King David has finally brought the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. God has blessed wonderfully. The people of God have returned home with great blessings from God. And God has brought peace on the land of Israel.

What does David decide to do next?

• 2 Samuel 7:1-2
  1 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; 2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
• David wants to build a permanent dwelling place for the ark of God. He wants to build a sanctuary structure for it rather than letting it dwell in a tent. This had been the dwelling place of the sanctuary since the very beginning and had not changed even though the children of Israel had settled in Canaan already.

How does Nathan the prophet respond?

• 2 Samuel 7:3
  And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
• Nathan immediately give his whole hearted approval. And he goes so far as to say that the Lord is with him on this project and in his desire.
• However, God comes to Nathan at night after he has given his approval to David.
• 2 Samuel 7:4-7
  4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, 5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? 6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
• 2 Samuel 7:12-13
  12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
• God tells Nathan that he needs to go back and tell David that he will not be the one to build the house of the Lord, and that his son will build it instead.
• It’s important to note that even Nathan jumped ahead of the Lord in this matter. He just gave approval and consent without first seeking God.
• David wanted to build a house for God and it seemed like a good idea. It was not for his own glory that he wanted to do this. Only the desire and love for God spurred David on in this noble quest. However, God had other plans.
• You know friends, it is possible to jump ahead of God even when it comes to holy and noble purposes. David had no thought of selfishness in his heart that drove him in this endeavour. But even then it is important to always seek God.
• It didn’t seem like a moral issue if he built the house of God or someone else. But God’s ways are always higher than ours and His ways are always the best.
• So when it comes to church matters, when it comes to God’s work, and even in our own personal lives, let us make sure we pray just as hard to seek His approval and direction before we move forward.

However, God does give promises to David even though He has said no to him to build the house of God.

• First God says that his son would be the one to establish the permanent resting place for the ark and for Him. A promise to David that his son would sit on the throne. This is a promise that any father would like to hear – to know that his seed would continue to reign over Israel.
• Secondly, God also promises in verse 13 that his kingdom would be established forever. And He reemphasizes it again.
  • 2 Samuel 7:16
    And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
  • God gives the promise not just for his son that would come after him, but for succeeding generations beyond.

God did not say no to David because he had done something wrong or committed sin. What was the reason that God gave him?

• 1 Chronicles 22:8-9
  8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
• David was a man of war and had shed much blood. It was a fact, nothing that David could deny. But it didn’t make him bad or wrong. It was simply the reason that God gave.
• But in contrast to that, his son that would come after him would be a man of peace and he would be the one that would build the temple.

Rather than just sitting there and brooding over his idea being rejected by God, as many of us might do, what did David do?

• First he praised God.
• 2 Samuel 7:25-26
  25 And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. 26 And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
• David considered God’s words as a tremendous blessing rather than looking at the fact that his desire was not met in allowing him to build the temple.
• But David didn’t just stop there. What else did David do?
• 1 Chronicles 22:14-16
  14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. 15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work. 16 Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.
• David was not allowed to build the temple of God, but it did not stop him from gathering as much materials as he could for his son Solomon so that it would all be ready for him when the time came for him to begin building.
• He gathered as much as he could – gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.
• David was still just as excited, even though he had not been permitted by God to go ahead to fulfill his dream of building the temple.

Sometimes it is so easy for us to just give up and get angry at God because things did not go as we desired or planned. And especially when God says no to things that are good, we don’t understand and we get upset.

• Even though God closed a door to David, He gave so many promises. And so when things don’t go our way, let us learn to be like David. Let us praise God for what He HAS blessed us with, let us learn to see the silver lining in God’s answer. And then let us do what we can to still do the work of God to the capacity that He has given to us.

Though David was called a man of war by God, there is much that we learn from him that is noble, wise and tender-hearted. His heart was fully with God and his thoughts were focused on Him all the time. What we just read is such an example in regard to wanting to build the temple of God. And what we will look at next is also another such example.

