Worship - Sunday at 10:30AM
Bible Study - Wednesday at 6:30PM
2004-02-22 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church
SHARPEN UP, OR SIT AROUND?
2 Samuel 7:1-7
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;
This was an unusual time in the life of David. Even during quiet times as a young lad in the hills keeping his father's sheep, he was forced to do battle with lions and bears. When we look at what was written about his life, we see many victories, but we don't see much rest from his enemies. Here we read about one of those rare times when the LORD had given David rest, and so in the midst of this elusive rest, we find David sitting in his house. I believe God is about to teach David and us a valuable lesson or two here.
And it came to pass, as the king was sitting around the house...
2. 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.
3. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
Well, David was a man after God's own heart, so it was apparent even to David's worst enemies that the LORD was with him, but here we see Nathan, a prophet, giving advice that's only half right.
(By the way, who is this "Nathan" character? Haven't heard a peep from him up until this point. Must be a rookie prophet.)
It sounded like a no-brainer. The king with a heart for God has it in his heart to build a house of worship. That sounds good and noble to me, and it surely sounded right to Nathan, but did he seek God's wisdom before speaking here? Did he ask permission of the LORD before advising the king to go ahead and do "all" that was in his heart (to build a temple)? Do you get the feeling that maybe Nathan had been sitting around the house just like David was?
When we decide to do things that sound spiritual without first seeking the Lord, it can backfire on us. David's heart was certainly motivated in the right place, so why should he and Nathan pray about this decision? No matter how righteous the cause may seem to us, no matter how right it feels in our hearts, and no matter how certain we are in our minds that what we're about to do glorifies the LORD, we must always pray for guidance first. It's easy to become convinced that something is what God would want, but it isn't always true.
4. And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
5. Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
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.
7. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes (the leaders, the judges) of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
More than 400 years had passed since the Exodus (1 Kings 6:1), and not once had the LORD commanded that a house be built for Him, not once had He wondered out loud about why they hadn't already built one, and not even once had He spanked them for not building one, so where did David get this idea from? It was a good and noble cause; one that honored God (1 Kings 8:18), but it just wasn't God's will for David to build it. It wasn't that David's desire to build the temple was wrong, it was the decision to build it without first seeking permission from the LORD. That was the failure of David and Nathan.
Psalm 90:12-17
12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
(not sitting around the house)
13. Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
14. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
16. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
17. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Will the LORD ever establish the work of our hands when we're sitting around the house?
Unfortunately, this lesson on the dangers of slackness wasn't established in king David's heart. In 2 Samuel 11 we again find David sitting around the house, not heeding the former lesson, out of touch with God's will, and the consequences were very, very great. Sitting around the house can cause us to get out of communion, out of sync with the LORD. Slackness will cause us to seek first the kingdom of man. This can happen even to a "man (or woman) after God's own heart" (Acts 13:22).
If you find that the LORD has granted you rest from your enemies all around, rejoice in it, and use the time to sharpen up your weapons, to make yourself ready in prayer and the study of God's Word. We suffer attacks to our finances, our health, and our spiritual well being, but we should never question why, because the Bible says we will be afflicted (1 Peter 4:12-19, John 16:33).
What was unusual for David should also be unusual for us: actually getting a rest from these enemies for a season.