1 CHRONICLES LESSON 20
We will begin this lesson in I Chronicles 17:1 "Now it came to
pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the
prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the
covenant of the LORD [remaineth] under curtains."
David is very pleased with his own home made with cedar. He is,
also, pleased with the ark of the covenant being in Jerusalem now.
David did not want to have a more expensive house to live in himself
than the house the ark was in. He was deeply convicted that he wanted
the LORD's house to be greater than his own. Nathan is spoken of
specifically here as the prophet. The eighth son of David was, also,
named Nathan, but this does not mean him. In fact, David's son could
have been named for Nathan, the prophet. David had great respect for
the prophet, Nathan.
I Chronicles 17:2 "Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that [is]
in thine heart; for God [is] with thee."
Nathan speaks hastily here. He knows that David loves the LORD in
his heart. He knows that this is not just a spur of the moment thing
with David. He had thought it out, and it was his desire to build a
house for the LORD. God is with David.
I Chronicles 17:3 "And it came to pass the same night, that the
word of God came to Nathan, saying," I Chronicles 17:4 "Go and tell
David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an
house to dwell in:" I Chronicles 17:5 "For I have not dwelt in an
house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have
gone from tent to tent, and from [one] tabernacle [to another]."
Perhaps, when Nathan got alone that night, the Word of the LORD
came to him. Sometimes, the desires of our heart to do for the LORD,
are not the exact plan He has for us. David's intentions were good,
but he had not been chosen of God to do that particular task. This
would be a difficult thing to tell David, especially since he had
already told him to go ahead. Nathan spoke before he had the Word from
the LORD. Now, he must go and tell David of this. The LORD is saying,
that He is perfectly satisfied to dwell in the tent that David
prepared for him. He had dwelt in the tabernacle, which was really a
tent, on their journey to the promised land.
I Chronicles 17:6 "Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel,
spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to
feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?"
Had God wanted a house of cedar, He would have told the judges.
God had never asked anyone to build him a house of cedar. God brought
prosperity and peace during the reign of each of the judges.
I Chronicles 17:7 "Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my
servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the
sheepcote, [even] from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be
ruler over my people Israel:"
God had chosen David, when he was a humble little shepherd boy,
and anointed him to be king of all Israel. This sheepcote was out with
the sheep. God elevated David to what he was at this time. God made
David king in Saul's stead.
I Chronicles 17:8 "And I have been with thee whithersoever thou
hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and
have made thee a name like the name of the great men that [are] in the
earth."
God had been with David in the past, and would continue to be
with him. God helped him, when he was running from Saul. He, also,
helped him gain the kingdom. God would continue to bless him as king
of Israel. His name was great among his enemies, because the enemies
knew God was with him.
I Chronicles 17:9 "Also I will ordain a place for my people
Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and
shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste
them any more, as at the beginning,"
The place that God had chosen for Israel was the promised land.
It was the inheritance on the western side of Jordan that he had given
to the nine and a half tribes, and the land on the eastern side of
Jordan that He had given to the two and a half tribes of Israel. This
will be their inheritance forever. God will be their God, and the city
of their God will be Jerusalem.
I Chronicles 17:10 "And since the time that I commanded judges
[to be] over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine
enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an
house."
God gave protection in the time of the judges. God would even
bless the time of the kings, if they would remain faithful to him. God
fought the battles for Israel, when they were keeping His
commandments. God had promised that there would always be a king on
the throne of Israel from the house of David.
I Chronicles 17:11 "And it shall come to pass, when thy days be
expired that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will raise
up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will
establish his kingdom."
David's reign was for 40 years, including the time he ruled in
just Judah. Solomon's reign would be for 40 years, as well. God will
establish the reign of Solomon.
I Chronicles 17:12 "He shall build me an house, and I will
stablish his throne for ever."
This is a promise to David that God will, indeed, allow Solomon
to build the house that he had wanted to build. God will establish
peace in the kingdom, and there will be a time of peace to build the
temple.
I Chronicles 17:13 "I will be his father, and he shall be my son:
and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took [it] from [him]
that was before thee:"
Saul displeased God so greatly, that God had taken the kingdom
away from him. God anointed David king before the death of Saul. The
promise to David was that God would not deal as harshly with Solomon,
as He did with Saul.
I Chronicles 17:14 "But I will settle him in mine house and in my
kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore."
The King that reigns on the throne forever, that descends from
David in the flesh, is the Lord Jesus Christ. This, I believe is
speaking of the reign of Jesus.
I Chronicles 17:15 "According to all these words, and according
to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David."
We remember, at the beginning of this, that God was speaking to
David through the prophet Nathan.
