Outline
David’s care for the ark. (Verse 1-3.)
God’s covenant with David. (Verse 4-17.)
His prayer and thanksgiving. (Verse 18-29.)
1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
“within curtains” – a reference to the tabernacle in Shiloh
3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee.
in this verse the prophet gives his personal advice to David; the “word of the Lord” comes to him in vs. 4. The
Jehovah’s Witnesses in particular use this verse in an attempt to prove that a prophet of God can give a “wrong” prophecy
and then a “right” prophecy and still be a prophet of God. They do this in order to justify the fact that the Watchtower
organization has made many incorrect prophecies that did not come to pass; the JW’s believe that the “light is getting
brighter” and that failed prophecies are “no big deal.”
Study Question
What does Deut. 18:20-22 say however about a prophet who gives a
prophecy that does not come to pass?
In verse three Nathan is obviously not prophesying anything; he is merely giving his own opinion to David’s
question and is set right by the Lord that same night. This is just another example of the cults twisting the scriptures in
order to justify their devilish actions.
4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,
5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
8 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:
9 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.
10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
12 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.
[Psalms 132:11, Acts 2:30]
13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
[2nd Cor 6:18]
“rod of men” – God will sometimes use other people to punish his children when they disobey him,
15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
this passage is known as the “Davidic Covenant” or the covenant that God made with David. God promised
David that his descendants would continue to rule after his death and that an everlasting kingdom would be established (vs.
13). This is a direct reference to the fact that Jesus Christ, who according to the flesh is a descendant of David, will rule as
King forever. This kingdom is not presently operating on earth in its literal form as it will in the future – but then again
there is nothing in this passage that says that this kingdom will operate in an unbroken line of succession. Jesus will return
as “King of Kings” (Rev. 19:16) at the end of the tribulation and will then rule forever.
17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
18 Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?
20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant.
21 For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.
22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
23 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, Lord, art become their God.
“Israel to be a people unto thee for ever…” – as we have seen before in passages such as Romans 11:25-26, God is
not finished with his people, Israel; God has temporarily set them aside while he is dealing with the church, but after the
rapture he will again turn his attention to the Jews. This teaching flatly contradicts such churches as the Roman Catholic4/2
Church and the majority of the mainline denominations which believe God is through with Israel and that the church (i.e.
their church) has inherited all the blessings and promises of Israel.
25 And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said.
26 And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
27 For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
28 And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710
Verse 1-3 – David being at rest in his palace, considered how he might best employ his leisure and prosperity in the service of God. He formed a design to build a temple for the ark. Nathan here did not speak as a prophet, but as a godly man, encouraging David by his private judgment. We ought to do all we can to encourage and promote the good purposes and designs of others, and, as we have opportunity, to forward a good work.
Verse 4-17 – Blessings are promised to the family and posterity of David. These promises relate to Solomon, David’s immediate successor, and the royal line of Judah. But they also relate to Christ, who is often called David and the Son of David. To him God gave all power in heaven and earth, with authority to execute judgment. He was to build the gospel temple, a house for God’s name; the spiritual temple of true believers, to be a habitation of God through the Spirit. The establishing of his house, his throne, and his kingdom for ever, can be applied to no other than to Christ and his kingdom: David’s house and kingdom long since came to an end. The committing iniquity cannot be applied to the Messiah himself, but to his spiritual seed; true believers have infirmities, for which they must expect to be corrected, though they are not cast off.
Verse 18-29 – David’s prayer is full of the breathings of devout affection toward God. He had low thoughts of his own merits. All we have, must be looked upon as Divine gifts. He speaks very highly and honourably of the Lord’s favours to him. Considering what the character and condition of man is, we may be amazed that God should deal with him as he does. The promise of Christ includes all; if the Lord God be ours, what more can we ask, or think of? Ephesians 3:20. He knows us better than we know ourselves; therefore let us be satisfied with what he has done for us. What can we say more for ourselves in our prayers, than God has said for us in his promises? David ascribes all to the free grace of God. Both the great things He had done for him, and the great things He had made known to him. All was for his word’s sake, that is, for the sake of Christ the eternal Word. Many, when they go to pray, have their hearts to seek, but David’s heart was found, that is, it was fixed; gathered in from its wanderings, entirely engaged to the duty, and employed in it. That prayer which is from the tongue only, will not please God; it must be found in the heart; that must be lifted up and poured out before God. He builds his faith, and hopes to speed, upon the sureness of God’s promise. David prays for the performance of the promise. With God, saying and doing are not two things, as they often are with men; God will do as he hath said. The promises of God are not made to us by name, as to David, but they belong to all who believe in Jesus Christ, and plead them in his name.