see Him honored and glorified, regardless of the cost. 2 Corinthians 9:7: ¡§Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver,¡¨
ƒæ It Was A Godly Desire ¡V David had no ulterior motives in building God a house. He desired God to be exalted and wanted the Lord to receive the glory and honor that He deserved.
NATHAN¡¦S RESPONSE AND WHO NATHAN IS:
2 Samuel 7:3 ¡¥Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you." That's a good friend. Good friends encourage you and vice versa. So the prophet Nathan encouraged David to do what was on his heart. But who was Nathan the prophet? The word Nathan appears about 43 times in scripture. About 35 of these refer to the prophet in our study. Sixteen of the 35 occurrences refer to him as ¡¥Nathan the prophet.¡¦ (Only Jeremiah the prophet is addressed more often as a prophet than Nathan - 25 times.) Nathan lived in the reigns of David and Solomon. Unlike Elijah, no miracle is recorded performed by him. But his words are authoritative. In this passage:
a) He Commended Quickly ¡V Told David to go ahead. God would honor it.
b) Spoke Quickly, 2 Samuel 7:3. Whether his commissioning King David to build the Lord a house was his first act or if he is a seasoned prophet, we do not know.
c) Corrected His Error, 2 Samuel 7:4-17. After their conversation that night, the prophet walked home feeling good about his conversation with the king.
d) Spoke Boldly. He did not try to make an excuse for himself or God.
e) Spoke Authoritatively: Did not care if David was king. Pastors of today favor people.
f) Nathan Made Approximately Five Prophecies (2 Samuel 7, 2 Samuel 12).
GOD¡¦S RESPONSE TO DAVID¡¦S REQUEST TO BUILD A TEMPLE.
In Wanting To Build God A Temple, David¡¦s Heart Was In The Right Direction, But That Did Not Mean It Was God¡¦s Will. Everything we may design for God may not necessarily be God¡¦s will. Now Nathan is sure that it's the right thing to do. Except for one thing. It isn't! Nathan has jumped in too soon. He's made the mistake that many of us make, of assuming that just because something sounds like a good thing it must be what God wants, without first asking God what He thinks. Nathan hasn't asked God what he thinks. This doesn't mean Nathan is a false prophet. It simply means there needs to be evaluation and confirmation regarding any dream or plan we have. So Nathan gets a shock when that night the word of the Lord comes to him, to tell him that no, he doesn't want David to build him a house. In 1 Chronicles 22:8 God forbid it because David had "shed much blood and have made great wars." When God says ¡§No¡¨ to David, He does not just shatter David¡¦s dream and leave him sad. When God says ¡§No¡¨, He tempers His no with very precious words that are designed to soothe the heart of David. Look At These Words:
ƒæ It Was Tempered By God¡¦s Provisions v. 8-11a ¡V Instead of allowing David to give to Him; God turned everything around and gave to David. He reminds David of His great grace is taking him from leading the sheep. God, in His grace, took a nobody and made a somebody out of him. God tells David that He has made him a celebrity! Everybody knows who David is!
ƒæ It Was Tempered By God¡¦s Promises v. 11b-15 ¡V David had a desire to build a house for the Lord; but God tells David that He (God) is going to build David a house, v. 11. God promises David that he will have a son. This son will walk with the Lord and he will be treated as a son by God. He will be established in his kingdom and he will be chastened when necessary.
ƒæ It Was Tempered By God¡¦s Plans ¡V 2 Samuel 7:16-17 ¡V God is saying, ¡§David, you want to build me a house, but I am telling you that I am going to build your house. I will establish your throne forever!¡¨ What a promise!
There Are Times We¡¦ve Asked God And Have Been Turned Down. Prayers for healing, better circumstances, for burdens to be lifted, for opportunities, for a new job, for a relationship, for a child, for a status, for financial assistance, for emotional stability, etc.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND WHEN YOUR GOD SAYS NO?
