Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth (2 Samuel 7:8-9).
Go Do What’s in Your Heart
Fifteen years had passed since David was anointed to be king over Israel to the actual fulfillment of becoming king over all of Israel. One of the first tasks that David accomplished was bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, the newly appointed capital of Israel. Following that David organized the priests to offer sacrifices and praises unto the Lord.
And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all of his enemies David told Nathan, the prophet, “Lo, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains” (2 Sam. 7:2; 1 Chr. 17:1). David desired to build the Lord a dwelling place. David thought it strange that he dwelled in a house of cedar, but the Lord’s Ark was dwelling in a tent, more than likely made out of goatskins.
The prophet said to David, “Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee” (2 Sam. 7:3;1 Chr. 17:2). We should note that David was more concerned for God’s house than his own majesty. Here is the newly crowned king, and his desire is for the Lord. What a contrast from Israel’s previous monarch, king Saul. He was man obsessed with keeping his throne. Saul never sought the Ark of the Covenant, and only offered sacrifices when in trouble. David’s first tasks were to get the Ark, build altars, gather the priests, and build a temple.
Oh, for sanctified desires! David’s desire was for the Lord and for the Lord’s dwelling. Placing the Lord first in our lives brings about blessings and favor. Putting our own desires behind that of the Lord’s yields great results.
The first verse says there was rest for David at this time. There weren’t any giants to face. No jealous kings chasing him. No enemy armies surrounding him. Prosperity often times is more dangerous than any outward enemy. Poverty has killed its thousands, but prosperity has killed its tens of thousands! David’s main desire during a time of rest and prosperity was still for the Lord.
If the only time you seek the Lord, and think of the things of the Lord is when you have an enemy breathing down your neck, then you will certainly become vulnerable during the times of rest and prosperity. Some wonder why they are always facing trials and temptations, maybe that’s the only way the Lord can keep you close to him. If he allowed you rest on every side you’d run to the closest pagan god. Many during this time of a pandemic, have become spiritual. But as soon as life gets back to some sort of normalcy, the church will become a non essential just like it was before a pandemic.
The Lord should be our desire and delight whether we are in the throes of a storm, or in the tranquility of rest.
The Lord’s Answer
The Lord appeared unto Nathan and told him to give David a message. The Lord basically said “no” to David’s temple building ambition. In essence, the Lord revealed that David’s son, Solomon, would build the Temple. We will continue to the rest of the God’s message to David, but I want to pause and consider something.
Everyone can’t be Temple builders. It was David’s desire, but it wasn’t his calling. Some would be disappointed and feel rejected. But God had a higher calling for David, an eternal throne. Solomon had the calling and ability to build the Temple. But Solomon wasn’t the warrior that David was. There are some who are gifted to build Temples, and others who are gifted to fill the Temple with the songs that will be sung.
Now, if we read on in 2 Samuel, and 1 Chronicles David doesn’t take God’s answer as rejection. The fact that one is rejected from one act of service, does not mean that they are eliminated from all acts of service.
There are some who are biblically qualified to do particular works in the Kingdom of God. There are others, who according to the Bible, are not qualified to do a particular work. Just because you may not be permitted to do one type of service in God’s Kingdom, does not mean you cannot do anything in the Kingdom.
David had the correct desire, but it wasn’t his calling (2 Chr. 6:7-9). Again, let’s look back at king Saul. Saul was anointed to be king over Israel. He wasn’t, however, permitted to offer sacrifices. Yet, that’s what he tried to do in an act to appease the opinions of his people. If Saul had been wise, he should have reminded himself of his kingly duties and excused himself from the responsibilities of the priesthood. Everybody needs a good excuse to get out of something. Saul believed that, as did King Uzziah later on in Scripture.
Sometimes it’s not the achievement of a task, but it’s the attitude. Saul didn’t repent. David, on the other hand, was humbled by God’s rejection and realized all of the things God had done for him (2 Sam. 7:18-19).
The desire might be right, but if the qualification isn’t met, then the right attitude is needed. Not everyone is called to be a preacher. And that is okay. Not everyone is called to be a pastor. That is perfectly acceptable. Not everyone has the ability to get out front and lead worship.
Some have made shipwreck of their life and families because they didn’t take God’s rejection with a good attitude. They either go off and do it anyway without God’s help. Or they end up going church to church leaving a trail of wounded pastors and saints in their path.
Do you know what David did? He gathered the materials, prepared the workers, trained the priests, and ordained the gatekeepers. Though David wasn’t to be the one who built the Temple, he supported the one who was able to.
