II Samuel Chapter 7
Memory verses for this week: Mark 14:61 But he held his peace, and
answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto
him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Mark 14:62 And
Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the
right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Overview of II Samuel 7: In this chapter is recorded the Davidic
Covenant made by God to David. It is followed by record of David’s
worship and prayer thereafter.
I. David Desires to Build God a House
2 Sam 7:1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and
the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
2 Sam 7:2 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.
2 Sam 7:3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine
heart; for the LORD is with thee.
The chapter commences noting blessing of God upon David’s kingdom.
These blessings from the Lord upon David’s kingdom were quite
apparent. David had brought the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem
and his palace had been built. In the meantime, God gave him rest
(i.e., peace) with the various nations which were traditional
enemies against Israel. This rest likely included the Philistines.
The thought is that they no longer sought to attack David.
At that time, the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I
dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within
curtains. The palace in which David dwelt was trimmed (and possibly
constructed entirely) with cedar. It was a permanent structure and
no doubt a beautiful home. However, the ark of the covenant remained
in a tabernacle (i.e., a tent). This is also the first mention made
in the Bible of the prophet Nathan. He apparently was the primary
prophet of the land for he already gave counsel to the king. It is
possible that he may have been trained under Samuel.
The implication is that David intended therefore to build a
permanent structure or temple to house the ark of the covenant.
Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the
LORD is with thee.” It will become clear however, that Nathan was
speaking for himself and not from God. As the text unfolds, God
would not allow David to build the Temple.
II. Seventh or Davidic Covenant
2 Sam 7:4 And it came to pass that night,
that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
2 Sam 7:5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt
thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
2 Sam 7:6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that
I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day,
but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
2 Sam 7:7 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 build ye not
me an house of cedar?
2 Sam 7:8 Now therefore so shalt thou say
unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee
from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my
people, over Israel:
2 Sam 7:9 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.
God would speak through Nathan to David regarding the covenant about
to be made to David. (1) God did not let Nathan’s errant advice go
long uncorrected. That very night, God spoke through the prophet and
instructed him to go to David. His message pertained first about the
house David proposed to build.
In verse 6, God reminded David that through all the years and
centuries since He brought Israel out of Egypt that His earthly
presence had been in a tent, the Tabernacle. God asked, did He at
any time command that anyone build Him a house of cedar?
In verse 7, God reminds David of his personal history. God once
again referred to Himself as Jehovah-Tsaba’ (Lord of Hosts). That
is, He is Lord of the armies of heaven. God reminded David that he
had taken him from the sheepcote. The sheepcote simply refers to a
barn or fold for sheep. From the humble origins of following his
father’s sheep. God had taken David to be “ruler over my people,
over Israel.” (Often shepherds simply follow the flock as it moves
from one grazing area to another.) Now David was king. God had been
with him wherever he went and with whatever he did. As David would
reflect back over the years, that certainly was true. God had
blessed him personally, militarily, and made him famous amongst the
great men of the world of that time. Lest, David forget whence his
blessing came, God reminded him.
David's humble beginnings no doubt typified our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
Luke 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered.
Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no
room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luke 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the
glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men.
2 Sam 7:10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and
will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and
move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them
any more, as beforetime,
2 Sam 7:11 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 an house.
2 Sam 7:12 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.
2 Sam 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish
the throne of his kingdom for ever.
It is clear that God had been with David. God reminded David how
that it was He who had allowed David to defeat his enemies and it
was He who had made David’s name famous. In addition, God made clear
that He would further establish Israel His people in their land.
They had been there for over four-hundred years already, but now God
would diminish threats from their enemies.
Also clear is God’s blessing upon David’s leadership.
In verse 11, God looked back over the period of the judges just
past. He once again noted that He had given David peace with nations
previously hostile. In light of that, God through Nathan made a
profound announcement. “Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make
thee an house.” David had proposed to build a physical house for his
God. The Lord rather informed David that He planned to build a
dynasty from him. David had in mind a physical house. God had spoken
of a spiritual one.
That house would begin as the davidic dynasty, the house and lineage
of David.
It will eventually blossom into the millennial reign of Christ and
last forever. Upon David’s decease, God promised that one of his
sons would succeed him and that He would establish the kingdom in
his hand. Solomon of course commenced the davidic dynasty.
In Verse 13, God informs David that it would be his son who would be
allowed to build a formal house (temple) unto God.”He shall build an
house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for
ever.” I Chronicles 28:3 further reveals that one major reason God
would not allow David to build the temple was that he had been a man
of war and thus had bloody hands.
1 Chr 28:3 But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for
my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.
2 Sam 7:14 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:
2 Sam 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it
from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
2 Sam 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for
ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2 Sam 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this
vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Notwithstanding His promise of blessing to David’s son, God warned;
“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: 15 But my mercy shall not depart
away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.”
Though being a spiritual father to David’s son, God warned that if
David’s son turned to sin, He would chasten him “with the rod of
men.” The idea is how that God would use men (i.e., other nations)
to chasten Solomon.
That God did when Solomon began to backslide. Bible records this in
I Kings 11:14-28.
1 Ki 11:14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad
the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.
1 Ki 11:15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the
captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had
smitten every male in Edom;
1 Ki 11:16 (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel,
until he had cut off every male in Edom:)
1 Ki 11:17 That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's
servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.
1 Ki 11:18 And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they
took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto
Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him
victuals, and gave him land.
1 Ki 11:19 And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so
that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of
Tahpenes the queen.
1 Ki 11:20 And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son,
whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in
Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.
1 Ki 11:21 And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his
fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said
to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.
1 Ki 11:22 Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked
with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And
he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.