I Chronicles 17:16 "And David the king came and sat before the
LORD, and said, Who [am] I, O LORD God, and what [is] mine house, that
thou hast brought me hitherto?"
Whether this is saying that David sat before the ark, which
symbolized the presence of God, or not, I cannot say. He, at least,
was praying to the LORD. He was so humbled by this, that he asked the
LORD, "Who am I, that this should happen to me"?
I Chronicles 17:17 "And [yet] this was a small thing in thine
eyes, O God; for thou hast [also] spoken of thy servant's house for a
great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a
man of high degree, O LORD God."
David was aware that this promise from God goes far beyond the
next generation. David could not imagine why God would have chosen him
for such great honor. David realized that the things that had already
been done for him by God, was as if he was a great man. He is saying,
I am no more than a shepherd, how would I deserve this? Now, the
prospect of the kingdom remaining in his descendents forever was
almost more than he could imagine.
I Chronicles 17:18 "What can David [speak] more to thee for the
honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant."
David was aware that all of the things he had said were useless,
because God knew everything about him already. He is saying, "What
could I say that you do not already know"?
I Chronicles 17:19 "O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according
to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known
all [these] great things."
All of this is because of the great love that God had for David.
David was aware that he did not deserve this honor. God was doing it
for David's sake because he loved God in his heart. God loved David,
was the only reason God promised him this.
I Chronicles 17:20 "O LORD, [there is] none like thee, neither
[is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have heard
with our ears."
David had been raised up to believe in God. He was from a Hebrew
family. They had taught David about the wonderful things God had done
for His people. Even all of those wonderful things he had heard of
God, did not compare with this. David was overwhelmed by the greatness
of God. David reaffirmed his faith in God, and Him alone.
I Chronicles 17:21 "And what one nation in the earth [is] like
thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem [to be] his own people, to
make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations
from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?"
This tiny little nation had become great, because God had chosen
them for His people. It was God who went and redeemed them out of
Egypt. We have said, over and over, that it was the God of the
Israelites that the other nations feared. Even the nations around them
realized that Israel's God was God. His greatness and terribleness
brought many of them to that conclusion. Moses went as God's agent to
redeem the people, but it was actually God who redeemed them.
I Chronicles 17:22 "For thy people Israel didst thou make thine
own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God."
God had chosen them to be His people and all He wanted from them
was to be their God. He wanted them to love Him enough to keep His
commandments.
I Chronicles 17:23 "Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou
hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be
established for ever, and do as thou hast said."
This is a statement from David, that he wished it to be just as
God had said.
I Chronicles 17:24 "Let it even be established, that thy name may
be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts [is] the God of
Israel, [even] a God to Israel: and [let] the house of David thy
servant [be] established before thee."
David realized that all of the honor and glory should go to the
LORD. David had decided that God would always be his God. David would
like to promise that the house of Israel would be faithful, but he
could not promise that.
I Chronicles 17:25 "For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant
that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found
[in his heart] to pray before thee."
It was almost as if David was saying, "You have promised me all
these things and I know you keep your Word". He says, "The least I can
do is bring my prayer requests to you". David was very humbled that
God would bring this great honor to his house.
I Chronicles 17:26 "And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast
promised this goodness unto thy servant:" I Chronicles 17:27 "Now
therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that
it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and [it
shall be] blessed for ever."
This is, again, a re-affirming that he believed in the LORD with
all his heart. The promises that God made David were so fabulous, it
seemed too good to be true, but David knew it was. He accepted the
blessings God had showered on his house.
1 Chronicles 20 Questions
1. In verse 1, David said he lived in a house of _________.
2. He, also, said the ark of the covenant remaineth under
___________.
3. Who is the prophet in verse 1?
4. In verse 2, what does Nathan tell David to do?
5. What was the desire of David's heart?
6. What did the Word of God tell Nathan to do?
7. In verse 5, what reason does God give David, for not wanting him
to build Him a house?
8. Who had God specifically mentioned that He did not tell to build
Him a house?
9. God had chosen David, when he was a humble ________ ______.
10. Who was David to rule over as king?
11. Where was the place God had chosen for His people to dwell?
12. The city of their God will be ____________.
13. Who is verse 11 speaking of as David's son?
14. How long did David reign?
15. How long did Solomon reign?
16. Who will build the temple to the LORD?
17. Why had God destroyed Saul?
18. Who is the King who reigns forever?
19. Where did David pray?
20. What had David realized about these promises God had made?
21. Why was it useless for David to speak of himself?
22. David had heard of the greatness of God from where?
23. Why had this tiny little nation of Israel become great?
24. What is David saying in verse 23?
25. What are verses 26 and 27 re-affirming?
Home