May 7, 2023
Two very similar passages from two different books are our reading for today: from 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17.
2 Samuel 7 –
David was enjoying a time of rest and a dream was born. The context of his dream was peace, the concern was a place for the Lord to be worshipped. Nathan responded to David’s question out of turn before he received a revelation from the Lord and his first answer turned out to be inconsistent with God’s will.
David’s desire to build a house was not the call David had on his life, he was called to be a warrior not a temple builder. His idea was noble but God did not need a building to be worshipped in as other gods of the day. God wanted to raise up a spiritual kingdom among the people. Rather than allowing David to build Him a house the Lord told David He would build a hose for David that would last forever.
God did not want a permanent temple until the people conquered the Promised Land. David prayed for God’s reputation to be praised for all generations through His work in the nation of Israel.
1 Chronicles 17 –
Ancient kings in this part of the world often built great monuments to their deities. David’s desire was to honor who had appointed him ruler over His people and made…a name for this former shepherd. God’s promise to David was that his descendants would be on the throne forever.
David’s humble response (Who am I) vastly different from that of his arrogant predecessor, Saul. God called David “a man after His own heart.”
Asbury United Methodist Church 