Promise, Prayer, and Prevail
2 Samuel Chapters 7-8
Promise
- David desired to build GOD a house, a dwelling better than the one fashion in the wilderness. What we often loose sight of is the Tent/Tabernacle and everything made was fashioned off the pattern of the one that exists in heaven. GOD has a heavenly version, and his throne is there.
- Every now and then we are given glimpses of the heavenly one. In Isaiah Chap. 6 gives us a look inside and describes the LORD's throne, real Seraphim, (throne guardians) guardians of sacred space.
- The Seraphim and the four living creatures (Cherubim?) Revelation 4:8 are the only elhoim that are described as having wings. It mentions one of them flying to Isaiah with a coal using tongs from off the alter. There is an alter, a pair of tongs, and a coal that atoned for Isaiah's sin.
- In Revelation 11:19 we see the ark of his covenant in the temple.
- For me this begs all sorts of questions, for starters is there a table of the bread of his presence, but instead of bread does it have Mana? Is there a lampstand? Does it have seventy branches? Is there one with seven branches and then at a later date was changed to eight? Is there an alter of incense, but instead of sending it's collecting the prayers of the saints? Is this the where the bowls of the prayers of the saints are kept mentioned in Revelation 5:8?
Besides the seraphim who else works in the temple? Aaron's outfit was modelled after the pattern Moses saw in heaven, so who was the high priest before Jesus? I don't have answers, but I have theories.
- Did the Heavenly Temple need cleansing too? Hebrews 9:23 - It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
- Just as the tent in the wilderness was temporary and David's son Solomon would build a more permanent structure, GOD would eventually build a living temple not made with human hands and we see in Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
- David’s son Solomon would eventually build a temple to his name and GOD will establish David’s throne forever. Jesus was born in the line of King David, died and rose again and lives forever more. Revelation 1:17-18 “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
- David inspired by the Holy Spirit penned Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” This is also the Psalm that Jesus used to silence the Pharisees. Now while the Pharisees were gathered, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. Matthew 22:41-46
- GOD would fulfill his promise to David through the Messiah, his son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer
- David’s prayer reveals a lot of his heart, he recognizes his human frailty and wonders how GOD will accomplish the forever parts, but he trusts in GOD’s ability to make it happen.
- David says for the sake of your word GOD will make it happen. How true it is that GOD’s “word” will make it happen. In Isaiah 55:11 it reads - so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
- David recognizes that GOD chose Israel and by his example of redeeming a people for his own, through them the promise of a Messiah would come and not only for them, but to redeem people from all the disinherited nations of the world. Revelation 7:9-10 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
- David goes onto say in GOD keeping his promise concerning David’s house, that GOD’s name will be great forever. We will all thank GOD through Jesus Christ for price he paid for our salvation and that will continue throughout eternity, why? Because we can never ever thank him enough.
- David’s house will indeed be blessed forever because Jesus is part of it, just like if you have asked him into your life, your “home” will be blessed too. John 14:23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Is it time to renovation of your home?
Prevail
David defeats the Philistines and takes their mother city, Metheg-ammah. He also defeats Moab, and he does something interesting and perplexing, he makes the men lie down on the ground and measures them with a line. This is something that he doesn’t do with the Philistines. Two lines he puts to death and one he spares. Jewish tradition says that David’s parents who were hiding out in Moab because of Saul were using the connections from their relation to Ruth, (1 Samuel 22:3-4) were put to death because they are not mentioned again after going to Moab.
If this is true it explains David going after the Moabites, but it doesn’t explain the strange selection process. One thought (not just my own) is there were descendants of Anak hiding out amongst them and this was a process David was using to weed them out. This is not definitive, but something different happened in Moab. There will come a time when Jesus will divide the “sheep” from the “goats”, the believers from the unbelievers, the followers of Christ and the followers of Satan, a decision of life and death will be made. Matthew 25:31-46
- David defeats the King of Zobah, located northeast of Damascus and in doing so he took all the shields of gold that were carried by Hadadezer’s servants, and large quantities of bronze from the cities of Hadadezer and brings them back to Jerusalem. The collection begins for the things needed to build the future Solomon’s Temple.
- Because David defeated Hadadezer, Toi the King of Hamath, also located in Syria, was grateful David had defeated his enemy and he sent silver, gold, and Bronze to King David by way of his son Joram. David dedicated all these things to the LORD.
- David even put garrisons in Edom, and they became his servants, the older would indeed serve the younger, remembering Jacob and Esau.
- Verse 15 David reigns over all of Israel and administered justice and equity to all people. This is a foreshadow of the Millennium reign of Christ. Revelation 20:4-6 and Zechariah 14:16-20
- Psalm 2:7-12 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry, and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
- The end of the chapter is the list of who’s who:
Joab - commander of the army.
Jehoshaphat - was the recorder.
Zadok and Ahimelech – were priests.
Seraiah – was the secretary (scribe)
Benaiah – was over the Cherethites and Pelethites (hired soldiers)
- The last line in verse eighteen says and David’s sons were priests, or some translate this as chief rulers. David was not a priest nor were his sons and shadows being what they are do reveal that a son would come from David’s line that would be both King and High Priest not after the Levitical order, or the line of David, but after the example an order of Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4
- Final thought David who is a shadow of Christ has duties for all the people of his royal court even his own children. The new heaven and earth will have an eternity of opportunities to serve and work with purpose and passion and when you love what your doing, using the gifts you been given the term “work” will fall short just like your old life. What will we be doing exactly? However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
What will we be doing exactly? Something inconceivably fantastic and exciting.
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