2 Samuel chapter 7, I want for us to consider the first 17 verses, the first part of this chapter. And in considering this passage, we need to notice that there are three houses spoken of. There's the palace where David lives. There is the temple which he hopes to build, and then there is the dynasty which God promises to him. So the word house is used in three ways. There are two kings. There is King David, but there is a king of kings who responds to David's desire and comes with his great covenant promise. and there is one covenant. Three houses, two kings, and one covenant. And the covenant which is revealed earlier on in the scripture is revealed in a clearer way here than has been revealed previously. Because here detail and explanation is given about the Lord Jesus, David's greater son. Remember the promises that were given to Abraham, how through his seed, the nations of the earth would be blessed. And from Abraham, the children of Israel have come, and there is this great nation. And God's promise is tied up in this great nation. But now there is more detail given And so the promise focuses down onto one particular family line. It will be in a line of David. The term covenant's not used in this chapter, but yet we can clearly see that what happens here is that God makes a covenant with David. We know that because in Psalm 89, It makes reference to that, it says, I have made a covenant with my chosen. I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I establish forever and build up thy throne to all generations. That was the comfort and the confidence of God's people and that's why we can sing Psalm 89 and rejoice in the covenant that's been made. but it's also David's own personal comfort and confidence. And he refers to that near the end of his life in 2 Samuel 23, when he looks back and he reviews his life and his life hasn't been as it ought to be. And he knows that his family has not been as it ought to have been. And yet he says, although my house be not so with God, Although my family and everything in my home is not as it ought to have been, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and all things ensure, for this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. David is confident his comfort is to be found in this covenant promise, although he doesn't see all the working of it out. in his own generation. Three houses, two kings, one covenant. I want us first of all to notice David's concern. That in verses one to three, David's concern is for the glory of God. We're told David sat in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies. And David's house has been built. He's here in Jerusalem and he has a great and a grand house suitable for the king. David doesn't sit there and think about how great he is or how well he's done. Rather, his concern is for the glory of God. There's a contrast. and it seems out of place. David in a house of cedar and the Ark of God in a tent. Previously, we were told that the Ark of the Lord had been neglected during the reign of Saul. It hadn't been brought into the midst of things. Saul hadn't approached God in that way. But now we find that not only has the ark been brought into Jerusalem, we read about that in chapter six, but David's concerned that an appropriate place would be built for the ark. We have to remember that there's a disconnect here between the tabernacle that Moses constructed in the wilderness and where the Ark now is. When we're reading Chronicles, it appears that the tabernacle remained at Gibeon. It was the Ark alone that was brought into Jerusalem. And David has constructed a tabernacle. So there is a similar tabernacle, perhaps, but it's not the original tabernacle. And anyway, we're not sure what remains of the original tabernacle. There's been years of neglect. There'd be many times through the generations of the judges when Israel has come so low. And David is concerned then that this be rectified. He's anticipating the final stage, the climax to his own kingdom, not so much his own kingdom, but the kingdom that God has established under him, which will be that God dwells permanently with his people. You remember we considered before, the Ark speaks of God's presence, it speaks of God's purity, and it speaks of his precepts. His presence because God is the God who dwells between the cherubim. His purity because the Ark is holy, it's made of gold, it's not to be touched, it's not to be seen. And it speaks of his precepts because the ark contains the tablets, the tables on which the Ten Commandments were written. But David wants and desires permanence. The ark was in a tabernacle as the children of Israel were in a tabernacle. As they dwelt in tents, so God dwelt in a tent. But now the nation are established, David longs to see the house of God established. And chapter 12 of Deuteronomy speaks of this. It anticipates a time when Israel will have rest and God will rest amongst his people. King was to be familiar with Deuteronomy. So here he is, his concern is for the glory of God and for the fulfilment of what God has spoken of. He's not impulsive. He was impulsive before, if you remember in chapter six, there was an impulsiveness in the way they first brought the Ark of the Covenant toward Jerusalem. They brought it upon a cart, and they didn't consider what God had said. But now we find that David speaks to Nathan the prophet. Not impulsive, he consults with Nathan. Nathan initially says to him, you're right, David. That sounds good, David. Let's do that, David. He's commended. It's a legitimate concern. It's a reasonable suggestion. And we're told later on that it was good that it was in David's heart. He doesn't ultimately build a temple, but it was good that it was