• 2 Samuel 9:1
  And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?
• David thought of his best friend, Jonathan. And he wanted to still remember him and honour him by seeing if there was anyone left of Saul’s house that he could show kindness to. And there was!
• 2 Samuel 9:2-7
  2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. 5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. 6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
• Sure enough there was someone. Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. He was lame in his feet.
• Why was he lame? What had happened?
• 2 Samuel 4:4
  And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

So now, for the sake of Jonathan, David wanted to show kindness to the house of Saul.

• He didn’t know if his son liked him or not. He did not know who he was. But all for the sake of his friend, he was now going to extend that favour to the rest of the family.
• 2 Samuel 9:13
  So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
• Mephibosheth would dwell in the king’s palace and eat at the king’s table for the rest of his life.
• Ziba, Saul’s servant, would be tasked with taking care of Mephibosheth forever as well.

Though it is a short story and a seeming break from everything else, there are very important lessons for us to learn from this simple act of kindness by David.

• David represents the Father in heaven.
• Jonathan represents Christ.
• For the sake of Jonathan, the rest of the lineage of Saul was blessed.
• So it is with us. For the sake of Christ, we have been adopted into the family of God. For the sake of Christ, we have been given a second chance in life. And for the sake of Christ, spiritual blessings come down upon each and every one of us.
• Ephesians 1:3
  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
• Galatians 3:14
  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
• The blessings that have come to this world and to each of us personally have all come through Jesus Christ.
• This is the beautiful analogy that we see in David taking care of Mephibosheth for the sake of Jonathan.

But now, let’s continue. There are three stories that we are looking at in succession in regard to the reign of David. This is the third.

• 2 Samuel 10:1-2
  1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. 2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
• David wanted to simply pay respects since the father had been kind to David. However, this act of kindness was misunderstood.
• 2 Samuel 10:3-4
  3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? 4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
• It is understandable that the heathen and those of the world would misunderstand our motives and kindness. However, this same sort of misunderstanding exists between those that are Christian today. Sometimes the motive is pure, but those that are on the other side don’t see it that way.
• We need to be so careful in our interaction with each other that we do not allow evil thoughts to come between us. So often we harbour these negative feelings and negative thoughts, to the point that we cannot look at our brothers and sisters eye to eye and it makes us to react wrongly as well.

On seeing the men return humiliated, what did the Ammonites do?

• 2 Samuel 10:5-8
  5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return. 6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men. 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. 8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
• Expecting that David would retaliate and fight against them, the Ammonites went out and hired the Syrians so that they had a vast army to come against David.
• But David would sent his mighty men.
• 2 Samuel 10:13-14
  13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him. 14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
• Joab and the mighty men would overcome this united alliance between the Ammonites and the Syrians. However, the Syrians would come back again to fight against them again with an even greater army.
• 2 Samuel 10:15-19
  15 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. 17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there. 19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.
• David saw the importance of this second battle that he would go together with the armies of Israel and fight against them. And the Syrians would be met with such a great defeat that Israel would rule over them and they would become subservient to them.
• The dangers that had threatened the nation of Israel with destruction proved to be the very means through which it would rise to unprecedented greatness.
• The promise that had been given to Abraham was now fulfilled in the time of David.
• Genesis 15:18
  In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
• The borders of the nation of Israel had been enlarged under the rulership of king David.
• David had honoured God, and now God was honouring David.

God desires still to bless each and every one of us today. He desires to make us the head and not the tail. He wishes to make each of us a spectacle in this world to be seen of men. Not to be worshipped by man, but that men would see us and glorify the Father in heaven.

God did that for David because David was faithful to Him. God honoured him because he had honoured God. His heart was with God. He was walking with God. He desired only the glory of God to be uplifted. It was obvious when he brought the ark of God to Jerusalem. And it was obvious in his desire to make a permanent resting place for the ark of God.

Today are your thoughts wholly fixed on God like David’s were? Today is your heart with God in all that you say and do? Let us not only desire the blessings and glories that only God can give. But let us also desire a sincere and faithful heart like what we see in David. Then we can be assured that heaven is with us and that God will fulfill in and through us His will to bless us and bless the world also.