Day 5

FROM DISAPPOINTMENT TO ELATION

"And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever." 2 Samuel 7:16

As David thought about what God had given him and achieved for him, sitting in his fine house he conceived the ambition to honour God with a more glorious dwelling place than a tent. He told Nathan the prophet who encouraged him (2 Sam. 7:3). But God determined otherwise and the reactions of the two men are remarkable.

Without hesitation Nathan admitted his error and gave David God's message (v17). That could not have been easy for him. It's never easy to admit you're wrong is it?

Without hesitation, though it must have greatly disappointed him, David accepted God's rejection of his idea. This great king showed genuine humility before his God. He freely acknowledged God's goodness to him in the past and praised God for his promise of future glory (2 Sam. 7:18-29). What a promise it was, one day Jesus Christ son of God and Saviour of mankind would say, "I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."(Rev.22:16)

The promise that David's line would last forever was fulfilled in Christ Luke 1:32,33; 2:4.

Looking back at 2 Sam. 6:17 we see that David was unusual in being priest as well as king, the spiritual as well as secular leader of his people, like Melchizedek the former king of Salem (Gen. 14:18) to whom Jesus is compared (Hebrews 6:20).