Open—Doug Buchanan
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Let's turn to Second Samuel 7 for the remainder of the time here, Lord willing, and we've had a lot in our meetings here about the purposes of God.
And understanding his will.
Spiritual understanding and I would like to turn here and notice a few points in the life of David of one who I believe as he went through experiences, learned the will of God.
Let's read in Second Samuel 7, beginning with verse one.
And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest about from all his enemies, roundabout from all his enemies, that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now I dwell in an House of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, go do all that is in thine heart.
For the Lord is with thee.
And it came to pass that night that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David.
Thus saith the Lord, shalt thou build me and house.
For me to dwell in.
Whereas I have not dwelt in an anyhow since the time that I came out of Egypt.
Even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a Tabernacle, in all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to feed my people. Israel saying, why Bill Jean, not me and House of Cedar?
Now therefore, so shall thou say unto my servant David.
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I took thee from the sheep caught from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel, and I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them and.
That they may dwell in a place of their own, and have no more, and move no more, neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore.
And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies, also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee and house.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee.
Which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his Kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his Kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men.
But my mercy shall not be part away from him.
As I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee, and thine house, and thy Kingdom shall be established forever before thee, thy throne shall be established forever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision. So did Nathan speak unto David. Then went King David in and sat before the Lord. And he said.
Who am IO Lord God, and what is my house that Thou hast brought me hitherto?
And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God. But thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come.
And is this the manner of men, O Lord God?
And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant.
For thy word's sake, and according to all thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things to make.
Thy servant know them, whereas thou wherefore thou art great, oh Lord, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people? Even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself to make him a name.
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And to do for you great things and terrible for the land.
Before thy people, which thou redeemest to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel, to be a people unto thee forever. And thou, Lord, art become their God. And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, establish it.
Forever.
And do as thou hast said, and let thy name be magnified forever, saying.
The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel, and let the House of thy servant David be established before thee.
For thou Lord of hosts, God of Israel, has revealed to thy servants, saying, I will build thee in house. Therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant. Therefore now let it please thee to bless the House of thy servant.
That they may continue forever before thee. For thou, Lord God has spoken it, and with thy blessing, let the House of thy servant be blessed forever.
My beloved, this is very touching chapter.
We won't be able to say very much about it, but it brings us into the presence of a man who.
Wanted to do something for the Lord.
No doubt David in the early verses. Here we notice he dwelt.
In a House of cedar, and he considered that God dwelt in a tent or a Tabernacle.
He made a comparison and it was a right comparison.
But there's something that is.
There's a mistake here.
He started with himself.
He started with where he was at that moment and began speaking to the Lord.
Compared to where the Lord was to where he was.
It's a little bit like Joshua when he met the Lord when he went into the land of Canaan the first time and he didn't know who that man was. And he says, art thou for us or art thou for our adversaries?
He had to learn something.
He had to learn to not start with himself.
The Lord answered him, nay.
You started out on the wrong basis.
And then he proceeds to show who he is.
We see that in this chapter.
So David is brought to realize who the Lord is.
David had wonderful good intentions.
It's wonderful when we find in our own hearts a desire like David had.
Very commendable and it's very gracious how Nathan deals or the Lord tells Nathan to deal with the with the King David.
First of all, Nathan says, go do alts in your heart.
That part was right, his heart was right, He wanted to do something for the Lord.
How can we who are creatures that have been picked up from the dust?
And as we had in Ephesians, dead in trespasses and sins, how can we begin to think to do something for God Can't start that way.
Have to start with what God has done for us first.
And this is what David is to learn in this chapter.
And so the Lord tells him.
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Verse 8 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, I took thee from the sheep caught, and from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, Israel.
God chose that man.
He had his reason to choose him.
No doubt he chose him because he was a Good Shepherd.
And one of the reasons I believe David was such a good king is was he never left his character.
As caring for the sheep, you see it all through his life. He loved the sheep of Israel. He cared about them.
He was a good king.
The Lord cares for his sheep.
Some of us were talking here at the beginning of these meetings about the need of shepherds.
Brethren, there's a great need of care for the sheep.
The Lord has something for you.
If you care for your his sheep. And so that's what you see developed in this chapter.
You see?
How that?
David cared for the Lord and his people, and the Lord cared for David.
There were two people that were thinking alike.
And therefore they could work together.
Well, we know the prophetic meaning of this chapter. David wanted to build a house for the Lord.
I believe the reason that the Lord told David that it was not time yet for him to build that house.
I believe it was because God's first desire was not to build a house here on earth to dwell.
God's first desire was to build a house to inhabit heaven, and that's where the book of Ephesians comes in.
God is going to fulfill what David wanted to do in a still future day in the Millennium, and he's going to build a house here on earth.
But God had another motive.
Higher and better.
We entered in their brethren this morning.
Our hearts went up to heaven and we dwelt there in praise and worship. We belong to that heavenly house. It's being formed now here on earth. The book of Ephesians develops that dwelling of place of God by the Spirit. This was God's first desire. It's a wonderful thing to live in this dispensation that we live in now.
David is going to participate in that sphere too.
As one of the Old Testament Saints.
In that coming day of glory, he's not going to be a king here on earth.
He's going to have the better part. God was so gracious to him to reveal something of that in this chapter.
And that was to build a house for God. God to build a house. It was really.
His son, Jesus Christ, the Son of David. David wanted to do something for the Lord. The Lord took him up and used that progenity to be.
The human instrument of Christ's birth here on earth, and that Jesus Christ.
Has built that house and David is going to dwell there in glory, and you and I may enter into enjoy that place where God dwells. It's his first desire. After that house is filled, the Lord comes and takes his own home. Then the Lord is going to fulfill what David asked for here on earth.
And that's why he told David he couldn't build the house then.
There was a better thing first. And so it's so wonderful how God taught David something of that.
Here in this chapter, our hearts in the unfolding of the New Testament, we have a fuller description of it. It's all opened up and revealed the mystery of God to even bring the Gentiles in and make them members together in one body.
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To dwell where God dwells and enjoy his fellowship.