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Pentecost Season · Proper 11 · Year B

2 Samuel 7:1-14a

God’s Promise to David

King David in Prayer before the Ark of the Covenant, Leonaert Bramer
King David in Prayer before the Ark of the Covenant, Leonaert Bramer, c. 1640Wikimedia Commons
The king kneeling in the dark before the ark, which is the only lit thing in the room.The king said to the prophet Nathan, See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.Leonaert BramerBramer, a Delft painter who worked almost entirely in candlelight and firelight.Wikimedia CommonsReproduced through Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Overview & Insights

“Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.” (2 Samuel 7:16)

David has transported the ark, the symbol of God’s presence, to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5). Knowing that the Lord is the true King of Israel (2 Sam. 6:2), who has defeated his enemies (5:17–25; 7:1), David naturally desires to build a “house” (a temple, or palace) for this victorious King.1The Lord will eventually allow a temple to be built (1 Kings 5–6), but the time is not yet right, nor is David the one whom he has chosen for this task (2 Sam. 7:13). The Lord turns the tables on David and promises that he will build him a “house,” or dynasty. From this point onward, this theme dominates the story. In the aftermath of David’s great sin, the situation in the royal court becomes chaotic, but the Lord sustains David and, in fulfillment of his promise, establishes one of David’s sons, Solomon, as the king of Israel.

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Commentary

Background & Word Study

The Church Fathers

Questions preachers ask

What is God's promise to David?

When David wishes to build God a house, the prophet Nathan brings word that God will instead build David a house, an everlasting dynasty, the promise Advent sees fulfilled in David's greater Son.

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