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2 Samuel 7:8–11
“And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth” (v. 9).
In the passage before us today, we catch a glimpse of the great kindness and compassion of the God we serve. God has just told Nathan the prophet to inform David that he is not the man who will build a temple in Jerusalem. God knows that David will be greatly disappointed to be denied this privilege, so He now gives Nathan words that will be of great comfort to the king, words designed to remind David of his standing in God’s sight and of the role he has played and is playing in God’s great plan for His people.
First, God reminds David of past grace. He notes that He raised David up from a lowly place—”from following the sheep,” that is, from the profession of shepherd. Through many trials, He shaped and molded David before finally bringing him to the kingship of Israel. Through it all, David has known the unspeakable privilege of having God with him to bless and help him. By God’s strength, David has prevailed over every enemy that has opposed him.
Next, God promises that His grace will not cease. Although the New King James Version continues using the past tense through verse 9, more recent translations switch to the future tense midway through the verse, indicating God is now speaking to David about things He yet will do. And those things are glorious. God promises that He will increase David’s renown, giving him a name “like the name of the great men who are on the earth.” As for Israel, God vows to “plant” His people in a home of their own where they no longer will be disturbed. This process has been under way since the conquest of Canaan and the era of the judges, but Israel always has been troubled by enemies. Now God is stating unequivocally that He will give Israel peace and security. In other words, He is going to create the conditions under which a temple can be built. God will “settle down” with His people and will not abandon them. It will happen, and soon.
Finally, God promises David that he, too, will have rest from his enemies. But David’s enemies are Israel’s enemies. Thus, God is promising that He will use David to bring security for Israel. No, he will not build the temple, but he will be the instrument by which God sets the stage for its construction. What a comfort it must be for David to know that he will be used mightily by God for Israel’s good.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
David did not need to build a temple to earn God’s blessings; it was God’s good pleasure to bestow grace on David and on the people of Israel. So it is with us who now constitute God’s people. Reject the notion that you must earn God’s love. Instead, live in gratitude for His past grace and in trust that He will not withhold grace in the future.
For Further Study
- Ps. 84:11
- Acts 20:32
- Rom. 5:15
- James 4:6