| 2-Samuel-7 [2-Samuel 7:1] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE KING SAT IN HIS HOUSE, AND THE LORD HAD GIVEN HIM REST ROUND ABOUT FROM ALL HIS ENEMIES; [2-Samuel 7: THAT THE KING SAID UNTO NATHAN THE PROPHET, SEE NOW, I DWELL IN AN HOUSE OF CEDAR, BUT THE ARK OF GOD DWELLETH WITHIN CURTAINS. "AN HOUSE OF CEDAR": The cedar wood was obtained from Lebanon. Shimeon ben Ephrat opines that this a building of stone whose walls, floor , and roof were given a wood veneer, similarly to the Temple later built by Solomon (1-Kings 6:15-18). Cf. AND THE CEDAR OF THE HOUSE WITHIN WAS CARVED WITH KNOPS AND OPEN FLOWERS: ALL WAS CEDAR; THERE WAS NO STONE SEEN [1-Kings 6:18]. Likewise we find later that Ahab King of Northern Israel built a house of ivory NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS OF AHAB, AND ALL THAT HE DID, AND THE IVORY HOUSE WHICH HE MADE, AND ALL THE CITIES THAT HE BUILT, ARE THEY NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL? [1-Kings 22:39] Archaeologists who excavated Samaria discovered delicate ivory workings in "Phoenician" style and ivory products still in the process of manufacture. The technique employed enables us to draw a straight line from the Northern Israelites to the Exiled Israelites to the Scythians and Celts of Britain and to the Anglo-Saxons. [2-Samuel 7:3] AND NATHAN SAID TO THE KING, GO, DO ALL THAT IS IN THINE HEART; FOR THE LORD IS WITH THEE. [2-Samuel 7:4] AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT NIGHT, THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO NATHAN, SAYING, [2-Samuel 7:5] GO AND TELL MY SERVANT DAVID, THUS SAITH THE LORD, SHALT THOU BUILD ME AN HOUSE FOR ME TO DWELL IN? Both David and Nathan were great men. Nathan was a Prophet and David was close to being one. We see from this that "great men" are not always correct in their judgments. Shimeon Ben-Ephrat brings more examples were the Prophets though one thing and the Almighty another: #Samuel thought the people were wrong to request a monarch but the Almighty agreed with them (1-Samuel 8:6-7). # When Samuel went to the chose a future monarch from the sons of Jesse he was certain that Eliab the elder brother of David was the Chosen One (1-Samuel 16:6). [2-Samuel 7:6] 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. The Tabernacle in Shiloh is sometimes referred to as a House (1-Samuel 1:7 3:15) and it was in the form of a permanent building. It would seem that God is referring to HIS own residence the placement of which would ALWAYS BE HIS. The site of the Holy Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the House of God. [2-Samuel 7:7] 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? [2-Samuel 7:8] 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: [2-Samuel 7:9] 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. [2-Samuel 7:10] 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, This verse was quoted by one of the first Puritan founders of a settlement in North America. This verse too has been taken as indeed referring to a future refuge identified with North America. [2-Samuel 7:11] 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. [2-Samuel 7:1 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. [2-Samuel 7:13] HE SHALL BUILD AN HOUSE FOR MY NAME, AND I WILL STABLISH THE THRONE OF HIS KINGDOM FOR EVER. The intentions is that after David the Kingdom would be more settled, the Enemies of Israel all defeated and subdued and peace prevail. Under such conditions the Almighty wanted the Temple to be built and such was not to be the case in his reign but in that of his son: AND DAVID SAID TO SOLOMON, MY SON, AS FOR ME, IT WAS IN MY MIND TO BUILD AN HOUSE UNTO THE NAME OF THE LORD MY GOD [1-Chronicles 22:7]: <<BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ME, SAYING, THOU HAST SHED BLOOD ABUNDANTLY, AND HAST MADE GREAT