2 Samuel 7 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 2 Sam 7:1-17

1 After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, ‘Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.’

3 Nathan replied to the king, ‘Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.’

4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

5 ‘Go and tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord says: are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”

8 ‘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. 9 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 great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10 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 shall not oppress them any more, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

‘“The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.”’

17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

A. Find Out:

1. What had happened just prior to this prophecy coming? v.1-4
2. What does the Lord say about Himself? v.5-7
3. What does the Lord say He has done for David & will do? v.8-11a
4. What does He say he will further do? v.11b
5. How will He do this? v.12-14
6. How long will David’s house last? v.15,16

B. Think:

1. What had been David’s desire?
2. How does the Lord change that desire around?
3. How do you think this prophecy was fulfilled?

C. Comment:

     David has now settled in Jerusalem, has brought the ark to Jerusalem, and now thinks about establishing a permanent place for it there in Jerusalem. He shares this thought with Nathan who thinks it is a good idea, but the Lord has other ideas! He gives Nathan a prophecy.

      First of all, the Lord gently chides David. Had the Lord asked David to build Him a house? Had the Lord ever wanted a permanent dwelling place? No and no! Then the Lord reminds David what He has done for him. He has been with him, provided for him, and given him success in all he had done. He has used David to bring His people to a place of peace.

    Now, says the Lord, instead of you building a house for me, I will provide a house for you, but it won’t be one made of wood or stone, it will be the family I will raise up for you, to ensure this peace continues for my people. He then speaks of a son to David who will build a temple for the Lord. This was obviously Solomon who built the temple, fell away from the Lord and was chastised. Yet there are also elements of the prophecy that go beyond Solomon and must include Jesus. It could all apply to Jesus except the phrase “when he does wrong”. The eternal kingdom has been established by Jesus and through him the spiritual house continues. (e.g. Eph 2:19-22)

D. Application:

1. We want to provide for God, but He provides for us.
2. We work materially, He works spiritually.

Passage: 2 Sam 7:18-29

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

‘Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant – and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!

20 ‘What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

22 ‘How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel – the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? 24 You have established your people Israel as your very own for ever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

25 ‘And now, Lord God, keep for ever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great for ever. Then people will say, “The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!” And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.

27 ‘Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, “I will build a house for you.” So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed for ever.’

A. Find Out:

1. About what does David seem surprised? v.18,19
2. Why had God done it? v.21
3. What did David declare about God? v.22
4. What did he say about Israel ? v.23,24
5. What did David ask? v.25,29
6. What reasons are given why he asked? v.26-28

B. Think:

1. What grounds of confidence in asking did David have?
2. What did he ask?
3. What is the lesson for us here?

C. Comment:

     Perhaps to understand this passage we would do well to consider it in reverse order. First then, what David asked for in prayer. He simply asks that God will do what He has promised He will do, to bless David’s house so it will go on for ever. That is remarkable: David asks that God will do no more than he said He would do! In Mt 6:10 Jesus instructed us to pray, “your will be done”. That should be at the heart of our desires in prayer, that God’s will be done. How do we know His will? It is what He has already declared.

     Next, let’s consider just why David was praying. David recognizes God’s grace towards him and is amazed at what the Lord has done for him (v.19,20). He recognizes that the Lord had declared His will (1 Sam 13:14 & 16:13 ) and done it (v.21). He was aware of the Lord’s greatness (v.22), and the amazing things that God had done with Israel (v.23,24), and now he had received his prophecy via Nathan (v.27) and that prompted him to pray. If God had fulfilled David’s earlier word, he now asked that He would fulfil this latest word as well. David’s praying was thus an acknowledgement of God’s will and an affirmation of it. All of our praying should be seeking to know God’s will and then affirming it. Prayer is a faith act whereby we seek the Lord’s will and affirm our intention to be conformed to it.

D. Application:

1. When we affirm God’s will, we align ourselves with it.
2. God’s declared will is to be at the heart of our praying.