1. David Sat Before The Lord With A Humble Heart: David was not a perfect man ¡X he made many mistakes. But one thing about David ¡X he always knew his place. Whereas Saul became proud because of his position as king, David never suffered from the same false illusions of grandeur. He kept a humble heart. Listen to the very first words David utters as he sits before the Lord [(v18).] Many men, hearing of God¡¦s promises of greatness for them, may become proud and loud. But not David. ¡§Who Am I¡¨, he says!
2. David Sat Before The Lord With A Worshipful Heart: Look at David ¡X he¡¦s just received God¡¦s gracious word of promise. God is going to lavish His blessing on David. He¡¦s going to make David¡¦s name glorious. Where Is David? He¡¦s sitting humbly in God¡¦s presence giving all the glory back - worshipping. This goes hand in hand with humility. For David it was God¡¦s Glory.
3. David Sat Before The Lord With A Submissive Heart: Listen to his words: [V. 25, 29]. Whatever GOD wills to do, David submits to it. Here David abandoned his own plans. David had a great VISION of building a glorious temple for the Lord. What a noble endeavor. Even Nathan¡¦s heart leaps for joy at what David has planned. He is thrilled that the nation has a king whose heart is so devoted to the Lord. Who could argue with such a plan? As soon as David hears the Word of the Lord, there is no argument ¡X no attempt to somehow reason with or persuade God. He goes in and sits before the Lord and says: ¡§Not My Will But Thine Be Done¡¨.
AFTER HIS PRAYERS, WHAT DID DAVID DO NEXT WITH THE ¡§NO¡¨?
1. The building would go on land that he had purchased - I Chronicles 21:22-26; 22:1.
2. He negotiated and supplied material for the building project - I Chronicles 22:2-5.
3. He drew up THE Temple plans - I Chronicles 28:11-13.
4. He financed much of the building - I Chronicles 28:14-19
5. He planned out the services and workmen - I Chronicles 28:21
6. And then gave more and the people gave as well - I Chronicles 29:1-9
7. Even with all this preparation, it still took Solomon 7 years to actually build God¡¦s temple.
8. Solomon took David¡¦s vision of a Temple and got someone to design it.
9. He raised the money to build it.
10. He enlisted the aid of his allies, especially Hiram of Tyre who again provided the timber.
Now Think A Moment. If David Had Built The House Himself, Would It Have Been As Grand? No. The pressures of battles might have hindered him.
WHY DID GOD SAY NO TO DAVID?
1. God Forbid (Stopped) David But Did Not Say The Idea Was Wrong. In 1 Chronicles 22:8, when David is talking to his son Solomon about building the temple, He says, ¡§But the word of the Lord came to me saying, ¡¥You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth.¡¨
2. The Timing Was Not Right. Israel had yet to fully settle the land. There were still wars going on with the neighbors. It wasn¡¦t the right time to put resources into building a temple for the Lord. We too must wait for God¡¦s timing in our lives. Perhaps something that seems like a good idea isn¡¦t because the timing isn¡¦t right. If David had gone ahead and built the temple, it may have opened the door for attacks by their enemies. With manpower diverted to building a temple, the defenses of the nation would have been let down.
3. God Approved Of The Spirit In Which The Offer Was Made. David¡¦s heart was in the right place. There was nothing wrong with the spirit in which the offer was made. God appreciated the motive of David¡¦s heart. What is your motive?
4. God Approved Of The Object ¡V The Temple - Of David¡¦s Desire. God didn¡¦t say the temple was a bad idea. He only said that David wouldn¡¦t build it. Regarding The Temple: It is not where God lived. God¡¦s presence was with his people. He lives in us, not in a place made of wood¡K
5. God Wanted David To Know His Presence Was Not Confined To A Location. The ark of the Lord had been in a tent since Moses put it there during the Exodus. The nation of Israel had been unsettled up to this point and the ark of the Lord in a tent symbolized that situation. God¡¦s presence could be mobile. A palatial temple was not necessary for the presence of God.
6. David Did This Without The Presence Of Divine Direction. God didn¡¦t ask David to build the temple. It was a thought in David¡¦s mind. We have to wait for God¡¦s direction.
