Mon, 12 September, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

2 Samuel 7:2-16

¹² “‘When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, 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 to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, ¹⁵ but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

Out of gratitude for what God has done for him, David decides to build a temple for God to replace the Tabernacle Moses had built. When he tells the prophet Nathan of his intentions, God has Nathan inform David that he is not the one to build the temple. But after stopping David, God graciously tells him that David’s son will do this. Solomon will build the temple that David had it in his heart to build.

Then God goes even further and promises David that he will have a son on the throne forever. Unlike Saul who had the kingship torn from him and given to David, David’s heirs will continue to sit upon the throne.

What do we learn from this?

David had it in his heart to change the way the people worshipped God. He wanted to honor God by building Him a permanent temple. What could be wrong with doing this? The people worshipped God in a tent. Wouldn’t a temple be better?

The problem was that God had not commanded this change. It was entirely from David, and so God has to stop David in his plans. God will have Solomon build the temple, but this is not for David to do, and although David’s desire to do something for God is commendable, God had to stop him.

This is the same point made in this week’s Westminster Catechism question: We are limited in our worship to doing only that which God has commanded. Even David could not make changes to how the people worshipped God without God’s express command.

We are responsible to God to worship Him only in the way that He has commanded. We cannot add to or subtract from doing that which God has commanded us to do in our worship. To do so is to disobey God. It is sin, regardless of our good intentions.

Where is Christ in this passage?

How is David’s throne established forever? No one is king of Israel anymore. Who is this descendent of David who is reigning and where is he reigning?

Jesus Christ is the descendent of David, and He is reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the ultimate fulfillment of this promise.