2 Samuel 7:1-29
Wednesday, 7 September 2022
The king summoned Nathan the prophet. "Look," David said, "I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!" (2 Samuel 7:2 NLT)
A holy discontent
A holy discontent in the heart of David, the great king of Israel, is the theme of this chapter, which in turn evoked the attention of God in heaven. David was well settled on his throne and had subdued the enemies before him. He built for himself a palace of cedar in Jerusalem on top of a hill. He was reigning as a king in all respects with ease and prosperity. But alas, the heart of David was not content with all this. He was discontent that God's dwelling place was in the midst of curtains and tent. Hence he could not give rest to his soul and sought to build a temple for God. And so he summoned the Prophet to enquire about it. Nathan the prophet also felt that it is good to build a temple for God.
It is good to note the heart’s desire of a godly man. He was set in all respects to please God. He was always on the lookout. Are we having the same holy discontentment, when we check how we the temple of living God are faring in our daily lives. “Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself…” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Are we keeping this temple as a holy sanctuary for Him to dwell in us? We need to pause and think. Or is God having only a temporary dwelling in our life?
Are we discontent to see how the Kingdom work of God is still unfinished? Are we taking care of our part in building and completing the Kingdom work so that Jesus will return soon to occupy His well- deserved throne of David? A note to all believers: And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple... (1 Peter 2:5)
Sovereign God who planned everything
Now when this was happening on earth, the God of heaven was watching and listening to the conversation of His saints and their intentions. God intervened from heaven to thwart the proposal. Even though it seemed good for man to have an ambitious plan to do something for God, He who controls everything according to His own divine plan and counsel, immediately intervenes.
No man is allowed to alter the purpose of God in heaven or on earth. He is sovereign over all. All the nations and the inhabitants in this earth are under Him.
Sometimes God intervenes and stops our own plans to do something for God. This is because, He doesn’t want any plan of Man to build His kingdom. Hence we always need to be cautious on this matter to have clear direction from God to do something for Him. Otherwise, no matter how good it might be, there will be heavenly stop-sign in front of us to distract us from that plan. For instance: Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. (Acts 16:6) Therefore let us trust Him with His plans on what He would have us do.
Think on it: When we have God in the centre of our lives, everything that matters to us, matters to God. He will surely intervene in our conversations and lives to help us fall in line with His plans, so that the glory goes to God not to man.