Text: 2 Samuel 7:1-29
Introduction
There are times in our lives when nothing seems to go according to plan. There are people who cannot deal with any kind of disappointment, so react as though life is no longer worth living. God wants us to be victorious over every situation and circumstance, especially those that cause us to be downcast. There is a lesson to learn even when we feel the rug has been pulled from under us.
The plan
David loved the Lord, and so wanted to do something big to honour and thank Him for the abundant blessings he had received. He had seen the way the Lord had worked in his life since the day he was called. Goliath and the Philistines were defeated. The kingdom was secure. He lived in a beautiful palace, but the Ark of the Covenant was in a tent in Jerusalem. “So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God” (1 Chronicles 16:1). This grieved David so much that he made plans to erect a temple for God. Centuries later the prophet Haggai had the same grief over the condition of God’s House, “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?” (Haggai 1:4).
To all outward appearances David’s plan was good, for surely God deserved more than a tent. If a wonderful temple could be built, it would prove to Israel and the surrounding nations that the Lord was truly worshipped and honoured. His plan did not come from his head but from the heart. We would probably want to do more for God too if we sat down and counted the many blessings He has brought into our lives. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's” (Psalm 103:1-5).
David’s plan had the backing of the prophet Nathan. After David described what he wanted to do, Nathan thought that it was a wonderful idea. It must have thrilled the prophet to see the king honouring the Lord in such a way.
The final authority
God’s spokesman gave David the authority to go ahead with his plans, but had he consulted the Lord first? After God had set the prophet straight, he had to go and tell David the bad news. It has been said, “What man proposes, God disposes”, which means “People can make plans; God determines how things will turn out” (The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy). This was certainly true in this situation.
The bad news was that God had rejected David’s idea to build a temple. There are four basic reasons why God disappointed David’s plans that day.
1. God had never requested that anything other than a tent as a place of worship. Since the days of the Exodus the people always gathered around the Tabernacle.
2. No one had asked God about what He thought. Imagine if someone moved you into a new house without asking you first? The plans were David’s initiative rather than God’s.
3. A man of war was not permitted to build a house for God. David soon came to accept this fact, for he said to Solomon, “But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight” (1 Chronicles 22:8).
4. No matter how strong they built the temple, it would never be sufficient to hold back the enemies of Israel. Therefore the Ark could still be lost until all the heathen nations had been defeated. “Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent” (1 Kings 5:3-4).
David’s dream was good, his motives were pure, and his intentions pleased God, “Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart” (2 Chronicles 6:8), but he was not the right man for the job. Initially David must have been very disappointed, but God made him a wonderful promise. His son, Solomon, would have His approval to build a Temple, “Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts” (1 Chronicles 28:6). Though he was not permitted to build the temple, God allowed David to prepare the materials and put them in storage until Solomon was anointed for the task.
If God says no, it may be because He has a better plan than ours. It is interesting to note that instead of David building a house for God, God built a house for David that would last forever. Prophetically, this is known as the Davidic Covenant, which finds its fulfilment in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1, 22:42).
Conclusion
David’s reaction to the disappointing news is a result of being a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). He simply went away and sat before the Lord. No complaining or grumbling, instead he reflected on the goodness and wisdom of God. If our plans go wrong, even those we feel are intended to honour the Lord, should we not sit before the Lord in prayer and meditation as David did? It may be easier to run away under a cloud of disappointment, but the victor’s way is to trust in the Lord. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
© 29/2/2008