"But that very night, YAHWEH's word came to Nathan, 'Go and tell MY servant David, this is what YAHWEH says: Are you able to build a house for ME to live in?
When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you; and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for MY name I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a FATHER to him and he shall be MY son. If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod, as men do. Your house and your reign shall last forever before ME, and your throne shall be forever firm.'" - 2 Samuel 7:4-5. 12-14. 16
(I will raise up your son after you [see Luke 1.32]. GOD's promise points to Solomon, David's son and successor, and also to those who will come after. To all appearances the promise was broken when, after four centuries, the kingdom of David was destroyed. Nevertheless, it is JESUS, one of the descendants, who, much later, will fully realize what Nathan announced. Several times in the Gospel, JESUS will be called Son of David [Mark 12:35].
JESUS will also be king, although not in the manner of this world's rulers. HE will realize fully in HIS person what was merely sketched in the person of David:
- the shepherd who gathers together the scattered sheep;
- the conqueror who gives HIS people the peace HE has won;
- GOD's deputy among people.
The way GOD gets ahead of David and answers him, gives us two remarkable lessons:
- As in David's case, very often people want to offer GOD something. In reality we can never anticipate HIM; HE gives HIS favors even before we have begun to serve HIM.
- What pleases GOD is not so much the temples we build for HIM, as the spiritual temple which HE wants to build in people themselves--a project which HE will realize after many centuries through HIS Church.)
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