My House, Your House week 6 Oct 17

2 Samuel 7:1 David finally had time to rest and reflect on his life.

            He is able to reflect on who he is and what are the goals for his life. Like many of us David had time to rest his boy but his mind kept working. Jennifer Rothschild says we think 180-300 words per minute.  This means even though we lay in bed or sit in a chair, our mind is grinding away at high speeds. This takes energy! Many concerns and worries come into our minds. For David, he was thinking about the Ark of the Covenant.

2 Samuel 7:2  Why does he have a beautiful house to live in but the Ark is still in a tent.

            The literal translation of tent in this passage is “my dwelling place” and God meant that His dwelling place is wherever his people might be. The Israelites were nomadic people who traveled from place to place and so God went with them.

2 Samuel 7:11-14, 16  God spoke to the king through the prophet Nathan. Just like Samuel to Saul, and Jeremiah to the kings in later times, Nathan interceded to God for the king. At first Nathan told David…go ahead with your plans to build. That night Nathan received a word from God. The next day, Nathan had a different word of advice. Nathan had told David that God was with him…but sometimes godly men might make decisions based on human wisdom.

2 Samuel 5:5-7  It was customary during this time in history for kings to build temples or shrines to honor a national god. 

For most of the world this meant pagan gods. For Israelites, it was Yahweh or the One True God. This was politically important but also spiritually for the people to have a central place of worship. David knew this and was motivated both politically and spiritually to honor God. We do the same thing. We want to be accepted in our church community by volunteering and supporting the work of the church, but we know we also please God through our worship, prayers, and offerings.

2 Samuel 7:8-11  God gave David a wonderful promise.

Rather than David building a house for God, God would give David a “house” or dynasty that would last forever. David’s house was made of wood and stone. God’s house was a spiritual house that included the lineage of Jesus Christ.

            Included in the promise was a new covenant for the people. See page 19 in Bible. There were many covenants in the Old Testament. This covenant was different for the first time…it include grace—or unmerited favor from God. I will bless you and love no matter what. I will never leave your sons. If they disobey, they might be punished or suffer from natural consequences but I will never withdraw from them as I did from Saul. This is a turning point for the entire Old Testament period.

Ps 89:3, 28, 29, 34, 29;      Ps 132: 11-18;     Isa 9:1-7;     Luke 1:32, 69;      Acts 13:20-36.

Page 76 in Cartledge.