in his heart. It was good that his concern was for the glory of God. Solomon makes reference in 1 Kings 8, the Lord said unto David, my father, whereas it was in thine heart to build a house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart. Friends, David's concern should be your concern to see the glory of God advance. Your concern should be not so much your own comfort, not so much your own convenience, but rather that God would be glorified Not to be building our own houses, but to be building the house of God. We don't build a literal temple. And it's not the church building that matters, but it's the church, which is the community of God's people. And we must strive to see Him glorified in the building up of the church, And that is a work which takes patience. And that's a work that takes prayer. And that's a work that takes love. Because the love that exists between the people of God will testify to the very presence of God. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples. David's concern to advance the glory of God by building the house of God. to be your concern and my concern that God would be praised because his church would be built up. But secondly, I want us to consider God's condescension. And we have that in verses 4 to 7. God's condescension. We see his condescension in that God graciously corrects David. The word of the Lord came to Nathan at night and Nathan was told, no, David's not to do that. And Nathan then goes and he corrects David and says, and the narrative we have of David's desire and then of God speaking to Nathan and Nathan then relating that to David and David's response and agreement with what Nathan has said, that narrative which could be easily edited out, is given to us to emphasize God's prerogative. David had a good concern. His desire was to see the advance of the glory of God, to build up the house of God. But here we're shown it's to be in God's prerogative, not what man thinks is best. but what God is pleased to receive. We have God's patience, God's patience with man in his impulsiveness, God's patience with man in his ignorance, God's patience with man. God condescends to deal with David, and he does so graciously. He's not rebuked, but he's corrected. You must wait upon God. Remember the words of Ecclesiastes chapter five. Keep thy foot when thou comest to the house of God and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools for they consider not that they do evil. Don't rush into the presence of God. You mean well, but come and wait upon the Lord. We see the Lord's condescension as he reaffirms and as he restates this need to wait upon him. But secondly, God's condescension is to be seen in that he will remain in the tent. David was concerned that the glory of God would be brought into question. David's concerned that people would say, well, God can't be glorious when all he does is dwell in a tent. But here we have God's condescension. It is not yet time for the temple to be built. And why is it not yet time? It's not yet time. because there are still wars to fight. David has rest, this is a period of rest. David has succeeded and triumphed and the land has been taken, the Jebusites have been driven out, but yet there are enemies who come and the Philistines will come back and there's battles still to fight and God condescends to dwell in a tabernacle until his people has rest. He travelled in a tabernacle when the children of Israel were in tents. And the tent of the tabernacle, we're told, with the elaborate construction of it, it was full of gold. There was gold and boards that made up the main frame and these were covered with beautifully embroidered red and blue and purple tapestries. And then over that there was another layer, and over that there was another layer, and then over that the final layer was made of made of skin, made of leather. It says badger skin. Whether it was badgers or some other animal, we don't know. But the point was this, the tabernacle, although distinct and different, in some ways it looked similar to the tents in which Israel lived. See, God was amongst his people. God was with his people. And God will not allow the temple to be built until all his people have rest, until all his people are settled in homes. David has a house, but not until the nation are all at rest, not until their enemies are subdued, not until David's son reigns upon the throne, will the house of God be built. The condescension of God. There was no apparent glory in the tabernacle. David is concerned about that. That's how an outsider would see it. It was a plain looking construction. And yet God's condescension to dwell amongst men. It's an echo of what we find in Philippians chapter two. For Paul writes, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. David's concern, but God's condescension. But thirdly, and this is the main emphasis of the passage, there's God's covenant with David. God's covenant with David, and that's in verse eight through to 17. And it's not simply God's covenant with David, though it's expressed here in God's dealing with David, and we call it the Davidic covenant, but this is God's covenant with all who look by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God's covenant with you. David looked forward to see the fulfillment of it and rejoiced to see the Lord stay from a distance. And we by faith look back and we rejoice to see the fulfillment of what's spoken about, that David's greater son sits upon the throne and he reigns the king of kings. This doesn't simply speak about Israel's peace, but the peace of all the covenant people of God. Your peace is bound up with the Davidic king. See Nathan, the faithful prophet, he comes back the following day and he