When God Builds the Greater House

If you have your Bibles with you, let's turn to 2 Samuel chapter 7. 2 Samuel chapter 7. This is a passage that uh a lot of scholars refer to as the Mount Everest of the Old Testament. It's a passage that that speaks to something far greater and really looking forward to kind of diving into it. I I hope it's a blessing to you. Let's start out this way as you turn to 2 Samuel chapter 7. Have you ever had one of those days that just seemed completely ordinary when it started only to discover that it's going to be one of the more defining days in your life? you know, a child is born, doctor walks into the room with a a diagnosis and or something changed and you look back and you're saying, you know, at that moment on that day that I didn't realize everything changed. The sun came up earlier that morning, you had no idea. And I think everybody here has experienced something like that. But I know that David experienced something like that because David has no sense that he's he's standing in the day that really one of the great turning points of all the scripture. He doesn't know at this moment that this is going to be the day that God establishes what theologians call the Davidic covenant. that God is going to promise an enduring house through him. God is going to work to bring about an everlasting kingdom, an everlasting throne, a royal son whose reign ultimately is going to extend forever. So, I'm going to divide this chapter up into parts. And today, we're just going to look at the first seven verses. God's promises uh he and God's promises through the lens of the Old Testament start out on this ordinary day. So David right here, he has no idea that nearly every major prophet is going to come back to what happens on this day. When Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 9 speaks of a child who sits upon David's throne, he's talking about this day, this chapter, this promise. When Jeremiah promises that the righteous branch of David is going to extend Jeremiah 25, he's talking about this day, this promise. And Jeremiah is looking at this chapter. When Ezekiel, Amos, and Zachchariah all speak, they echo what happens on this day. And as far as David knows, this is just a simply another day in the day of the kingdom. He he he intends to have a conversation with Nathan the prophet. That's it. That's the day and then the day will be over. But God is going to speak words on this day that are going to echo echo through eternity. And um I just love this chapter right here because this chapter ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ and it still gives us hope as children of God today. But David doesn't know that. Just an ordinary day. Perhaps that's the beauty of the story because God often works in the most ordinary days in our lives. So before we we walk into this chapter, let's just pause for a moment to remember where David is in his life. We watched him when he began looking after his father's sheep in Bethlehem. We stood with him in the valley of Eli when he faced down the giant Goliath with nothing more than a sling and five smooth stones and an unshakable confidence that the battle is the Lord's. We followed him through caves, betrayals, deserts, disappointments, and years of waiting. We watched him mourn over Saul and Samuel and Jonathan. And in the last chapter that we just passed through, we saw him dance in celebration when the ark came to Jerusalem with singing and sacrifice. So David, he's lived an extraordinary life, but it's not by any stretch of the imagination been an easy life. And that brings us to the first chapter. And here's how it starts. We'll get through about half of the first sentence of the first chapter right now.

And it came to pass when the king sat in his house. Oh man, I love that phrase, his house. I love that phrase because David is finally home. Now, it it might not sound especially profound until you remember how much of his life was spent without a home. I mean, there was a time when his home was a hillside outside of Bethlehem, just watching sheep. Then then his home was Saul's palace, but David never knew whether he was going to be eating at the royal dinner table or dodging spears in that house. Then his houses became a bunch of caves. We saw him in Adulum. We saw him at Engeti. We saw them in the wilderness of Ze. We even saw caves among the the in Ziglag among the Philistines. And for years, David never really unpacked because he never knew how long he was going to stay. And I I don't know about y'all, but I do some traveling. And I don't particularly like living out of suitcases. And And whenever we're looking at David's life here, have you And have y'all ever lived through a season like that where it's not that you're necessarily living out of a suitcase, but you're living with a feeling that life is uncertain. And uh life is unsettled and and maybe in those moments you keep thinking it's going to settle down. Maybe next month things will calm down. Then the next month brings another change, another responsibility, another burden, another uncertainty. And I think some of us know what it's like there because there's seasons in life that it just seems like it's one long series of putting out fires. Somebody at work asked me, "What do I do?" Uh, somebody asked me about my work, asked me what I did, and I'm like, I'm kind of a fireman. I'm constantly putting out these small little fires. I know a lot of y'all sense that. Maybe it's not in your work, but it's in your personal