The King, the Prophet, and God’s House cont.

Part 3 David’s Tabernacle

A look at 2 Samuel 7:1-16 by Jon W. Quinn continued

God’s Promise

“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth 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 commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”‘ ” (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

This a a very touching passage. In it, to comfort David in what must be a very big disappointment, God gives certain assurances. It was not that God did not approve of David any longer, or that He was displeased with David. He gives David magnificent promises concerning his descendant and kingdom. But who is the fulfillment of these promises? Is it Solomon, David’s immediate son, or Jesus, David’s future descendant? The answer: They both do! The Lord God will use Solomon and his building of the physical temple to be a pattern of what David’s future Descendant will do when He builds a spiritual temple, the church (See Matthew 1:1; Acts 2:29-33; Hebrews 1:8). In these promises, some are fulfilled by Solomon, some by Jesus, and some by both. Solomon would reign as King in Israel, Jesus would reign as king over his spiritual kingdom (Colossians 1:13). Solomon would build a temple in Jerusalem, Jesus would build His out of living stones from all over the world (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5).

But Why Not David?

“Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. And David said to Solomon, “My son, I had intended to build a house to 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. ‘Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. ‘He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ (1 Chronicles 22:6-10).

David had fought wars, and God did not want a man who had shed so much blood to build His house. David had done what had been necessary for him to do, and this ought not to be though of as a punishment, but rather as a clear message of the peace God desires among men. But that age is past. Jesus has built an even better house for God.

GO TO PART 2

“David’s tabernacle differed from the other two structures in that it provided access for everyone to the presence of God. There were no divisions separating the men and women or the Gentiles as there were in the Temple, and there were no restrictions due to disabilities or illegitimacy.”