2 Samuel 7
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" – 2 Samuel 7:18 NLT
David wanted to build a temple for God – a dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant. He had been able to build a palace for himself and God had allowed his kingdom to experience a period of peace. David had been able to complete to a great degree what Joshua had begun – to occupy the land of Canaan. And now David wanted to do something for God. He wanted to build Him a dwelling place fit for the God of the universe. When you think about it, it really was a grandiose dream. How in the world could a mere man, even the king of Israel, hope to build a suitable home for God? But David's heart was in the right place.
But God had other plans. Just when David thought he was going to do something great for God, he ends up being the recipient of God's blessing yet again. God informs David that he is not going to get to build God a house because He does not need one. He never even asked for one. Instead, God would build a house for David, but not a literal house. No, He was going to build a dynasty for David. In this chapter we have the Davidic covenant. God promises not only to let David's son ascend to the throne after him, but He promises to establish David's throne forever. This does not mean that there would be an unbroken chain of David's descendants on the throne, because that possibility was eliminated when the people of Israel and Judah went into captivity. But God was promising David that one day He would reestablish the throne of David and place on it a descendant who would reign forever. That descendant is Jesus Christ, and He will sit upon the throne of David at the time of His second coming.
Here was David hoping to build a temporal home for God and yet God was promising to build a permanent dynasty for David. Even when Solomon was given the opportunity to build a dwelling place for God, it would not last long. It would be destroyed. But the house of David would last forever. Isn't that just like God? When we think we are blessing Him, He turns around and blesses us. We can't ever out-give God. And David's response was one of praise. "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you––there is no other God. We have never even heard of another god like you!" (2 Samuel 7:22 NLT). David recognized that He could never out-give God. He could never do more for God than God could do for him. Even if those blessings were completely undeserved. And like David, we have received blessings from God that are for greater than our capacity to return the favor. God has given us eternal life and the promise of unbroken fellowship with Him. David owed everything he had and everything he was to God. Now he owed the future of his kingdom and the promise of his future house to God as well. Regardless of enemies or the sinful failings of future kings who sat on the throne of David, nothing could prevent God from fulfilling His promise that David's throne would one day have a descendant who reigned forever. And that king is Jesus.
Father, You give and You give and You give. You have done far more for me than I could ever deserve or repay. Just when I think I am doing you some kind of a favor by my efforts on Your behalf, You remind me that nothing I do adds value to who You are or merits any worth in your eyes. You don't need my sacrifices. You don't need my praise. You have no needs. But my praise and my efforts on Your behalf are simply the response of a man who has been given so much – undeservedly. You have given me eternal life. You have given me forgiveness of sins. You have given me the righteousness of Your son, in exchange for my unrighteousness. How could I ever even think I could somehow repay You? Amen