WONDERING GURU
2
Samuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38
David wanted to build a brand spanking new house for
God, and all of a sudden God says, No.
· What
exactly was wrong with David’s building a house for God?
· Why
would God forbid this man after His own heart?
· What
can we learn from this experience of David?
The first thing is that it was…
I. Forbidden
but not WRONG-God had not had a temple at any point from the time he
delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt until this time. God was not
saying that the idea of a temple was wrong. He was saying that the timing was
not right. David was not allowed to build the temple because he had shed blood (1
Chr 22:8). God didn’t totally disapprove though. There were two things that he
approved of. The first was the SPIRIT in which the offer was made. God
appreciated the motive of David’s heart.
Most of the time we see kings turn their back on God when they get to
positions of power. They look at all the wonderful things that they have done
and swell up with pride. This was not the case with David. The second was the OBJECT
of David’s desire. God didn’t say that the temple was a bad idea. He only said
that David wouldn’t build it.
II. Forbidden with GOOD REASON.
A. Forbidden
because God’s PRESENCE was not CONFINED to a location. The
ark of the Lord had been in a tent since Moses put it there during the Exodus.
The nation of Israel had been unsettled up to this point and the ark of the
Lord in a tent symbolized that situation. God’s presence could be mobile. The
presence of God could go with the people. The fact that the ark of the Lord was
in a tent meant that it was mobile. God’s presence was with his people. It
wasn’t in a fixed location. The temple of God is within his people. Our hearts
are the temple of God. God wasn’t saying though that the temple was a bad idea.
B. Forbidden
because of The ABSENCE of divine DIRECTION. God didn’t ask David to
build the temple. God hadn’t commanded that a house. It was human idea not
divine. We have to wait for God’s direction.
C. Forbidden
because The TIME still was not RIGHT. Israel had yet to fully
settle the land. There were still wars going on with the neighbours. It wasn’t
the right time to put resources into building a temple for the Lord. The people
were not yet safe from all the enemies that lived nearby.
D. Forbidden
because David was not the right man for the job. David had fought
off the enemies of Israel, and his hands were bloody as a result. The Lord
wanted someone who wasn’t warlike to build his temple. The Lord wanted someone
to build who was peaceful. Solomon is given most of the credit for building the
temple, but it was David who drew up the plans and gathered the material. David
did play a significant role in the temple building, but he did not get to build
it.
III. Forbidden
for a LARGER PURPOSE. God’s purpose was larger than David could
have imagined. God’s purpose involved something larger. The Messiah came
through the descendants of David. Jesus is referred to as the “Son of David.” God’s
greater purpose in the plan for David’s life involved the Savior of the world.
The temple that Solomon built is long gone. Jesus is still on the throne. David’s
plan was good and noble, but God’s plan was bigger and better.
Conclusion: God
was most gracious in the manner in which he forbade David from building the
temple. God showed David regard. He let
David know that he was held in high esteem. God reminded David of what he had already
done. David had done great things. He
had brought stability to the land of Israel.
God promised David an enduring dynasty. The Lord said, “And your house
and your kingdom shall be made sure forever ... Your throne shall be
established forever.”
God’s agenda is not
building houses, but homes. God’s agenda is not building structures, but
people. God’s agenda is not filling institutions, but filling spirits. We
invest ourselves in big dreams and plans, the noble works of our imaginations;
but God invests Himself in lives, hearts and souls. God builds not houses, but
homes. God’s agenda is people, making a home for Himself among people. God’s
agenda is lifting up the fallen, binding up the broken-hearted, healing the
wounded, forgiving flawed. God is always about: building lives. Making homes,
not just houses; making people, not monuments.
👉4th Sunday of Advent Dec 24 2023, Year B
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