WARS: THOU SHALT NOT BUILD AN HOUSE UNTO MY NAME, BECAUSE THOU HAST SHED MUCH BLOOD UPON THE EARTH IN MY SIGHT [1-Chronicles 22:8]. <<BEHOLD, A SON SHALL BE BORN TO THEE, WHO SHALL BE A MAN OF REST; AND I WILL GIVE HIM REST FROM ALL HIS ENEMIES ROUND ABOUT: FOR HIS NAME SHALL BE SOLOMON, AND I WILL GIVE PEACE AND QUIETNESS UNTO ISRAEL IN HIS DAYS [1-Chronicles 22:9]. <<HE SHALL BUILD AN HOUSE FOR MY NAME; AND HE SHALL BE MY SON, AND I WILL BE HIS FATHER; AND I WILL ESTABLISH THE THRONE OF HIS KINGDOM OVER ISRAEL FOR EVER [1-Chronicles 22:10]. This was to take place in the time of Solomon. [2-Samuel 7:14] 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: [2-Samuel 7:15] BUT MY MERCY SHALL NOT DEPART AWAY FROM HIM, AS I TOOK IT FROM SAUL, WHOM I PUT AWAY BEFORE THEE. [2-Samuel 7:16] AND THINE HOUSE AND THY KINGDOM SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOR EVER BEFORE THEE: THY THRONE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOR EVER. The throne of David was to be established forever in the sense that the descendantso f David are the rightful rulers of Israel and eventually the kingdom will return to them. There are those who take the promise further and say that many of the chief rulers of Israelites will always be descended from the House of David. This could be so. There do exist historical indications justifying this interpretation as we have explained in a chapter dedicated to this subject in our book "Ephraim". For a brief discussion of this matter see: http://britam.org/now/636Now.html item #5. Hebrew, Celtic, and Scythian Art [2-Samuel 7:17] ACCORDING TO ALL THESE WORDS, AND ACCORDING TO ALL THIS VISION, SO DID NATHAN SPEAK UNTO DAVID. [2-Samuel 7:18] THEN WENT KING DAVID IN, AND SAT BEFORE THE LORD, AND HE SAID, WHO AM I, O LORD GOD? AND WHAT IS MY HOUSE, THAT THOU HAST BROUGHT ME HITHERTO? [2-Samuel 7:19] AND THIS WAS YET A SMALL THING IN THY SIGHT, O LORD GOD; BUT THOU HAST SPOKEN ALSO OF THY SERVANT'S HOUSE FOR A GREAT WHILE TO COME. AND IS THIS THE MANNER OF MAN, O LORD GOD? [2-Samuel 7:20] AND WHAT CAN DAVID SAY MORE UNTO THEE? FOR THOU, LORD GOD, KNOWEST THY SERVANT. [2-Samuel 7:21] FOR THY WORD'S SAKE, AND ACCORDING TO THINE OWN HEART, HAST THOU DONE ALL THESE GREAT THINGS, TO MAKE THY SERVANT KNOW THEM. [2-Samuel 7:2 WHEREFORE THOU ART GREAT, O LORD GOD: FOR THERE IS NONE LIKE THEE, NEITHER IS THERE ANY GOD BESIDE THEE, ACCORDING TO ALL THAT WE HAVE HEARD WITH OUR EARS. [2-Samuel 7:23] AND WHAT ONE NATION IN THE EARTH IS LIKE THY PEOPLE, EVEN LIKE ISRAEL, WHOM GOD WENT TO REDEEM FOR A PEOPLE TO HIMSELF, AND TO MAKE HIM A NAME, AND TO DO FOR YOU GREAT THINGS AND TERRIBLE, FOR THY LAND, BEFORE THY PEOPLE, WHICH THOU REDEEMEDST TO THEE FROM EGYPT, FROM THE NATIONS AND THEIR GODS? [2-Samuel 7:24] FOR THOU HAST CONFIRMED TO THYSELF THY PEOPLE ISRAEL TO BE A PEOPLE UNTO THEE FOR EVER: AND THOU, LORD, ART BECOME THEIR GOD. [2-Samuel 7:25] AND NOW, O LORD GOD, THE WORD THAT THOU HAST SPOKEN CONCERNING THY SERVANT, AND CONCERNING HIS HOUSE, ESTABLISH IT FOR EVER, AND DO AS THOU HAST SAID. [2-Samuel 7:26] AND LET THY NAME BE MAGNIFIED FOR EVER, SAYING, THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE GOD OVER ISRAEL: AND LET THE HOUSE OF THY SERVANT DAVID BE ESTABLISHED BEFORE THEE. [2-Samuel 7:27] FOR THOU, O LORD OF HOSTS, GOD OF ISRAEL, HAST REVEALED TO THY SERVANT, SAYING, I WILL BUILD THEE AN HOUSE: THEREFORE HATH THY SERVANT FOUND IN HIS HEART TO PRAY THIS PRAYER UNTO THEE. [2-Samuel 7:28] AND NOW, O LORD GOD, THOU ART THAT GOD, AND THY WORDS BE TRUE, AND THOU HAST PROMISED THIS GOODNESS UNTO THY SERVANT: [2-Samuel 7:29] THEREFORE NOW LET IT PLEASE THEE TO BLESS THE HOUSE OF THY SERVANT, THAT IT MAY CONTINUE FOR EVER BEFORE THEE: FOR THOU, O LORD GOD, HAST SPOKEN IT: AND WITH THY BLESSING LET THE HOUSE OF THY SERVANT BE BLESSED FOR EVER. BACK TO SAMUEL INDEX HOME |