7. David Was The Wrong Man. David was not the right man for the job. David had fought off the enemies of Israel, and his hands were bloody as a result. The Lord wanted someone who wasn¡¦t warlike to build his temple. The Lord wanted someone to build who was peaceful.
8. God Forbid David To Build But In A Gracious Manner: God was most gracious in the manner in which he forbade David from building the temple.
9. God Showed David Great Esteem - Respect. Twice in this passage, the Lord refers to David as, ¡§my servant David.¡¨ That shows us that God was pleased with David.
10. God Reminded David Of What He (David) Had Already Done. The Lord reminded David that he had taken him from the pasture from following sheep. The Lord had been with him and he defeated Goliath, fled Saul and conquered Jerusalem when no one thought that was possible. David had brought stability to the land of Israel after King Saul.
11. God Reminded David That Stability Was Important. 2 Samuel 7:8-9: ¡§And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.¡¨
12. God Promised David An Enduring Dynasty. 1 Samuel 7:16 The Lord said, ¡§And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.¡¨ David had desired to build a house for God, but God said he would build a house for David. The word house doesn¡¦t mean the same thing in both cases. The house that David wanted to build was a physical structure. The house that God would build would be a lasting family.
13. Refuse To Presume That You Know God¡¦s Heart. David¡¦s pastor, Nathan fell into a trap that many pastors all too often fall into. So much of the time pastors are approached by people who want something from God and need the pastor¡¦s assistance in getting it. We are quick to speak for God when He has not spoken yet. Without taking time to seek God¡¦s will, we just presume this must be God¡¦s heart.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIBLICAL APPLICATIONS?
1. When God Says No, He Already Has A Better Way. Look for the yes behind the no.
2. When God Says No, Our Best Reaction Should Be Humility & Cooperation. It takes real humility to say to the Solomons in your life: ¡§Go ahead; I will give you the support to succeed¡¨.
3. When God Says No, It Necessarily Does Not Mean That We Have Sinned. It is not that we have done something wrong.
4. When God Says No, It Simply Confirms His Will That He Has Not Called All Of Us To Do What We Like, But What He Desires. You cannot decide that part of the body you want to become, in I Corinthians 12, the Holy Spirit decides.
5. When God Says No, Just Realize That He Has Not Call All Of Us To Be ¡§Temple Builders¡¨. Some of us were called to dig in the trenches, some to fight on the battle front, others to different kinds of jobs. That is what the Bible calls ¡§gifts and callings¡¨.
6. We Get Discouraged In Prayer By Thinking God Has Said No When In Fact He's Said Nothing At All. "Wait" Is An Answer. Delay is not denial.
7. God's "No" Is Not Rejection, but redirection.
8. God's "No" Isn't Punishment, it's preparation.
9. God's "No" Will Sometimes Bring Greater Glory To God. God's "No" opens the door to an adventure with God. Elijah, 1 Kings 19. He prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors." God said "no" because He had an adventure planned for Elijah!
Illustration: In 1902 Adelaide Pollard was hoping to go to Africa as a missionary. Despite her best efforts she was unable to raise the funds needed to make the journey. In her great discouraged she attended a prayer meeting. As she sat there, she overheard an elderly woman pray, "It really doesn't matter what You do with us, Lord, Just have Your own way with our lives." Those words burned into the heart and mind of Adelaide Pollard. And she pondered those words: "It really doesn't matter what You do with us, Lord, Just have Your own way with our lives." Before she went to bed that night; Adelaide Pollard wrote four stanzas of a poem.
1
Have Thine Own Way, Lord! Have Thine Own Way!
Thou Art The Potter, I Am The Clay.
Mold Me And Make Me After Thy Will,
While I Am Waiting, Yielded And Still.
2
Have Thine Own Way, Lord! Have Thine Own Way!
Search Me And Try Me, Master, Today!
Whiter Than Snow, Lord, Wash Me Just Now,
As In Thy Presence Humbly I Bow.
FINAL SAY / INTERCESSION
1. Show Some Appreciation For This Country.
2. No Does Not Mean Finality.
3. When We Are Stressed, We Imagine All Kinds Of Things.
