In Position for God's Perfect Plan

In Position for God’s Perfect Plan

2 Samuel 7:1-29

 

Illus. Where now?

 

            As we turn to 2 Samuel 7 this morning, we come to a chapter in the life of David where he has a plan in mind, to build a house for God, but what we learn through the chapter is that God has a different plan. What David has in mind comes when the nation of Israel was experiencing a time of peace and David was living in a beautiful palace that had been constructed for him after he became king and set up his kingdom in Jerusalem. The picture provided is one where David and Israel were set, there was peace and prosperity. It was at that time that David recognized all the Lord had done for him and for his people that David gets an idea…He seems to be troubled by the fact that he was in a palace, but the ark of God which he had brought into Jerusalem, was still in a tent.

            The tent was called a tabernacle, it was a portable sanctuary structure God’s people carried through the wilderness. It would be set up with specific measurements and materials, but was a temporary structure as the Israelites were on the move. The ark of God, as we studied the past two weeks, represented the presence of God. When the Israelites were in the wilderness and they set up camp, they would set the ark inside of the tent. When the Israelites moved to a new place, it all would be taken down and moved according to God’s instruction.

            But now, with Israel unified under David, with his kingdom set up in Jerusalem, as he enjoyed his nice home, it was on his heart to plan the construction of a permanent home for the ark of God in a permanent structure. What David desired to do what a good thing, but God will reveal that the building of the temple was not for David to do, and through His response to David, He reveals that what David desires is for someone else to complete, but God was going to do something greater than David had asked or was even thinking through his life and lineage.

            In our lives, there are times where we put plans in place, or even have good things in mind, but God provides a change of plans, or redirects our steps differently than we first desired. The question is, how do we respond when God changes our plans? Let’s look at three postures we draw from David’s life that help position ourselves well for God’s perfect plan in our lives.

 

1. Go With What He Has in Mind

 

2 Samuel 7:1-3, Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God remains within the tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

 

• As the scene unfolds, King David is in his home in Jerusalem. It was a time of peace and prosperity for him.
• Throughout his story we have seen him going from place to place, cave to cave, difficulty to difficulty, and now as the king of Israel, he has a home in Jerusalem.

 

• His home was built with the help of a friend, the king of Tyre (modern day Lebanon) who sent cedar trees, carpenters, and stonemasons to help build a house for David (2 Samuel 5:11).

 

• From verse one we know that the Lord had given David rest on every side from all his enemies, so it was not only a time of personal peace, but a time of national peace.

 

• The picture provided is David walking through his beautiful home, stone outer shell, with cedar lined hallways, and a desire, a dream, a plan comes to mind… “I want to build a temple for the Lord.”

 

• In David’s mind, he was in a beautiful palace, and the ark of the Lord was dwelling in a portable tent. David thought, something is wrong with this picture.

 

• So David has an idea and he shares it with a prophet named Nathan. We don’t know anything about Nathan up to this point in Scripture, but we will see him again in future chapters.

 

• When Nathan hears what about David’s plan, what is in his mind and on his heart, he responds with these words “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you!”

 

• David’s intentions seem to be good, he believes this is the right time to do the right thing for the Lord.

 

• The desire in David’s heard was a good desire, Nathan can see that…and it was a good desire to have in his heart before the Lord…

 

2 Chronicles 6:8, the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.

 

• What we see as the story of 2 Samuel 7 unfolds, however, is that having a good desire in mind, or in heart, does not mean it is what God has assigned for us to do or to start.

 

• Nathan heard the good intentions and said, “go for it!”

 

1 Chronicles 17:2, Then Nathan said to David, “Do whatever is in your heart, for God is with you.”

 

• There are some assumption made there by Nathan. David has a good desire, it is a good thing, he is looking provide what they thought was a better place for the presence of the Lord…so, go for it!

 

• But there was a key ingredient missing, neither David, not Nathan asked the Lord if He desired David to build a temple for Him.

 

• David shares that, Nathan could understand it and tells him, “Sounds good” to “go with what is in your heart!”

 

Illus. Follow Your Heart?

 

Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

 

• Do not lean on your own understanding, do not turn to your own heart, trust in Him, seek His will, and He will make your paths straight. Other translations say, “He will direct your paths.”

 

Illus. Leaning on my own understanding.

 

• Like David and Nathan, we too can quickly decide to go with whatever is in our mind as long as it can be defined as a “good thing.” But it is important that even in good things that we get all the way to God’s will and go with what He has in mind.

 

1 Corinthians 2:16, For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

• Since we have the mind of Christ, it is important we move according to it. In the verses leading up to verse 16 in 1 Corinthians 2, Paul gave come truths about the mind of Christ. In verses 5 to 6, he noted that it does not rest on the wisdom of humanity but the power of God. From verses 10 to 14, can only be truly known and understood by those who know God.

 

1 Corinthians 2:14, But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

 

• That word appraised means examined. This means we seek to look through the lens God is looking through, we ask what He has in mind, and go with that!

 

• Ancient kings were known to build beautiful temples for their gods. In times of peace they would build temples, but the ark of God was in a tent, David desired to do something different…But God had a different desire!

 

• After Nathan tells David to do what he has in mind, the Lord reveals something important to Nathan and that is that good plans are not always God’s plans.