life. I know some of y'all are going through that right now. You're caring for aging parents. You're raising children. You you're navigating illnesses. You're you're shouldering responsibilities at work. You you worry about people that you love. You you pray. You trust. You keep moving on from cave to cave to cave and then one day almost without realizing it life grows quiet again. Now it's not perfect but life is on this side of heaven is never perfect but in this moment maybe it's quieter and and sometimes it's only in those quiet seasons that we discover the blessings that are around us. And it says and and and it says, "And it came to pass when the king sat in his house and the Lord had given him rest roundabout from all of his enemies." I love the way that the Holy Spirit tells this story because the writer could have said, "And David defeated his enemies." And that would have been true. This next phrase could have said, "And David was a brilliant strategist." And that would have been true. The Holy Spirit could have praised David's wisdom, David's leadership, David's courage, but instead the Holy Spirit through the inspiration, the writer reaches behind the victory and quietly reminds us who deserves the glory. It says, "And the Lord," and notice that that the word Lord there is in small caps. Whenever you see that in the King James Bible, it's it's one of the highest titles that the Lord has kind of touched on his sovereignty. And it says, "And the Lord has given him rest." And this is one of the great themes running through David's life because David never forgot where his story began. He knew exactly who he was. He was the youngest son of nobody living working in a a sheep field. Thought I mean he was the youngest son who who nobody would have thought to bring before Samuel. He he was a guy that came from Bethlehem. He was the shepherd who was overlooked until God called his name. He was the the young man that walked into the valley with a sling while everyone else was in fear. He was the fugitive who survived because God repeatedly preserved him. And now he's king. But he understands something that all of us need to remember, young and old. The palace did not change the author of this story. And the cave didn't either. And your cave doesn't. God is always in charge of the outcome of our story. So David who watched the the Lord watched over David in Bethlehem is the same Lord who's watching over him in Jerusalem. The Lord who watched over him in Bethlehem is the same Lord that watched him over him in Jerusalem. The Lord who sustained him in the cave is the same Lord who's giving him rest in the palace. In other words, the scenery has changed, but God has not. Man, that's something worth remembering because there's something deeply comforting about that because our lives are changing constantly. Our our children grow up, our careers begin and end. Our health goes up and down. Our friend moves away. A loved one goes home. Churches welcome new faces and say goodbye to older ones. and everything around us seems to be changing. Yet the God who faithfully led us through every season has not changed at all. And David understands that. Perhaps that's why success really never captured David's heart. He he enjoyed God's blessings, but he never confused the blessings with the one who gave them. In fact, those blessings had a kind of unexpected effect. Instead of causing David to get what many people call the big head, it actually David it caused David to be a little bit contemplative and think think less about himself and more about the God who gave it to him. And this is what brings us to verse two. It says that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, let's back up. Came to pass when the king sat in his house, the Lord had given him rest round about all his enemies. that moment says that the king said unto Nathan the prophet. Okay, so [cough] yesterday we were having some fun with the Fourth of July celebration just talking about some of the worst movies of all time and then we turned to the you know horror movies and I'm having a conversation with my son Caleb because I hate horror movies just I mean just hate them. There's not a good horror movie out there. But there's one aspect of horror movies I hate more than anything else. And that's what's called jump scare. Where you're watching the screen. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Where you're watching the screen and then out of the side of the screen something jumps out like that. I fall for it every time. And it's not fair because if I was there and I had peripheral vision, I would see, you know, crazy scare man mask coming to the scene. Well, we got something called it's not really a jump scare right here, but it's a jump prophet because we've never heard from Nathan before. And all of a sudden, boom, here he is. But Nathan's actually a good man. I'm sorry. I got sidetracked. Got a little ADHD. That which brings it here it is. The king said unto Nathan the prophet. So, here Nathan is he appears suddenly, but but but he's going to become one of the most important people in David's life. And there, let me just for our younger people out here, I I want to tell you something. There's a good thing to have godly friendships. I mean, look, when it comes to heaven and spiritual things and it's a binary choice, your friend's either going to be godly or they're not. There's no third way. You know, Jesus told us this on the sermon on the mount. There's the good tree and the bad tree. There's the