September 11, 2023

The Davidic Covenant and an Eternal House

2 Samuel 7

Whitney Ebaugh
Monday's Devo

September 11, 2023

Monday's Devo

September 11, 2023

Monday's Devo

September 11, 2023

Monday's Devo

September 11, 2023

Big Idea

No one is immune to sin.

Key Verse | 2 Samuel 7:11-13

"[F]rom 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. 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. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."

2 Samuel 7

The LORD Covenant with David

1 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges 1 7:7 Compare 1 Chronicles 17:6; Hebrew tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 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 2 7:8 Or leader 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. 3 7:16 Septuagint; Hebrew you Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David's Prayer of Gratitude

18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them 4 7:23 With a few Targums, Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew you great and awesome things by driving out before your people, 5 7:23 Septuagint (compare 1 Chronicles 17:21); Hebrew awesome things for your land, before your people whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God. 25 And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Footnotes

[1] 7:7 Compare 1 Chronicles 17:6; Hebrew tribes
[2] 7:8 Or leader
[3] 7:16 Septuagint; Hebrew you
[4] 7:23 With a few Targums, Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew you
[5] 7:23 Septuagint (compare 1 Chronicles 17:21); Hebrew awesome things for your land, before your people

2 Samuel 7:16 - "Why does God say that David’s throne is secure through Jesus?"

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | 2 Samuel 7

I don't know about you, but I could easily make a list of things I've asked God for that I haven't received. So, when David was told "No" despite his heart's desire to do something special for God and see Him glorified through the building of a temple, I can relate to the initial disappointment David likely felt.

Thankfully, I have learned that when God says "No," He does so in the most gracious, loving manner. For example, in this instance involving David, God starts by reminding David what He has done for him, then He promises two things: (1) a permanent and secure Israel would be established, and (2) He would provide David a lasting legacy for the house of David. While God's promise to David was partially fulfilled through Solomon, David's son and successor to his throne, it is COMPLETELY fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus, who is from the line of David, will reign on David's  throne forever and is actively building the Father a magnificent house (Hebrews 3:3-6), far greater and eternal compared to an earthly temple.

Ultimately, God's "No" to David resulted in a far greater blessing to David since his "house" (dynasty) would last longer and be more glorious than the physical temple David wanted to build. The certainty of these promises rests solely on God's faithfulness, not on David's or Israel's obedience. What a reminder that the greatest blessings of our lives are not the result of our own will or labor, but always the result of God's work!

David's reaction can serve as a model and a reminder for us all. When things don't go as hoped (so often), we should continue to praise the Lord, trusting in His sovereignty, goodness, and greater plan.

Though it is hard to hear a "No" to a fervent prayer, I am so grateful to learn from David's journey as it teaches and challenges me to live fully surrendered to God's will.

This month's memory verse

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

– Matthew 5:16

Discussion Questions

1. When David learned that God didn't want him to build the temple, he didn't respond by doing nothing. According to 1 Chronicles 29:2-9, David gathered materials for building the temple to support Solomon's work to build a glorious house for God. What is one thing you could be doing right now to support another's work for God?

2. Most of us are so stuck in the thinking, "How little can I do and still please the LORD?" that we never really want to do more than God commands. Can you think of a way to go above and beyond to serve the Lord today, this week, this month, or this year?

3. Toward the end of this chapter, we see that David prays a prayer of thanksgiving and boldly asks God to do what He says. How do you think David's response to God's promise would have been different if he had a "what's-in-it-for-me-right-now" attitude?

