1 Ch. 17: I'm Not The One

1 Chronicles 17:25 "For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you."

David's desire to build a house for God was first covered in 2 Samuel 7, entry. David tells Nathan what he wants to do, and Nathan, before consulting God, says, "Yeah, do whatever seems right to you." Nathan, who had observed David and repeatedly saw how God gave him amazing power and wisdom, assumed that David was the obvious choice for a builder of the temple of God.

Even Nathan, who was a direct conduit to God himself, made a mistake. He's human. Nathan jumped the gun. God, of course, told David it wasn't going to be him who establishes the temple. God doesn't directly say why He wouldn't have David do it, and what the answer boils down to is that God will do what He wills. God has a plan set aside for David, and that building a temple is not part of it. 

And actually, God has something greater in store for David, in not letting a lamp for David go out in Israel's royal line. The Davidic line would amount to something special. We already know that in spite of the numbskulls that occupied the throne following David, that lamp would not go out.

David's response is pretty heartening. Humble. David recognizes that God will do His will, and that it is perfect and right.

It's disappointing when we get these ideas of what we could possibly do for God, as though God would say, "that's a good idea, Jon. I would have never thought of that." This serves the purpose of reducing our own glory, and elevating God's glory, which is apparently why creation exists to begin with. Assuming that's true, it makes sense.

2 Sa. 7: I Didn't Build It For Me

2 Samuel 7:14-15 "I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you."

David, dwelling as king in the splendor that God Himself said he would provide gets a sudden attack of conscience. His palace of stone and cedar stands in stark contrast to the humility of the tent (albeit studded with gold) that houses the ark of God, and God's stated dwelling place amonf the people of Israel. David has it in his mind to build a temple for God. Other gods had temples. Why not house the Name in something lavish? God has taken great measures to differentiate Himself from the other gods. David probably realized that, so, even though it may have seemed like the right thing to do even to the prophet Nathan. But God came to Nathan with a different idea. As God moved from place to place, Israel had to follow them. Now, with Israel in the land promised to them, God no longer had to move around.

Essentially David was not the right one to build the temple. David was humble enough to admit that he would agree with that, and accept the promise that it would be his son that would build the temple. David wanted to do a great thing for God, but still it was God who wanted to provide a great thing instead for David.