David, a King Who Honored God

II SAMUEL 7:1-6

THE Lord commended many of his ancient servants, some in one way and some in another. When Abraham proved his faith by his willingness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, the angel of the Lord said to him, “Now I know that thou fearest God.” (Gen. 22:12) Of Jesus the Heavenly Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17) Of the Psalmist he said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart.” (Acts 13:22) What a high commendation this was!

God did not thus commend David because he had never done wrong, for morally he had been a gross sinner. But the redeeming qualities of David’s character were readiness to repent when he recognized his sin, and his determination to honor the Lord in his rulership over Israel.

One of the great events in the reign of King David was the reclamation of the Ark of the Testimony from the hands of Israel’s enemies. This was a cause of great rejoicing for the nation, and particularly so for David, who danced with joy before the Lord as the Ark was brought into the city. David built a tent, or tabernacle, in which to house the Ark. However, later, during a brief period in his reign, when “the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies,” he began to think the matter over and concluded that he would like to build a real home for the Ark, and thus for the Lord; for the Ark was a symbol of the Lord’s presence with Israel.

David’s first move in this connection was to consult the Prophet Nathan who, reaching a hasty decision without consulting the Lord, advised David to proceed, saying to him, “Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee.” It is true that the Lord was with David as king of Israel, but this did not mean that the Lord would bless him in any and every thing he decided to do, even though it might he for the purpose of honoring him.

The Lord loved Nathan too, and did not permit his wrong advice to David to lead to complications, for that” very night he spoke to the prophet and made it clear that it was not his will that David should build him a house.

II SAMUEL 7:17-22

DAVID’S sincere desire to honor the Lord is revealed in his prayer after Nathan had given him the message from God that he was not to build the house which he proposed. It was a prayer of humility and gratitude for the wonderful manner in which the Lord had favored him and honored him.

That the Lord was not displeased with David’s desire to honor him by building him a house is indicated by the fact that in the message given to the king through the Prophet Nathan the Lord took occasion to reaffirm his covenant concerning the house of David as the ruling family of Israel, saying, “Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”—II Sam. 7:16

David recognized that this was an unusual, and very comprehensive promise, that it pertained to things far in the future—“a great while to come”—but he did not understand its full import. In making this promise, the Lord said that his mercy would not depart from David as it had from Saul. In other scriptures this is referred to as the “sure mercies of David.” (Isa. 55:3; Acts 13:34) But what David did not understand about the promise was that its real fulfillment would come through Jesus, as the Messiah of promise, the One who was destined to be “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”—Rev. 17:14; 19:16

And how abundantly able God is to fulfill his promises! From the human standpoint, the crucifixion of Jesus would seem to have dashed all hope that he could ever be a ruling king, but not so. The Apostle Paul reveals that God’s “mercy” to David in establishing his kingly line as the one through whom the Messiah would come was so “sure,” that God raised Jesus from the dead in order that his promises concerning it might be fulfilled. See Acts 13:34.

QUESTIONS

In what manner did God commend his servant David?

How did God show his appreciation of David’s desire to honor him?

What are the “sure mercies of David,” and what was one of the ways in which God made them sure?

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