1 Chronicles 17:1-14 New International Version
God’s Promise to David
17 After David
was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in
a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”
2 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is
with you.”
3 But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:
4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not
the one to build me a house to dwell in.
5 I have not dwelt in
a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved
from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another.
6 Wherever
I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders[a] whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why
have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
7 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says:
I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over
my people Israel.
8 I have been with you wherever you have gone,
and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like
the names of the greatest men on earth.
9 And I will provide a
place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their
own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as
they did at the beginning
10 and have done ever since the time
I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.
“‘I declare to you that the Lord will build
a house for you:
11 When your days are over and you go to be with
your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons,
and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He is the one who will build
a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.
13 I
will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him,
as I took it away from your predecessor.
14 I will set him over
my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’”
When God says, No
1 Chronicles 17: 1-14
When we pray for something that we believe is for God but our prayer is not answered in the way we thought it would be answered. It can be unsettling.
There are many times we mix our will with what we think God wants. However, King David really had the best intentions when he wanted to build the temple for God. This was not a prayer that elevated King David but a prayer to glorify God.
The Prophet Nathan even tells David to go ahead.
“And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.””
1 Chronicles 17:2 ESV
God tells the Prophet Nathan in a dream that King David is not to build a temple.
““Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. ”
1 Chronicles 17:4-5 ESV
This is a hard message. God goes on to explain why and when the temple will be built. God is going to build a kingdom and use his bloodline.
“Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ”
1 Chronicles 17:7-11 ESV
King David does not argue. He accepts what God says and sits before the Lord. He does not focus on the rejection but remembers that he is living inside the grace of God. His approach to prayer and God shows humility and understanding.
“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ”
1 Chronicles 17:16 ESV
If we do not continue to pray and remember what God has done, we will become stuck in a miserable place. Whether God says yes or no will not matter. What will matter is that you are keeping the relationship between you and God. When you accept the yes and no answers from God takes faith and grows your faith.
Faith does not mean having no desire, but it does take desire off the throne. Our prayer life is to develop our faith and relationship with God. True faith means accepting what God's will is.
God is always good to us. We just need to remember what God has done for us. We need to believe that what God does is best and His will is perfect.
