2 Samuel 7:4-17
4 But in the same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,
5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Should you build Me a house for My dwelling?
6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; rather, I have been moving about in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place.
7 Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’
8 Now then, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel.
9 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; I will also make a great name for you, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.
10 And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will malicious people oppress them anymore as previously,
11 even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.
12 When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind,
15 but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you.
16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
17 In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
Davidic Covenant (1)
The word of the Lord to Nathan
This passage is very important, so we will study it in two parts. That night, the Lord spoke to Nathan in a vision to correct the mistake in his earlier words. (1) Since the time of the Exodus, the Lord had dwelled not in a temple but in a tent (the tabernacle), and from there, He had led His people. (2) Furthermore, the Lord had never commanded any of the judges (who arose from among the tribes of Israel) to build a cedar temple for Him.
The content of the covenant
The Lord’s words continued, which is what is known as the Davidic Covenant. The Lord chose David, who had been tending sheep, made him king over Israel, gave him victory on every side, and granted him a name among the great men of the earth. Under David’s rule, the people of Israel would be delivered from fear and suffering and would dwell in peace. And the Lord gave David the following promise. (1) David planned to build a house (temple) for the Lord, but instead, the Lord promised to build a house (dynasty) for David. In other words, the Davidic dynasty would be established. (2) A son from David’s own body would establish the kingdom after David’s death. This heir refers to Solomon. (3) That Solomon would be the one to build a temple for the Lord. (4) The throne of that kingdom would endure forever. (5) However, if Solomon were to sin, the Lord would discipline him. (6) Because this is an everlasting covenant, the Lord’s favor would not be taken away from Solomon as it had been from Saul. When comparing the sins of Saul and Solomon, Solomon’s sin of turning to idol worship was far greater. Yet Solomon was not stripped of his throne as Saul was. This reveals the love of God that is based on covenant, an unconditional love. We, as the people of the New Testament, have also received unconditional love through Jesus Christ. However, that does not mean we are free to do whatever we please. The Lord still disciplines sinners today. Unconditional love is the driving force that leads us into a life of greater purity. How are you responding to God’s unconditional love? A Christian is someone who lives in response to the love of God.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, I love You with all my heart. My love for You is the driving force of my life. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.