2 Samuel 7:5 says, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Nathan was told by God to deliver a message to David. The message was a question as to whether David would build God a house. This was God's question delivered through His prophet. If we decide to do something for God today, we should first make sure that it is something that He wants us to do, and by praying sincerely the Holy Spirit should give us the answer, but it is always good to have our fellow believers praying for us as well. Verse six adds, Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. God said that since He had delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt, He had never lived in a house, but had walked in a tent and a tabernacle, leading the people along the way. He had been in the midst of the people and not confined to one place. Though it is nice to have a good meeting place as Christians, I don't believe that we should ever see this as the only place where we will find God and can worship Him. He expects us to be out among the people. Of course, this doesn't mean we aren't to gather together, but that the emphasis shouldn't be on the building we gather in. Verse seven continues, In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? God told Nathan to ask David if in all the years when He had commanded the people of Israel to feed His people if He had ever asked them to build Him a house of cedar. We do know that God's command to us today is to share the gospel and help the less fortunate, and I believe that we can sometimes put too much emphasis on church buildings. Verse eight states, Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: God told Nathan to remind David that he had been a shepherd when God called him to be king. David had given nothing to God to deserve this honor, and we today can give nothing to God but our self, and then God will call us to our position of service in the church. Verse nine adds, And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. God said that He had cut off all af David’s enemies and made his name great among people. As Christians, whatever we accomplish should be done under the authority and by the power of God. Verse ten continues, Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, God then said that He was going to plant the people of Israel in a place that He chose where the would be cutoff from all their enemies. What we need to understand is that in this would that place will never exist and that we are just traveling through on our way to Heaven, where it does. No matter how beautiful a church building may be, it will one day be left behind. Verse eleven says, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. God told David through Nathan that He had said he would make David, and his descendants, a house of God. It was the people and not the building that was important, and it still is. Verse twelve adds,And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. God said that after David was dead that He would establish His kingdom through David’s descendants. We knew this culminated with Jesus Christ, Who is the only One Who is capable of establishing an everlasting place in God's kingdom for us. The physical temple is long gone, but the spiritual one never will be. Verse thirteen continues, He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. God told David one of his descendants would build His house and establish His kingdom and that it would last forever. Though Solomon would build a temple, it was Jesus Christ Who established God's everlasting kingdom. The earthly Temple was never meant to last, and neither are church buildings today. Verse fourteen states, I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: This is referring to God chastising the earthly descendants of David if they sin against Him. If God is not chastising us at times today, either we have reached a state of perfection or we are so far away from God that we do not recognize His chastisement. Verse fifteen adds, But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. God then said He would never depart from David’s descendants as He had from Saul because of Saul's disobedience. If we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, God will never leave us. Verse sixteen continues, And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. This was fulfilled when Jesus Christ, One of David's descendants came to live, die and be resurrected to establish God's kingdom forever, and it still had nothing to do with a physical building. Verse seventeen concludes. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. Nathan delivered God's message to David. God had said that David himself would not build the Temple, but that one of his descendants would. Again, though Solomon built the earthly Temple, this was a reference to Jesus Christ Who would build the everlasting spiritual temple. We are still to be more concerned with the spiritual kingdom than with the earthly temple.
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