tells the king that he was wrong in having agreed with what David said. He says, I was wrong and you're wrong. But God has promised this. Why did God send Nathan? God had spoken to David previously. Why did God send Nathan and not speak to David directly? I believe one of the reasons why God spoke through Nathan and not with David directly is we are to see the limitation of David. David is a king. He's a king with a prophetic role, but yet he must wait upon the word of God. David must recognise his own limitations and you and I must recognise the limitations of David. We've said many times in looking through Samuel that we must look beyond David to David's greater Son and here that's made explicit. We must look beyond David. And that's the purpose of the covenant. The covenant that is made is beyond David. It's not you, David. We've anticipated and we've longed for this point where you'd sit upon your throne. We've longed to see the fulfilment of God's promise in you reigning over the land. And now that David reigns, the word of the Lord comes and tells us it's beyond David. God will build him a house. And that means a dynasty, a family. Saul had been king and he reigned for one generation. But David's family, David's line will sit upon the throne of forever, the throne of Israel. And that's the purpose of verse 13. It doesn't simply restate what you have in verse 12, but it goes on and says, forever. The king will reign forever. In verse 16, that forever is repeated again and again. This is a forever king who will come. It's not just simply there will be a succession of Davidic rulers, but there will ultimately be a person who reigns ever, a never-ending rule. This is beyond David, this is beyond Solomon, this is beyond all the kings that ever sat upon the throne. This speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man, born in the line of David, and yet God to reign and to rule upon a throne of glory. And this covenant that God graciously makes with David and with all who trust in the promises to David, there's great security emphasised here. In verse 12 and 13 we're told, that this covenant will not be broken by death. When you die, David, he will be raised up. It will not be broken by death. In verses 14 and 15, we're told it will not be broken by disobedience. If David's son rebels, and many of David's sons rebelled, they will be disciplined, they will be chastised, but they will not be cut off. They may seek to wander far, but God will recall them, and we see God recalling them from the exile. The security of the Davidic Covenant, not broken by death, not broken by disobedience, and nor is it broken by distance. Because in verse 16, it speaks about forever. So though it be a long time, and David lived many years before finally the Savior was born in Bethlehem, but yet it will not be broken by the distance of time. The absolute security Security, yes, but your enjoying of the blessings of the covenant are to be found in obedience. There would always be a Davidic king, but that Davidic king would only prosper if he would obey and honour God. It's important that you understand this looks forward to the Lord Jesus. In Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 5, the apostle says, front of which of the angels said he at any time, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. It's a quote from Psalm 2. And again, I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. That's a quote from this passage in Samuel. And so the writer of Hebrews is saying that this is speaking of Jesus Christ. And then you have the words which were spoken to Mary in Luke's gospel in chapter one. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. This covenant focuses in on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now there is a temple which Solomon built, which is included here. Solomon was to build a temple, the house of God. But even that spoke of the Saviour to come. Remember in John's gospel, when the apostles were marveling, marveling at the temple, the Lord spoke about the temple being destroyed. Chapter two, Jesus said, verse 19, to the Jews, destroy this temple, and in three days will I raise it up. But he wasn't speaking of the building, he was speaking of his own body. destroy this temple, he said. Here's the real temple, because the temple was the place where God dwelt with man. And where did God dwell with man supremely? It's in the man Christ Jesus. So the promise here is of Jesus Christ and his birth. The promise is in Jesus Christ and what he represents. David's concern, which is to be your concern and my concern, to see the house of God built and his glory advanced. God's condescension, God's condescension to dwell amongst his people. and God's covenant, which is the promise that Jesus Christ will come to be our King, because under his reign and under his rule, there is freedom, there is freedom, there is peace, and there is joy forevermore. Let us praise God. off here has been fulfilled and has come to pass and let us then wait with confidence and with expectation upon God. Do you know David's response? David's response, it wasn't inactivity. When the Lord told him that he was not to build the temple, do you know what David did? David made preparation. In 1 Chronicles 22, and in 28, and in 29, it makes reference to David gathering material. He gathered all this material so that when his son was born, David prepared the plans even, so that when his son was born and his son took the throne of the kingdom, everything would be ready. He did what he could with a wonderful example. There's so much that you and I cannot do, but let us, under the hand of God, do what we can and wait upon him to bring it all to a perfect conclusion. Amen.