“Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O 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 man, 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 thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: 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, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst 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 for ever: 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 for ever, and do as thou hast said. And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an 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 it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever” (2 Samuel 7:18-29).
Introduction
Maybe the prophet would have been concerned about David’s response to God’s rejection of his plan, but any fear was dispelled when he saw the king go to prayer. Instead of sulking and getting angry, as Saul often did, David submitted himself to the Lord. He refers to himself as God’s servant ten times in his prayer. There are good lessons for us in this passage of Scripture.
David prayed
David sat in prayer before God. Posture does not matter to God, for we find people in prayer lying down, standing up and kneeling down, instead it is the heart that He observes. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3-4). It is possible that David went to sit in the Tabernacle before the Ark of the Covenant. Some commentators suggest that he was actually kneeling while sitting on his heels.
We find no questioning or blaming God by David in his prayer, but what we do see is his acknowledgement that the Lord is the final authority in all matters. David also reflects upon the audacity of even thinking that he could build a temple for God. He accepts the fact that it was God who had brought him into this position, from tending sheep to leading the nation. His thoughts, desires and plans were totally insignificant when compared with the will and purposes of the Holy God. Here is a man who is truly humble before the Lord. How often believers give God advice in prayer instead of being willing to hear His voice? When David prayed, “Do as Thou hast said”, we have a foretaste of what the Lord Jesus Christ would say concerning our attitude in prayer, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).
David prayed in faith as well as humility, for he believed that God would fulfil His promise about his dynasty and Israel. He willingly accepted the rejection and faithfully hung on to the promise. The promises of God are always fulfilled in the lives of those who obey His word. “O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful” (Psalm 31:23) … “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” (Hebrews 10:23).
David praised
This pray included praise and glory of God. “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever” (Matthew 6:13). We wonder if Jesus had in mind a part of Solomon’s prayer as he was dedicating the promised temple. “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all” (1 Chronicles 29:11). Nevertheless, despite the refusal and rejection, David continued to worship and thank God. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Maybe David had to remove from his mind any thought that God could not achieve His purposes without him. He speaks of the fact that it was God's will and power to deliver Israel from Egyptian slavery and it is He that still reigns over His people. Though God empowers men to perform His will, it is He alone who is great and “worthy to be praised” (Psalm 18:3) ... “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised” (Psalm 48:1).
This praise of God is not in word only. David was allowed to prepare for the building of the temple and spent the rest of his life honouring God in this way. “The house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death” (1 Chronicles 22:5). He did not give cheaply to the Lord, but went to great lengths and trouble to make sure that the Temple would be glorious. “Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto” (1 Chronicles 22:14).
Conclusion
If David was disappointed at the news Nathan brought to him from God, it seems that he immediately put it out of his mind. He did that which he ought to have done when he had the idea of building a temple to honour the Lord, he went directly to prayer. Often we dash headlong, though zealously, into what we believe is God’s will for us, only to be disillusioned at the end. If we want to honour God then we must do things His way and according to His word. Though David was the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), he had to humble himself by submitting to His will. It is only out of such a heart that God can receive true praise and worship. "O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth" (Psalm 96).
© 19/4/2010