2 Sam
7:8-16 (ESV) Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says
the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that
you should be prince over my people Israel. 9
And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your
enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of
the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel
and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed
no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my
people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the
Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 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.'"
NOTE: This is
properly called the Davidic covenant. It follows David's desire to build a
house for God's name (7:13). It is a lofty promise to a man who made his share
of errors. David was not perfect, but his heart was to do the right thing. He
fails in a multitude of ways, but he succeeds in many more. The Davidic
covenant is by grace but it is initiated on the basis of works, works of the
heart. David desires something to do for God, to exalt him, to show him praise.
David lives in a house of cedar (luxury) and God's name dwells in a tent (7:2).
Actually, God's dwelling is the universe, and nothing can capture the grandeur
of God's tent. It is unfathomable in size and awesome in beauty--even more so
as telescopes show us more and more of the heavens. God doesn't need David to
exalt him, but God is pleased that David wants to exalt him. David's whole
tenor of life, humility and honesty, have honored God, and now God honors
David. Because really, David can do nothing to honor God with a building, but
in the eyes of people, there is nothing greater than a life lived to please
God--that is what honors God.
That is what I
desire-to live in a manner that exalts God. I have a new opportunity in a new
job to do that very thing. I look forward to the new year and how my life can
exalt my savior.
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