the wide road that leads destruction, the narrow road. There's the house is built upon a rock. A house is built upon the sand. Those are binary choice. You got godly friends. You know, Nathan's a godly friend. And you're going to see he's such a blessing. Such a blessing to David in his life because let me tell you something. There's a good that not only let let me not only emphasize the word godly, but let me emphasize the word friends. It's good to have friends because none of us were meant to go through life alone. and and and the Lord places people in our lives who encourage us, who correct us, who pray for us, and occasionally tell us things that we never would have discovered on our own. And Nathan is going to eventually do all of that. But today, Nathan's going to listen. He's going to give a a word of advice. David says to him, "See, Nathan, I dwell in a house of cedar." Which, by the way, in the Old Testament time is a big deal. Cedar has this wonderful aroma. It's a strong wood. You're not exposed to the element. And so David, he's being thankful. Nathan, I'm I'm dwelling in this house of cedar, but but but the ark of God dwells in curtains. So I'm living in a house is nicer than the ark of God. And David's like, "That's not right." And I've often wondered how long David had been thinking about it before he finally said it out loud. And it's gratitude. Just think about it. You know, David's waking up. He's walking through. He's just got a grateful heart because of what God's done. And this gratitude fills his heart. David's thinking, you know, Lord, you've been so good to me. And David, he isn't embarrassed by the tabernacle. And just as a quick reminder to our young ones, this is not the temple, which is built of stone. This is the tabernacle that God had established when the people of Israel left Egypt. He said, "I want you to build me a tabernacle. We can you can throw it up real quick. This is how you're going to divide it up and I'm going to dwelt in the holiest, the holy. [laughter] So David, he's when he says to Nathan, I'm living in this house of cedar, but the ark of God lives in curtains and tents. And David's not necessarily embarrassed by the tabernacle. He he's not criticizing Moses. He isn't suggesting that God somehow deserves better because the tabernacle is lacking. The tabernacle was exactly what God commanded Israel to do. And David knows that his his concern is a little bit more personal than that. Because David, and here's the thing, David's overwhelmed by grace and what God's done for him. He's a shepherd who became a king. He's a God who led him every step of the way. and he's looking around the palace and he's wondering, you know, how did I get here, but he already knows the answer. It was the Lord. The same Lord that found a shepherd in Bethlehem is now seated as a king in Jerusalem. And really, this palace, the palace itself has become a testimony of God's goodness. Have you ever noticed how that happens? Sometimes the Lord blesses us in ordinary ways and we hardly notice it until one day that we do. You're sitting around the Fourth of July, your children are getting together, grandkids are laughing, and all of a sudden you're just kind of overwhelmed with the goodness of God in that moment. You you sit on a porch in a difficult season has finally passed and you simply find yourself thanking God. It's those ordinary moments and and sometimes it just comes upon you so suddenly. man, I'm I'm so richly blessed. And it's not because someone told you to feel that way. It's just because God's kindness has become impossible to ignore. And I think David has experienced one of those moments right now. The palace, dig, this has not distracted him from God. Because success has such a way of distracting us from God. But not David. The palace hasn't distracted him from God. It it actually has reminded him of God. And grace is a beautiful way of doing that. The more clearly we see the Lord's kindness, the more naturally our hearts are going to rise to him. And that's where David's heart is. And honestly, it's kind of hard not to imagine him. His first thought after finding rest is not how he might enlarge his kingdom. It's how he might honor a God who he has so fa that has so faithfully cared for him. So, this is what Nathan does. [cough]

Nathan carefully listens to him. And as far as we can tell, this is so important. Nathan's listen to him. And as far as we can tell, there is absolutely nothing wrong about David's desire. It it is it is not misplaced. In fact, this is what Nathan says. He responds immediately, "Go do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee." You know, David, I've been looking back on your life and I can see the Lord's hands with you and your idea that that's a pretty good idea. And if I had been standing there, I would have said the same thing. I would have and I suspect that most of us would have. David's motive is pure. His gratitude is genuine. His desire appears entirely fitting. Everything about the conversation suggests that the next chapter of Israel's life going to be the construction of the temple. But then comes one of my favorite phrases in the entire chapter. And it came to pass that night. Okay, you dig that? So, while David slept, God's about to work and he's going to speak. By morning, David and Nathan are going to discover as beautiful as David's desire was, God has an infinitely better plan. And so, that was my favorite phrase. Now comes my favorite sentence in the entire chapter. And it came