2 Samuel 7:1-17; 1 Chronicles 17:1-15; 2 Samuel 7:18-19; 1 Chronicles 17:16-27; 2 Samuel 8:1-14; 1 Chronicles 18:1-13; Psalm 60

David wants to build the temple, but is told that he can’t. Why?

1 Chronicles 22:8 (WEB) “But Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ‘You have shed blood abundantly, and have made great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.”

Isaiah 56:7 (WEB) “Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him,
and to love Yahweh’s name, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant, I will bring these to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

David is a man of war. He is also a man of worship, but God wants his house to be built by someone who hasn’t had David’s violent past. It’s popular today to think that anyone can be anything or do everything. But is that really true or wise? Yes, David could have built the temple, but God wants it to be know as a house of prayer, not a house of war. What David can do is gather materials for it, so that his descendant can build it (which we see foreshadowed in 1 Chronicles 18:8). And what a consolation prize! David may not build the temple, but he is promised a dynasty instead!

1 Chronicles 22:14-16 (WEB) “Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for Yahweh’s house one hundred thousand talents of gold, one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron without weight; for it is in abundance. I have also prepared timber and stone; and you may add to them. There are also workmen with you in abundance, cutters and workers of stone and timber, and all kinds of men who are skillful in every kind of work; of the gold, the silver, the bronze, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and may Yahweh be with you.”

2 Samuel 7:12-16 (WEB) “When your days are fulfilled, and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men; but my loving kindness will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you. Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you. Your throne will be established forever.”

Does Psalm 60 give us some insight into the Psalms as a whole? There is repentance, a declaration of certainty, and then a note of humility. Perhaps all the Psalms should be read with that mindset? Is there a bedrock of humility even with the certainty we see present so often? “God we’re sorry, and we know that you will give us the victory! But it’s still up to you. Please help us!”

Luke 22:42 (BTV) “Father, if you are willing to take this cup away from me, do so; nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.”

Note: Since we have been using the New Living Translation as our base for reading, I’ve been taking our supporting Scripture from the same version. However, several people have wondered about having these devotions in a pdf or a book form. I’m working on that for my New Testament devotions, my Proverbs devotions, and this years devotions. To be on the safe side, I’m going to make all the supporting Scripture from public domain translations. Thankfully, I can get a head start on this year! From this point forward all Old Testament quotations will be from the Word English Bible, and all New Testament quotations will be from the Text-Critical English New Testament.