God’s Promise to David

u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eIntroductionu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThis week’s lesson is the second lesson in u003ca href=u0022https://newfoundfaith.org/tag/winter-quarter-22/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003ethe winter quarteru003c/au003e.  In our lesson last week, we took a look at u003ca href=u0022https://newfoundfaith.org/the-promise-of-messiahs-forerunner/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022 data-type=u0022postu0022 data-id=u002210017u0022u003ethe forerunner of Christu003c/au003e.  This week’s lesson, again, has the birth of Christ in sight as we will take a look at God’s promise to David and his throne.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eDavid Desires to Build God’s Houseu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOur lesson opens with Nathan, the prophet, receiving word from God to deliver to David (v.4).  By this point in time, Saul had been killed in battle and David began to reign over u003cemu003eall u003c/emu003eof Israel.  You often hear me speak of the divided kingdom years with Israel (ten tribes) reigning in the north of the Promised Land with Judah and Benjamin dwelling in the south.  Well, David lived at a time prior to the divided kingdom years where he had u003cemu003eunited u003c/emu003eall of Israel.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eA grand desireu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennBy this point in time, David had led Israel to capture Jerusalem for themselves (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Sam.+5%3A6-12u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e2 Sam. 5:6-12u003c/au003e), and they had also defeated their great enemy, the Philistines (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Sam.+5%3A17-25u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e2 Sam. 5:17-25u003c/au003e).  These days were really good days for Israel as they had retrieved the ark which had been stolen from them by the Philistines.  David was riding exceedingly high as he brought the ark into Jerusalem and danced with great joy before the Lord (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Sam.+6%3A13-15u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e2 Sam. 6:13-15u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWith this great high from a great victory, David had the u003cemu003egrand desire u003c/emu003eto build a house for the Lord.  As he was dwelling in his house that the Lord had blessed him with, David pointed out to Nathan that the ark of God was inside tent curtains – the tabernacle.  David had the grand desire to build something u003cemu003emagnificent u003c/emu003efor the Lord and Nathan essentially gave David u003cemu003ehis u003c/emu003eblessings (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Sam.+7%3A1-3u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e2 Sam. 7:1-3u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennNow, God did not give David any instructions whatsoever to build Him a house.  God, we know, does not need a house to dwell in because He is everywhere at all times; He is u003cemu003ebeyond u003c/emu003ethis world of course.  In Isaiah’s prophecy, we will see that the Lord said, “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.  Where u003cemu003eis u003c/emu003ethe house that you will build Me?  And where is the place of My rest?  For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist … (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is.+66%3A1-2u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eIs. 66:1-2u003c/au003e)”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, the Lord had to correct Nathan at first because God had not given David instructions to build Him a house.  God’s message to David was about this grand desire as he asked David, through Nathan, “would you build a house for Me to dwell in (v.5)?”  The Lord cannot be confined to a house built by man’s hands.  The gesture from David was a grand one but, again, this was David’s own desire and not the Lord’s desire.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eRebuking David’s grand desireu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennGod then spoke of how He did not dwell in a house during the days the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt; God stated moved about in a tent (the tabernacle) (v.6).  In fact, in scripture, we know that the Lord led the children of Israel through the wilderness and His glory would come to a rest u003cemu003eabove u003c/emu003ethe tabernacle solely as a signal to the children of Israel to come to a rest on their journey (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ex.+40%3A34-38u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eEx. 40:34-38u003c/au003e); God did not need to ever come to a rest on the journey.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennAgain, what would God need a u003cemu003estationary u003c/emu003ehome for?  God does not need to have a place to go to sleep in because God does not require sleep (rest).  With this in mind, the Lord said to David that He had u003cemu003enever u003c/emu003ecommanded or asked anybody about building Him a home (v.7).  So, Nathan was commanded to go to David and tell David that he was raised up to rule over His people (v.8).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOne of the biggest problems that many believers face, especially us preachers, is that we have to learn how to put our desires in check for the Lord’s desire.  This reminds me of Paul who, through his years of ministering, always had the grand desire of going to Rome, even though the Lord never instructed Him to do so.  In fact, the Lord u003cemu003eprohibited u003c/emu003ePaul from going to Rome and blocks were even put in Paul’s path from going to Rome until the Lord’s planned time for him to go.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, this thought essentially ties into the lessons we had last quarter that dealt with being obedient to God’s instructions.  We have seen that those who are obedient to the instructions of God will be blessed.  You and I, as true believers, do not have to do u003cemu003emore u003c/emu003ethan what the Lord desires of us because He is going to bless us when we simply follow His instructions.  This, again, we know for a truth because we have seen the Lord move on our behalf because of our obedience and this is what God reminded David (v.9).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennDavid did not need to u003cemu003ebless u003c/emu003eGod, in fact, who are we to even think that we can bless the Lord?  Again, I understand David’s gesture here, but he was simply doing u003cemu003emore u003c/emu003ethan what God had asked of him.  