to pass that night that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan. Now, I I don't know about you, but I kind of like these words that night because David doesn't know it yet. But heaven has an agenda. David doesn't know it yet. But heaven's been busy while Jerusalem sleeps. David's gone to bed thinking that tomorrow morning he's going to start establishing his plans and build a house for God. Nathan's gone home convinced that he's given wise counsel. Neither one of them realizes that before the sun comes up, God is going to come into the conversation. I find tremendous comfort in that because have you ever gone to bed thinking that you know what tomorrow will bring? [laughter] You had your plans. Your calendar was full. You thought you'd know the next chapter of your life would look like. And then morning came. The phone call changed everything. Breakfast didn't go the way you thought. A diagnosis changed everything. A job opportunity changed everything. A child was born. A loved one went home to be with the Lord. life turned in a direction that you never anticipated in the morning. And looking back, you can almost see the Lord saying, "My child, I had plans that you didn't know anything about." And David's in one of those moments. And what strikes me is not merely that God speaks, but he does so graciously. And if you allow me, let me to paraphrase verses six and seven, because David says, "I'm going to build the house of the Lord." And God says essentially, "Hey Dave. Hey Dave. Have I got your attention here? Because uh I didn't ask for a house. You know, I I I I didn't ask for a house when I was walking you people through the desert. I haven't asked for a house now. I'm not worried about a house. I have a better plan. So, the Lord doesn't wait, and I like this about God, too. He didn't wait for David to invest months and months in gathering cedar of Lebanon. He didn't allow him to spend years constructing a temple before he said, "Not interest." God speaks immediately and that's grace. And I wonder sometimes how many disappointments the Lord has spared me from because he's interrupted it too early. Quite a bit. How many roads did we never travel because of his kindness that quietly closed doors? And there are moments when we look back on our lives and realize that some of the sweetest mercies of God came wrapped up as interruptions into our stupid plans. relationship that never developed, a career that never materialized, a move that never happened. At the time, we wondered why. And years later, we thank him. And David's about to learn this lesson. The remarkable thing is that God does not interrupt David because David's desire is selfish. Quite the opposite. David's heart's beautiful. His motives are sincere. His gratitude is genuine. And the problem is not David's heart. Here's the problem. David's vision is too small. David's thinking about building a house for God. And God's thinking about building something infinitely greater. You see, David was thinking about a cedar. God's thinking about a savior. David's thinking about building a home. God is building his kingdom. David's thinking about his lifetime and and God is thinking about every generation that's going to follow David. And as wonderful as David's desire is, God's grace is always greater than our imagination. So what's going to happen before this chapter finishes, we're going to discover God's answer to David reaches far beyond his son Solomon, far beyond the temple, far beyond the nation of Israel. It reaches back to Bethlehem. It reaches to an empty cross. It reaches to an empty tomb. It reaches to a risen king. And David, David wanted to build a house while God wanted to dwell among his people. And centuries later, God did something that David never could have imagined. God didn't simply dwell in a building made with hands. Because this is what John tells us. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. That word dwelt is literally tabernacled among his people. The gods whose presence once filled the tabernacle later the temple itself took upon himself flesh and walked upon his walked among his people in the person of Jesus Christ. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. This is what Peter says. Ye also are lively stones built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer us spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. You are lively stones, living stone. Paul reminds us we in Ephesians chapter 2, we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. That's always how grace works. David came wanting to build, but God responded by revealing what he was going to build for David. So many times we come to God the same way. We we often think about what can we offer him. But the gospel gently reminds us what he's already given us in his son and encourage us to live from that truth. And everything we enjoy as children of God rests upon what Jesus Christ has already accomplished. His work is finished. His redemption is complete. His kingdom cannot be shaken. His house will never crumble. And so as we leave today, don't leave thinking about first about David's desire, what he wanted to build. Because the ultimate story is never what we build for God. It is always what God did to us and built for us through his son Jesus Christ. That's the God that we worship. If you'd like to join us here at Camp Creek as the the Savior that we serve, we'll give you that chance. We sing the first and last stanza.

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