2 Samuel 7:1-17 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;… I. DAVID'S COUNSEL AND PURPOSE TO BUILD THE TEMPLE ALLOWED BY MAN BUT DISALLOWED BY GOD. 1. First, the moving cause of this counsel was the peace God had given him now round about. 2. Second, Nathan's over-hasty approving of David's purpose (v. 3) before he had well considered it in his own mind, or consulted with God about it. This was Nathan's private opinion, but not by Divine revelation, which showeth, that the prophets did not always speak by prophetical inspiration, but sometimes as private men by a human prudence. 3. Third, God suffers not His servants to lie long under mistakes. He comes to Nathan that night to rectify both his and David's error (verses 4, 5, 6, 7), from whence:(1) This mistake arose from a pious mind, therefore God soon discovers it, and reveals His will therein (Philippians 3:15). (2) David thought, because God had promised .there should a house be built him, when Israel was once settled in Canaan (Deuteronomy 12:10, 11), that now the time was come, and he was the man whom God had designed to do this great work. (3) God took this pious purpose of David's so well that he accepted of the will for the deed (1 Kings 8:18, and 2 Corinthians 8:12). Nay, God doth not only graciously accept it, but he doth bountifully reward it (v. 10, 11), etc., here, as if David had done the deed. (4) This Divine acceptance of David's pious purpose (as if it had been a performance) was signified by God's calling him twice over My servant David (v. 5, 8). II. THE REASONS GOD RENDERED TO DAVID WHY HE WAS REFUSED TO BUILD THE TEMPLE. 1. He was a martial man, and had shed much blood. The temple was a type of the church built by Christ, that Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), therefore saith God, I reserve this piece of service for thy son Solomon, whose name signifies peaceable. 2. It was meet the shadow should be suitable to the substance. 2. A second reason is rendered by Solomon (1 Kings 5:3), that God had designed David soon after this transaction to wage war with the nations round about Israel, therefore could he look for little leisure to carry on so great and glorious a fabric. 3. The third reason of God's refusing David for this work is found in this Divine oracle to David here, saying, there is no necessity or present haste for building Me a house, seeing that a tent has given Me content to dwell in, ever since Israel's coming out of Egypt, and so will be still till My time be come; yet as I have been hitherto all-sufficient unto Israel, so will be as efficacious to them from the ark of My presence in the tabernacle, as if it were magnificently fixed in the temple. 4. The oracle of God secretly taxeth David for being too preposterous in his zeal, saying all the judges of Israel were willing to wait for a Divine warrant to this great work, none of them durst undertake it for want of my commanding warrant, and wilt not thou wait also? Zeal must be rightly timed (1 Chronicles 17:6.) (C. Ness.) Parallel Verses KJV: And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; |
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