Ardently desiring Jehovah's
glory, David is troubled at dwelling in a house of cedar,
while Jehovah dwelt within curtains. He wishes to build
Him a house—a good desire, yet one which God could
not grant. The work of building the temple belonged to
the Prince of Peace. David represented Christ as
suffering and conquering, and, consequently, not as
enjoying the earthly kingdom by undisputed right, and
opening to all nations the gates of the temple in which
the Lord of righteousness was to be worshipped. He
returns then, so to say, into his own personal position,
in which God blessed him in a very peculiar manner. David
was more than a type; he was truly the stock of that
family from which Christ Himself should spring. This is
taught in the beautiful seventh chapter. An elect vessel
to maintain the cause of Jehovah's people in suffering,
and to re-establish among them the glory of the Lord's
name (vers. 8, 9), Jehovah had been with him; and David,
most especially honoured in this, was also in his
faithfulness a vessel of promise of the future peace and
prosperity destined for Israel in the counsels of God.
But these were yet future things. The perpetuity of the
kingdom over Israel is established in his family, which
God will chasten if needful, but not cut off. His son
shall build the house. Already, at the time of the exodus,
the man in whom was the Spirit, desired to prepare a
habitation for Jehovah (Ex. 15: 2) [1]. But the Messiah was needed for this. Till
then Israel was a wanderer, and God with him.
The following are the
chief subjects of the revelation made to David, and of
his reply:—the sovereign call of God; that which God
had done for David; the certainty of future rest for
Israel; the establishment, on God's part, of David's
house; his son shall be the Son of God, shall build the
house; the throne of his Son shall be established for
ever.
David's prayer of
thankfulness
David's first thought—and
it is always so when the Spirit of God works—was not
to rejoice, but to bless God. These are the striking
features of the prayer of thankfulness: he is in peace
and freedom before God; he goes in and sits before Him;
he acknowledges at the same time his own nothingness, and
how unworthy he was of all that God had already done. Yet
this was but a small thing in the sight of God, who had
declared to him the future glories of his house. It was
God, and not the manner of man. What could he say more?
God knew him; there lay his confidence and his joy. He
acknowledged that God did it in truth and "of his
own heart." It was grace to make His servant know it.
The effect of all this was to make David recognise the
excellency of Jehovah. There was none beside Him, and
none upon the earth therefore to be compared to His elect
people, whom He went to redeem for a people to Himself,
and whom He had now confirmed to Himself, that Israel
might be His people for ever, and that He Himself might
be their God. The highest kind of prayer is that which
does not spring from a sense of need, but from the
desires and the intelligence which the revelation of God's
purposes produces—purposes which He will fulfil in
love to His people and for the glory of Christ. Finally
he asks that his house may be the place of God's own
blessing. In a word, he desires that the purposes of God,
which had awakened all his affections, may be
accomplished by Jehovah Himself, who had revealed them
unto His servant.
[1] The translation
is very questionable; it was however God's thought. See
Exodus 29: 46.
2 Samuel 7 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
Ardently desiring Jehovah's glory, David is troubled at dwelling in a house of cedar, while Jehovah dwelt within curtains. He wishes to build Him a house—a good desire, yet one which God could not grant. The work of building the temple belonged to the Prince of Peace. David represented Christ as suffering and conquering, and, consequently, not as enjoying the earthly kingdom by undisputed right, and opening to all nations the gates of the temple in which the Lord of righteousness was to be worshipped. He returns then, so to say, into his own personal position, in which God blessed him in a very peculiar manner. David was more than a type; he was truly the stock of that family from which Christ Himself should spring. This is taught in the beautiful seventh chapter. An elect vessel to maintain the cause of Jehovah's people in suffering, and to re-establish among them the glory of the Lord's name (vers. 8, 9), Jehovah had been with him; and David, most especially honoured in this, was also in his faithfulness a vessel of promise of the future peace and prosperity destined for Israel in the counsels of God. But these were yet future things. The perpetuity of the kingdom over Israel is established in his family, which God will chasten if needful, but not cut off. His son shall build the house. Already, at the time of the exodus, the man in whom was the Spirit, desired to prepare a habitation for Jehovah (Ex. 15: 2) [1]. But the Messiah was needed for this. Till then Israel was a wanderer, and God with him.
The following are the chief subjects of the revelation made to David, and of his reply:—the sovereign call of God; that which God had done for David; the certainty of future rest for Israel; the establishment, on God's part, of David's house; his son shall be the Son of God, shall build the house; the throne of his Son shall be established for ever.
David's prayer of thankfulness
David's first thought—and it is always so when the Spirit of God works—was not to rejoice, but to bless God. These are the striking features of the prayer of thankfulness: he is in peace and freedom before God; he goes in and sits before Him; he acknowledges at the same time his own nothingness, and how unworthy he was of all that God had already done. Yet this was but a small thing in the sight of God, who had declared to him the future glories of his house. It was God, and not the manner of man. What could he say more? God knew him; there lay his confidence and his joy. He acknowledged that God did it in truth and "of his own heart." It was grace to make His servant know it. The effect of all this was to make David recognise the excellency of Jehovah. There was none beside Him, and none upon the earth therefore to be compared to His elect people, whom He went to redeem for a people to Himself, and whom He had now confirmed to Himself, that Israel might be His people for ever, and that He Himself might be their God. The highest kind of prayer is that which does not spring from a sense of need, but from the desires and the intelligence which the revelation of God's purposes produces—purposes which He will fulfil in love to His people and for the glory of Christ. Finally he asks that his house may be the place of God's own blessing. In a word, he desires that the purposes of God, which had awakened all his affections, may be accomplished by Jehovah Himself, who had revealed them unto His servant.
[1] The translation is very questionable; it was however God's thought. See Exodus 29: 46.