2 SAMUEL 7 (2 - SUMMARIES OF TWO READINGS)
2 SAMUEL 7 (2 - SUMMARIES OF TWO READINGS)
There is a wonderful vision brought into view in what Jehovah said to Nathan in 2 Samuel 7: 4 - 17. It is spoken of specifically as a “vision”. In Balaam’s third parable he speaks of himself “who seeth the vision of the Almighty” (Numbers 24: 4) and also in the fourth parable (Numbers 24:16). It is said of Zechariah that he “had understanding in the visions of God” (2 Chronicles 26: 5); if we understand the vision which Nathan had, and which he communicated to David, it will have the same effect upon us that it had upon David. It will make us worshippers.
“He chose David his servant” (Psalm 78: 70) and made him “a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are on the earth”. David could say, “Thy condescending gentleness hath made me great”, 2 Samuel 22: 36. In applying this to ourselves how much more exalted is the outlook. We are chosen to heavenly greatness and to heavenly blessing. We have our appointed place in which God has planted us — a place of our own in Christ.
But the great theme of the vision is what God would do for David. “Jehovah telleth thee that Jehovah will make thee a house”. David himself was a dying man — he would sleep with his fathers (verse 12) but his Seed would have His kingdom established. This is in contrast with David sleeping with his fathers. I have no doubt it contemplates what would be made good in resurrection. It is the risen One who would build a house for Jehovah’s name, and the throne of whose kingdom Jehovah would establish for ever. David’s house and kingdom would be made firm for ever before him, and his throne established for ever. That is, Christ would come in as David’s Seed, but as God’s Son, and the house made for David would be made firm by the coming in of Christ in resurrection power. David’s house represents those who come into blessing solely by God’s election, and through the One of whom God says, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son”.
Abraham built altars and called upon the name of Jehovah, but we have no utterance of praise or worship from him. He was blessed on the principle of faith and he is the father of all them that believe, so that Abraham’s house is a large one, the household of faith. Moses was the first one to sing to God, but he did not institute any service of song. The song which he taught the people (Deuteronomy 32) was a witness for Jehovah against the children of Israel. David has a remarkable place as “the sweet psalmist of Israel”. Seventy-four of the Psalms were written [p. 32] by him, and probably others which are not directly attributed to him. He ordered the service of song, and made the instruments (1 Chronicles 23, 1 Chronicles 25). That great element in the service of God is connected with David; he was raised up and anointed to be the sweet psalmist of Israel. When the ark was brought into the city of David, he delivered first this psalm to give thanks to Jehovah through Asaph and his brethren (1 Chronicles 16: 7). 2 Samuel 7 is David’s private utterance, personal to himself, which seems to me to underlie all that was more public subsequently. Jehovah gave the knowledge of Himself to David in His great designs of sovereign love so that David went in to sit as a worshipper before Him. I think in this character David is the head of the worshipping company — a wonderful type of Christ, but also in some sense personally head of a family whose occupation is to praise. I have no doubt that in this sense the assembly is the true house of David today. So that we are in the “great while to come” of verse 19. There is a generation who can bring up the Ark to the city of David, and who can appreciate the way in which God has made Himself known to them.
“For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, to make thy servant know it” (verse 21). God known as doing what is according to His own heart is the highest point that creatures can reach. God will have a house where He is known and praised as having done things according to His own heart. So we read in Ephesians 1 of “the good pleasure of his will” and “the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself”, and then “being marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will”. Have we ever considered what is according to God’s own heart? How it would lift us up to God, and enable us truly to be of David’s house. It would enable us to speak more directly [p. 33] to God of what He is as known in love. True worship is produced when we see the actings of God in Christ. When Jesus healed the child possessed by a demon we read that “all were astonished at the glorious greatness of God”, Luke 9: 43. That was what they saw in Jesus. Greatness in Hebrews is evidently that of God Himself (Hebrews 1: 3; Hebrews 8: 1). This is what is celebrated in 2 Samuel 7: 22, “Wherefore thou art great, Jehovah Elohim; for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears”. This would confirm that David is here the spiritual man, the head of the praising company as filled with the Spirit of Christ, rather than Christ Himself typically. It is what the Spirit of Christ would voice in all David’s house.
Then in verses 23 and 24, God’s people Israel are brought in as those redeemed to be a people to Himself and to whom He has become their God. We are here on covenant ground evidently. It is not the same as the house built for David; the latter is, I have no doubt, a small circle with a peculiarly favoured place. We see the house of David distinguished from the inhabitants of Jerusalem and from Judah in Zechariah 12: 8, “the house of David as God, as the Angel of Jehovah before them”, but they are brought in through deep moral exercises, as we see in that chapter and the next. “The key of David” in Revelation 3: 7 is in Isaiah 22: 22, “the key of the house of David”, which would show how the thought is linked with the assembly. And the reference by James in Acts 15: 16 to the prophet’s words, “After these things I will return, and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which is fallen, and will rebuild its ruins ...” is to the same purpose, as showing that God had in mind from eternity to bless the nations as known in the tabernacle of David. That is, God would be known there (Amos 9: 11, 12). So that it appears that in a spiritual sense the house of David has the [p. 34] blessing of the nations in view, as it is known now in the assembly. The blessing of the house of David would go, I think, beyond the covenant blessing of “thy people ... Israel”. It is more intimate as being in the fullest way according to God’s own heart. I think verse 14 would show that sonship is included and verse 29 the eternal thoughts of God. If the house of David is for God one could hardly have anything higher stated. So that it seems to reach out, as far as the Old Testament could go, to the whole counsel of God. And David can speak suitably to God about it all. This is the great service of the assembly as the true house of David. So that He builds a house where He can dwell in the affectionate praises of those who not only love Him, but have sons’ intelligence and maturity. The assembly takes up the new covenant, as it were, before the time, and it also takes up the blessing of the house of David. This is a peculiar and unique portion to be known and enjoyed in restfulness.