The Lord essentially says to David in the next couple of verses, u003cemu003e“Don’t worry about building Me a house when I am going to build you a house.”u003c/emu003ennu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eDavid’s Future Houseu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe Lord then has a message of the future for David, a future, by the way, that has not been completely fulfilled.  The Lord says, “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; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously (v.10)…”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSome of you may think that God was talking about the Promised Land but I want you to understand, again, that David was resting in Jerusalem; David was in the Promised Land already!  So what place is the Lord speaking of u003cemu003eplanting u003c/emu003eIsrael to the point that we no longer have to move or ever be oppressed by the sons of wickedness?  The Lord, we should understand, was speaking of an u003cemu003eeternal u003c/emu003eland – a land beyond this world of ours.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennAfter this promise, Nathan was to tell David of another promise that was being directed to him only.  Nathan was to tell David that God was going to make a house of him (v.11).  Let us understand that when God is speaking about a house here, He is talking about an u003cemu003eeverlasting u003c/emu003ehouse – not a house of this world.  Houses of this world eventually crumble and fall apart, but houses of God’s kingdom are everlasting.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennAlso, I want you to understand that this u003cemu003e“house” u003c/emu003eis speaking to David’s u003cemu003elineageu003c/emu003e being on the throne.  If you think about worldly monarchies, the idea is that the monarchy is typically ruled by one family, unless it is overtaken and destroyed.  “Saul’s house”, initially, was to be everlasting but because of his sin, Saul’s house was lost (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Sam.+15%3A10-28u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e1 Sam. 15:10-28u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennGod tells David that when his days are fulfilled and he goes to rest with his fathers, He will set up his seed after him and establish his kingdom (v.12).  Many of us would believe that Solomon was being spoken of here because Solomon followed David’s reign and did come from David’s body.  In fact, in the next verse, the Lord said that this seed would build a house for His name (v.13).  Solomon did build God’s temple.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eThe Messiah comes through Davidu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennNow, in that same verse, Christ enters into the picture here as the Lord says that He would establish David’s kingdom, through his seed, u003cemu003eforeveru003c/emu003e.  This verse establishes the fact that kings were to come through the seed of David.  Now, because Israel (ten of the tribes) split away from the two tribes to the south during the divided kingdom years, their kings did not come through the seed of David.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennJudah (the Jews), the southern kingdom, were very strict in the southern kingdom as they kept to what the prophet had said on behalf of the Lord – David’s seed (his house) was to sit on the throne as king of the Jews.  Isaiah prophesied that a Rod from the stem of Jesse would come forth and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.  Jesse was David’s father which meant that David was the rod in this prophecy and the Branch in this prophecy speaks to Jesus (Is. 11:1).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennIn scripture, we know that Christ, the Messiah, u003cemu003ehad u003c/emu003eto come through the seed of David.  This is why Matthew’s gospel opens with the genealogy of Jesus tracing all the way back to David.  The reason Matthew did this in his gospel was so that there could be no argument from any Jew about Jesus being the Messiah.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe Messiah, the Lord said, would also be u003cemu003eHis u003c/emu003eSon (v.14).  So, though we do not see it being mentioned specifically in this verse, this verse actually hints at the virgin’s birth of the Messiah.  The Lord literally meant that He would be the Father of the Messiah and in the gospels we see how the Holy Spirit moved through Mary in order for Christ to be born (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A35u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eLuke 1:35u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eSuffering of the Messiahu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe rest of this verse comes up with a very interesting statement from the Lord, especially if you read it without giving it any thought.  The Lord said, “If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.”  The u003cemu003e‘he’ u003c/emu003eof this verse is still speaking of the Messiah – Jesus.  So, is God saying that the Messiah would have been capable of committing iniquity?  Absolutely not.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennI propose to you that this is a statement about the Messiah’s suffering which is further prophesied about in Isaiah’s prophecy (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is.+53u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eIs. 53u003c/au003e).  Jesus, we know, was/is divine – He is not capable of committing sin.  However, Jesus did become sin on the cross when He became mankind’s propitiation – atonement offering.  In fact, because He was accused of being a sinner, we know that Jesus was brutally beaten and suffered at the hands of man.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWith this in mind, the Lord said that His mercy would not depart from the Messiah as He took it from Saul (v.15).  On the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken Me (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.+27%3A46%3B+Mark+15%3A34u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eMatt. 27:46; Mark 15:34u003c/au003e)?”  Jesus felt that separation from the Lord on the cross because He had become sin, but we know that the Father did not depart from Jesus.  In fact, Jesus was risen from the grave with all authority given to Him.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennJesus, we proclaim today, still lives – His kingdom still lives and it will live on forever!  So, our lesson closes out with the Lord’s message to David saying, “your house and your kingdom shall be established u003cemu003eforever u003c/emu003ebefore you.  Your throne shall be established forever (v.16).”  David’s kingdom is forever because u003cemu003eChrist u003c/emu003ewas born into this world and fulfilled God’s promise to David.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e