2 Samuel 7:4-7, But in the same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, “Go and say to My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Should you build Me a house for My dwelling? For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; rather, I have been moving about in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place. Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

• In 1 Chronicles 17, This same story is written and the words Nathan is to share is David are detailed in a more direct manner… Go and tell David My servant, this is what the Lord says, “You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in…”

 

• God understood that David was putting together a plan. And from 2 Chronicles his son spoke these words regarding David’s heart:

 

2 Chronicles 6:7-9, Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless you shall not build the house…

 

• As the verses continue, more details will be given surround what the Lord had in mind for David and the temple, but what we know is that the first part of David being positioned perfectly for God’s plan, was that he needed to know that the Lord was saying “no” to him going according to what he had in his own mind, the Lord had something else in mind.

 

Proverbs 16:9, The mind of a person plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

 

Illus. No.

 

1. Give Him Editing Rights in Your Life

 

• After saying “no” to David plan, God submits his edits to David.

 

2 Samuel 7:8-17, Now then, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; I will also make a great name for you, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will malicious people oppress them anymore as previously, even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.

 

• God begins by reminding David who he has been. That he brought him from the pasture when he was out tending sheep. That he had been with him wherever he went.

 

• The Lord revealed that He was going to establish a place for His people, Israel. He was going to plant them so they could live in peace.

 

• And in verse 12 the Lord revealed that he was going to make a house for David!

 

• “Wait just a minute!” David might stop and think, “a house for me? You are the one in the tent, you are the one in need!” But God was going to do something beyond what David had asked or could even think!

 

• David was thinking of building a house for God with stones and cedar trees, the Lord spoke to David about building a dynasty that would last longer and be far greater than the temple David desired to build.

 

• The Lord was going to make a dynasty of the house of David. All that had become of David’s life was God’s doing… “I took you…I have been with you…I have cut off your enemies, I will make a great name for you!”

 

• God had been, and was again, taking the initiative in David’s life.

 

2 Samuel 7:12-16, When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind, but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’”

 

• When God spoke of David’s descendant after him, He is first referring to David’s son to come, Solomon.

 

• His son Solomon is going to be tasked with building the temple after David’s death. David tells him this in 1 Chronicles 22.

 

1 Chronicles 22:6-8, Then he called for his son Solomon, and commanded him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. David said to Solomon, “My son, I had intended to build a house for the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me.

 

• The Lord begins telling David about what he desired to do, and who He would use. It would not be David, but it would be his son.

 

• But when these words were given regarding his son Solomon, the Lord also gave David insights into another Son of David, whose throne and kingdom would endure and would be established forever.

 

• The kingdom that God is speaking of which would come through David’s line, is the messianic kingdom. Jesus Christ would come through the lineage of David, and God would establish His kingdom forever.

Illus. Davidic Covenant.

Luke 1:31-33, And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

 

• God tells David through Nathan, as much as you want to do this great thing for me, I need to tell you I am going to do something greater for you, your household, and for all humanity.

 

2 Samuel 7:17, In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

 

• Nathan gave David the details.

 

• David, you aren’t going to do as you desire, you aren’t going to follow your heart on this one, you aren’t going to move according to what is in your mind, but David, I have something in mind, someone in mind, a house and a hero through you and your line that will be the Savior of the world!

 

• God was going to do exceedingly, abundantly, far beyond what David was asking or thinking!

 

• It was not something that David could take a hold of at the time tangibly. He hadn’t had Solomon yet, and it would be a long was down the line before the Savior was born and His kingdom was at hand.

 

• But David, as we will see in the final verses, will rejoice in what reveals to Him. David accepted God’s word that something greater was going on. And he reposition himself and his will as he understands God has a more perfect plan.

David would get the blueprint…

 

• From 1 Chronicles 29:1-4 David acknowledges that he was not the one chosen for the task, Solomon was, but he pulled together the resources to fund it, the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the wood, the stones, the treasure.

 

Illus. Talented Team.

 

• David is given insights into what’s ahead, the “no” to his plans, but he understands God has something great in mind, and he gives God editing rights, and accepts God’s edits as given.

 

Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

 

Proverbs 19:21, Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (NIV)

 

Illus. Change.

 

1 Corinthians 2:9, “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him.

 

• Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, far beyond what we ask or even think, according to the power that works within it!

 

Romans 8:28, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 

• The question is, can He work in you, in your life if that means He wants to do something else in your life, or perhaps he wants to use you to help another to accomplish what He has placed in your heart?

 

• David was willing to position himself in the center of God’s will, even though what was revealed was a plan different than his own.

 

• We know David’s posture from the prayer he prays in verses 18-29. And in that prayer, in 11 verses, David declared his posture and position as God’s servant 10 times. His prayer comes after he takes his seat before the Lord.

 

III. Take Your Seat as His Servant

 

Read: 2 Samuel 7:18-27

 

• Two chapters prior, David had taken his seat as king of all the land of Israel.

 

• He recognized who God was, what He had done.

 

• Who am I, Lord? David asked, humbling himself before the Lord.

 

• He recognized how far God had brought him, who God was, and who he was in God’s sight…He was his servant.

 

• As he sat before the Lord, he declared 10 times, I am your servant (verses 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29). The word servant means just what it says, servant…David was the Lord’s servant.

 

• David was delighted that God has spoken of His servant, that he let his servant know His plan for he and his household, that he had given promises to him, and had blessed him.

 

2 Samuel 7:28-29, “Now then, Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth; and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. And now, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You. For You, Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

 

• David understood that what God has spoken was truth, and as he recognized his position as God’s servant, and took his seat before him, his desire, his prayer, is transformed and uniform with God perfect plan.

 

Psalm 37:4-5, Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.

 

• David made God his delight, he sat before the Lord as he servant, “your will be done Lord..” And as God’s will was revealed, David delighted in the position of being in the center of God’s will.

 

Illus. Your Seat.

2 Samuel 7:1-29