1 Ki 11:23 And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son
of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:
1 Ki 11:24 And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a
band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and
dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.
1 Ki 11:25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of
Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel,
and reigned over Syria.
1 Ki 11:26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda,
Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman,
even he lifted up his hand against the king.
1 Ki 11:27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against
the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city
of David his father.
1 Ki 11:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and
Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him
ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
Notwithstanding chastening, God as the great heavenly Father would
nevertheless be merciful. He promised that He would not remove His
mercy from David’s son as He had done to Saul. (Saul never had a
dynasty. God promised David that that fate would not befall him.)
In verse 16, the very essence of the Davidic Covenant is thus
reiterated. “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established
for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” The
house or descendants of David would continue forever. His dynasty
would never end. His royal throne would be established in perpetuity
Now, history in fact records that the davidic dynasty came to an end
in Zedekiah (II Chronicles 36:11 ff). However, the greater
fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant will find its consummation in
the millennial reign of Christ. That blessed kingdom of God will
thence blossom into the eternal kingdom which will never end.
Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast
found favour with God.
Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the
Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David:
Luke 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and
of his kingdom there shall be no end.
The announcement of the covenant was according to all these words,
and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Though God on other occasions spoke directly to those with whom He
made covenants (Abraham, for example), in this case He delivered His
covenant through a prophet.
III. Davids Worship and Prayer
2 Sam 7:18 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?
2 Sam 7:19 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?
2 Sam 7:20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord
GOD, knowest thy servant.
2 Sam 7:21 For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart,
hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know
them.
2 Sam 7:22 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.
The surprise as well as the humility of David are apparent. The
sacred historian records, Then went king David in, and sat before
the LORD. The mention of David going in and sitting before the Lord
likely refers to him going into the special tent (tabernacle) he had
pitched at Jerusalem whence was the Ark of the covenant. David
evidently got up in the middle of the night and immediately went to
where the earthly presence of God was. He being in obvious humility
cried out to God, “Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that
thou hast brought me hitherto?” David realized how unremarkable he
was as a sinner before God. Moreover, he was well aware of the
humble origins of his family lineage at Bethlehem. How God could so
exalt him was only by His grace.
Bible warns us to not think more highly of ourselves than we should.
Without God, we are really nothing at all.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man
that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought
to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every
man the measure of faith.
In verse 19, He continued, And this was yet a small thing in thy
sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy ser- vant’s
house for a great while to come. Furthermore, the exaltation which
God had bestowed upon David was a small thing in comparison to the
promise He had made for David’s posterity. Notice how David (as
king) referred to himself as God’s servant.
He continued, And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? The
question was rhetorical. David knew this was not the way that men
operated. Only a merciful sovereign God would exalt one so inferior
as he to such blessing and promise. It was truly a tribute to the
grace of God.
David could only say, “for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.” Of
interest is that throughout David’s great prayer, he referred to the
Lord as Lord GOD. The first word is translated from (ynda) Adonay
and the second from (hwhy) Yehovih. Yehovih is a der- ivation of the
more common name Jehovah and pronounced by Jews as Jeh-ho-vee. In
order to prevent the repetition of the same sound, they elsewhere at
times pronounced Jehovah as Adonay.
In verse 21, David launched into praise for what God had promised.
“For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou
done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. “ David
likely referred back to when Samuel anointed him as king. He thus
acknowledged how that for God’s Word’s sake and according to His own
great heart, He had done this and so informed David thereof. Here in
verse 22 David refers to God as Jehovah Elohim in distinction to his
previous mention Adonay Yehovih.
In light of God’s tremendous promise to David, all he could do was
to praise His holy name. There truly is none like God and He in fact
is the only God. David well remembered all that he had heard with
his own ears of God’s great deliverance of His people through the
preceding centuries.
2 Sam 7:23 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?
2 Sam 7:24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to
be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their
God.
2 Sam 7:25 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.
David shifted his focus to praising God for all that He had done for
Israel. David praised God for choosing Israel to be His
people and in fact redeemed them out of Egypt to do so. David truly
appreciated the grace of God which was so undeserved. God in His
great mercy and grace chose and redeemed David’s people to Himself.
God’s choice of Israel was an eternal proposition. It so remains to
this day. In verse 25, David invoked God to establish His proposed
covenant forever. God had proposed and in fact promised. David
therefore implored Him to do it altogether.
2 Sam 7:26 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.
2 Sam 7:27 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.
2 Sam 7:28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be
true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
2 Sam 7:29 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.
Continuing with praise and yet invocation, David continued. 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.
David invoked greatness to God’s name and once again identified
Israel as the people of God. (Here David again referred to God as
the “LORD of hosts” {Jehovah-Tsaba} which has the thought of ‘the
Lord of the armies of heaven.’) Therefore, David again implored Him
to establish the covenant He had made.
As if to remind God of what He had promised, David added, “For thou,
O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant,
saying, I will build thee an house.” Notice how David here referred
to the God as both the “LORD of hosts” as well as the “God of
Israel.”
J. Vernon McGee made a good comment about David's love for the Lord
in his commentary.
Did you know that this became David’s salvation? Listen to what he
says in 2 Samuel 23:5, “Although my house be not so with God; yet he
hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although
he make it not to grow.” David rested upon what God had promised.
God has also made a promise to you. It is recorded in John 3:16. It
says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” Will you believe God? David believed God.
Also we have seen that Abraham believed God. Moses believed God.
Joshua believed God. And He wants you to believe God. Whatever your
name is, He is saying to you today, “Believe Me. I’ll save you if
you will trust Christ as your Savior.” That is His covenant with you
and with me.
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