4. We find out in 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 that God said "No" to David's offer because David was a man of war, and God wanted a man of peace to build His temple. It's likely that for many years David did not know the exact reason why God didn't want him to build the temple. However, David accepted and trusted God's plans, believing God's promises would hold true. What are some things that God has promised us in Scripture? Do you believe these promises to be true? How does this belief impact how you deal with disappointments?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

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Hugh Stephenson

Greetings all - 2 Samuel 7 is one of the very key chapters in our theology. The Davidic Covenant that is conveyed is a key statement of messianic hope. https://www.gotquestions.org/Davidic-covenant.html I am thankful for friend and pastor Blake Holmes who has stressed this over and over in class after class. So much so that I felt compelled to write this “Ode to Blake Holmes” in thanksgiving for his teaching- Ode to Blake Holmes Pastor Blake Holmes Pastor Blake Holmes He’s the one that taught me House, Kingdom, Throne House, Kingdom, Throne He taught me good He taught me well And now I know I won’t go to Hell Pastor Blake Holmes Pastor Blake Holmes He’s the one that taught me House, Kingdom, Throne House, Kingdom, Throne Land, seed, and blessing Was the first thing I learned Then he taught me that salvation wasn't earned Pastor Blake Holmes Pastor Blake Holmes He’s the one that taught me House, Kingdom, Throne House, Kingdom, Throne But the best thing I knew And I learned through and through Was that Jesus was Lord And God’s eternal Word Is what saves me and you Pastor Blake Holmes Pastor Blake Holmes He’s the one that taught me House, Kingdom, Throne House, Kingdom, Throne THANK YOU BLAKE!!!
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Hugh Stephenson

Thank you, Whitney, for a great devo and for this gem- “Though it is hard to hear a "No" to a fervent prayer, I am so grateful to learn from David's journey as it teaches and challenges me to live fully surrendered to God's will.” Q1. Amy is on staff as a Director on the women’s community team. She joined in 2108. Prior to that she supported me for 35 years in my career so now we have swapped places. I take on as many tasks as possible so she can devote more and more time, energy, and prayer to loving on the women she loves on and cares for. PS - Thursday 9/14 is her birthday. Q2. One of the key prayers I have is the “What’s Next?” prayer. I don’t do a great job of only saying yes to the best things that clearly align with my gifts. For me, “going above and beyond” would be to say no first and ten inquire of the LORD as to where He oust direct me. Q3. It would be easiest to look back at Saul. Or to just swap out words in David prayer that pointed back to himself. Q4. God makes 7,487 promises in this 800,000-word love letter. All of them are true or will be true. When I get a no to a prayer or don’t see results of a promise, I have learned over time to “wait on the LORD”, (Psalm 27:14). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In my journey the key epiphany was boiling down my struggles to three questions- Who is God? Who am I? Why am I here? In David’s prayer of gratitude he lays out a magnificent answer to each question. Most importantly he states clearly who God is with 5 different names: O Lord God, God, O LORD, LORD of Hosts, God of Israel. This from the notes: “2 Sam. 7:18 Who am I, O Lord ... , that you have brought me thus far? In spite of dramatic military success and the popular acclaim of the whole nation, David humbly considers himself unworthy of all the Lord’s blessings, attributing his success instead to the Lord (cf. Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). He understands rightly that the covenant (2 Sam. 7:8–17) expresses God’s faithfulness to his promises to his people (vv. 21–29).” https://www.gotquestions.org/LORD-GOD-Lord-God.html https://www.gotquestions.org/Lord-of-hosts.html In the first few lines of his prayer David asks, “Who am I, O LORD God?” This level of humility is so rare! It takes me back to reprising Kris Kristofferson’s song, “Why me Lord?” An incredible story. Please listen to it. I am confident it will bless you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tA7E7pbUws Here is the wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Me_(Kris_Kristofferson_song)
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Hugh Stephenson

Lastly, speaking of fathers and prayers, -here is a “A FATHER’S PRAYER” from Douglas McArthur A FATHER’S PRAYER “ Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory. Build me a son, O Lord, whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee - and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn and stand up in the storm, here let him learn compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master others... one who will reach into the future yet never forget the past. And after all these things, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength. Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, ‘I have not lived my life in vain.’ General Douglas McArthur
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Michael Scaman

David wasn't going to build God a house. God was going to build David a house. Some believe King David’s intended meaning when he said (Psalm 138:2), “You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” as the covenant promise of God for David to have an everlasting royal dynasty, house of David. Iteresting 'the seed of David' is mentioned in Psalm 89 where one might expect 'seed of Abraham' Psalm 89 tells us that God has made a covenant where the seed of David are secure. “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations'” (3–4 Seed being singular just like seed of Abraham or seed of the woman not seeds speaks of a singular and in some sense ultimate coming one. Just as the taberancle sined in the dessert, God will fill the earth with fruitfullness (as if lifting the curse on the ground) in Psalm 72 and 'the preyers of David son of Jesse will be ended.
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Michael Sisson