Can we do the same? If you can’t be the one out front, can you still support the one that is? If you didn’t get the position, can you still help them with the cause? Is the cause greater than your calling? Is the mission greater than your ministry? If you can’t build, can you prepare? If God has said “no” to you you can make it possible for someone else to fill that place on which you had set your heart.
Has the Lord said “no” to some calling or position that you desire? Before you turn in resentment, go and sit before the Lord and recount His blessings in your life (2 Sam. 7:18).
From the Pasture to the Palace
The Lord said, “I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel” (1 Chr. 17:7). David went from being a shepherd to a sovereign because of God’s grace and love. God reminded David of his humble beginnings. David wasn’t born a king, he was born a son of a shepherd. The Lord continued and said, “And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee.” God took a ruddy little shepherd boy and made him into Israel’s king.
Now, let’s look at this from a different angle. God knew what He was doing in answering David’s desire. God padded the rejection with some reminders. God didn’t need David to be a Temple builder, he needed him to be a king.
The process from the pasture to the palace is what many want to avoid. They want the palace without the process. Time and distance existed between David’s initial call and the fulfillment of it. Could David have been the great king he was without the process he went through? I don’t believe so. David learned how to be dependent on the Lord during those transformative years.
Brothers and sisters, God may take His time to develop you and your calling. Israel was in need of a great man to lead them. Before David could lay claim to that role, there were giants to be killed, rejection to be experienced, jealousy to endure, cold caves to be slept in and a whole lot of prayer and patience. Don’t forsake the process between the pasture and the palace.
“And I was with thee whitersoever thou wentest…” (2 Sam. 7:9).
From the pasture to the palace David was accompanied by God’s presence. God was with David in the pasture while he watched over his father’s lambs. God was with David when Samuel anointed him to be king. God was with David when Goliath fell down dead at his feet. God was with David when the crowds cheered his name. God was with David when Saul threw javelins at him in the throne room. God was with David, and his rag-tag team of followers when they were running from Saul and hiding in cold caves. God was with David at the loss at Ziklag. God was with David when he gave up and decided to live with the Philistines.
Between the pasture and the palace, there is a process. But you if you’re going to make it then you’ll need God’s presence.
If you’re going to do anything great for the Lord, then you’ll need to be able to endure the process. Fifteen years lapsed from the anointing of David to the fulfillment. The Presence of the Lord made the difference in his life.
When God saves us from our sin, there is a process. Paul says we are justified at the beginning, but the end is glorification (Rom. 8:29-30). In between the justification and the glorification is the sanctification. It’s the process by which we become more like Christ. It is the work of the Spirit that conforms us into the image of Jesus Christ.
David was chosen from his father’s pastures, and chosen to sit upon the throne of Israel. Now look at the places from which the Lord brought us from.
He’s taken some of us from:
- The prison house to the penthouse
- The barstool to the church pew
- False doctrine to truth
- Liars to leaders
- Victims to victors
- Sinners to saints
- Pitiable to prayer warriors
- Drug users to gospel peddlers
- Whoremongers to worshipers
- From the pasture to the palace
But one thing remains from the beginning to the end, and that’s His Presence.
From the Palace to the Pasture
David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ, was the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant of Second Samuel chapter seven. He would be the Son of David that would sit on the eternal throne. The references to David’s son have double fulfillment:
“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. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13).
This is prophecy concerning Solomon, and Jesus Christ. As son of David he also is Son of God:
“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3-4).
In Second Samuel 7 the word “house” is found no less than thirteen times. The word “dwell” is used four times. If there is anything that we can glean from this amazing chapter, is that God is concerned about dwelling with His people. Furthermore, the significance of the house and the dwelling is the name:
“He shall build an house for my name….to redeem a people to Himself, and to make Him a name….and let thy name be magnified forever” (2 Sam. 7:13,23,26).
God built Himself a house and placed His name upon it:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3,14).
“And, 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 for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).
God took David from the pasture to the palace. But Jesus would come from the Palace of Heaven to the Pasture of Bethlehem. God made David into something that He wasn’t – a shepherd into a King. Jesus became what He wasn’t – God into man. God made David into a king to be over Israel. Jesus became man that we might be come joint-heirs with Christ, a royal priesthood. For David to be an ancestor of Christ was a great honor. But an even greater honor is to be united to Jesus Christ
Just when you think that God can’t do something with your life, remember David. More importantly, remember Jesus Christ. He became what He wasn’t so we could become what we weren’t.