A Man After God's Own Heart

A Man After God’s Own Heart.
2 Samuel 7 [link to Bible]

2 Samuel 7:1 After years on the battlefield and running from King Saul, David finally had time to rest and reflect on his life. He is able to reflect on who he is and what the goals for his life are. Like many of us David had time to rest his body but his mind kept working. Jennifer Rothschild says we think 180-300 words per minute.  This means even though we lie in bed or sit in a chair, our mind is grinding away at high speeds. This takes energy! Many concerns and worries come into our minds. For David, he was thinking about the Ark of the Covenant.

2 Samuel 7:2 David, asked, “Why do I have a beautiful house to live in but the Ark is still in a tent?” The literal translation of tent in this passage is “my dwelling place” and God meant that His dwelling place is wherever his people might be. The Israelites were nomadic people who traveled from place to place and so God went with them.

2 Samuel 7:11-14, 16  God spoke to the king through the prophet Nathan. Just like Samuel to Saul, and Jeremiah to the kings in later times, Nathan interceded to God for the king. We see in this story, how both Nathan and David made plans in their own wisdom, that is, until Nathan received a word from God. At first Nathan told David…go ahead with your plans to build a temple for the Lord. That night Nathan received a word from God. The next day, Nathan had a different word of advice.  David was not to build the temple for God’s kingdom; instead, God would establish a kingdom through David’s descendants.

2 Samuel 5:5-7  It was customary during this time in history for kings to build temples or shrines to honor a national god. For most of the world this meant pagan gods. For Israelites, it was Yahweh or the One True God. This was politically important but also spiritually for the people to have a central place of worship. David knew this and was motivated both politically and spiritually to honor God. We do the same thing. We want to be accepted in our church community by volunteering and supporting the work of the church, but we know we also please God through our worship, prayers, and offerings.

2 Samuel 7:8-11  God gave David a wonderful promise. Rather than David building a house for God, God would give David a “house” or dynasty that would last forever. David’s house was made of wood and stone. God’s house was a spiritual house that included the lineage of Jesus Christ.  Included in the promise was a new covenant for the people.  There were many covenants in the Old Testament. This covenant was different for the first time…it included grace—or unmerited favor from God. I will bless you and love you no matter what. I will never leave your sons. If they disobey, they might be punished or suffer from natural consequences but I will never withdraw from them as I did from Saul. This is a turning point for the entire Old Testament period.

Ps 89:3, 28, 29, 34, 29;      Ps 132: 11-18;     Isa 9:1-7;    Luke 1:32, 69;    Acts 13:32-36.

This week's lesson presents a turning point in the life of David-- the Israelite nation, and all people who come to recognize the covenant relationship of grace and forgiveness. David was a man after God's own heart, yet we read of his failure and sin, over and over. What set David apart from others?

The prayer of David offered in thanksgiving for the plans of the Temple show David's humility and true love for God. His prayer is in response to the message from God which promises David and all his family an everlasting home, one that results in the birth of the Savior for all mankind. This is the new covenant that does not depend on man's work or natural goodness. It is the unconditional covenant of God's love for mankind. It is the turning point from a standard that demands kill or be killed, the winner takes all, or the first will be first. This new covenant says God is love; the last shall be first; we are to love one another; forgive one another; and lay down our life for our friends.

David was sorry for his sins. He sincerely confessed and asked for forgiveness many times. But, he still had to face the consequences of his sins. After the adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, David began to lose his innocence and simple faith. He lost the strong but simple faith which he experienced as a youthful soldier whom "God was with". His military campaigns often ended in failure. His political decisions resulted in bad outcomes. His family relationships were terrible with brother murdering brother, and brother raping sister. He lost sons in battle and experienced heart-breaking rejection by one rebellious son (Absalom). But, we don't remember David for his professional and family failures. We remember David because he was a man after God's own heart, and he was a man who never lost God's presence in his life.