Re: 2Sam 7:11 2Sam 7:11 (NASB) even from the day that I commanded judges to be 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.<<< See 2Cor 5:1-4. Re: 2Sam 7:13 “Initially God’s presence was housed in the desert tabernacle, by God’s own initiative. Later, King David (https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/god-trained-david-extraordinary-king/) would build the temple for God, but this was David’s initiative, not God’s. However, that same Shekinah glory would later dwell in the earthly tent of flesh – flesh from the house of David (https://www.oneforisrael.org/jewish-evangelism/is-jesus-really-from-the-line-of-david/), no less. David really did help make a suitable home for God in more ways than one.” —One For Israel https://www.oneforisrael.org/holidays/sukkot-jesus-tabernacled-and-paul-made-tents See Jer 33:17 Re: 2Sam 7:14 2Sam 7:14 (NASB) >>>“I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me<<<; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, See Ps 2:7; Heb 5:5 Re: 2Sam 7:16 2Sam 7:16 (NASB) “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me >>>forever<<<; your throne shall be established >>>forever.<<<””’ See Jer 33:17-18 Re: 2Sam 7:17 See 1Kings 8:25 and following, and 1Chr 28:2 and following.
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George Dalton

Whitney the insight you expressed today in your devo was refreshing and a blessing. God in His providence placed your devo after the amazing sermon we heard Sunday. Great job sister. Proud to be in the body with you.
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Sue Bohlin

EXCELLENT devo, Whitney, and I love how your wisdom extends into the Discussion questions! Especially the gotcha question, "How little can I do and still please the LORD?" Ouch! Hugh, great lyrics to your Ode to Blake Holmes. What's the music they match? Bohemian Rhapsody, perhaps? 😝 As the key word in today's chapter seems to be "house," I was struck by how Peter builds on this concept as he writes in 1 Peter 2 about how we are "living stones." I recently heard a school administrator say that she tells parents, "You may be wanting us to build bricks, but I want to make living stones."
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Greg Jones

Great deeper dive, appreciate the focus on promises. After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him 1 Samuel 7:1 I see a later tension coming. A question could be is the Lord saying he has given David rest from all his enemies? Or is the writer saying something about what he perceived the Lord as doing. V5 The Lord ask a rhetorical question explaining why he isn’t to build the tabernacle. Combining 2 Samuel 7:5 and 1 Chronicles 22:8 the rhetorical question could have gone like this Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. Chronicles, written from the perspective of a much later time, quotes much of Samuel and Kings word for word. But when it doesn’t it really impacts how I look at the two. A tension form’s between the perspectives. Personally my default reading/understanding of a tension like that is to reconcile the tension. But reading with or looking for, “why tension”, some things start to come to the surface. An example And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders[a] over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. 2 Samuel 7:10-11 I automatically think of Israel’s outside foreign enemies, I do think that’s part of it. But 11b says “I will also give you rest from all your enemies” after, already declaring “the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him.” One way to look at “around” him is to consider all Saul’s successors and then consider who would fit a different category of just “your” enemies. His own family would fit. In fact for Solomon to be established as the successor some others will have to be eliminated. If that’s the case and 2 Samuel is foreshadowing where the narrative is going it’s one thing to have a, head knowledge of scripture, it’s another to internalize it. For me to internalize it is to bring it into today and use it to produce a personal internal tension. Deeper dive does a great job of doing that quoting Hebrews 3:3-6. I also see the writer of Hebrews understanding a need to bring past scripture into current perspectives when he argues God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
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Amy Lowther

1. I could pray for them. 2. I can see things like the Lord as I drive to and from work, being proactive in positive ways. 3. David would have been less helpful to others. 4. God made a promise to all of us in Isaiah 41:10 that He is always with us. I believe this scripture is true and helps prevent disappointments.