A Temple For God

But that same night the LORD said to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’ [2 Samuel 7.4-7] 

David's heart was pure in wanting to build a house for God. However, what David had in mind and what God had in mind were two very separate things.

While Solomon factored into the picture, God's response to David foretold Messiah starting with God saying He would make a house for David - a dynasty of kings:

For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’” [2 Samuel 7.12-16]

Our first clue about this being prophetic of Jesus is that Solomon was on the scene and took the throne before David was dead and buried. Also, Solomon's royal throne was not established forever. And, while God did discipline Solomon, it was nothing compared to God's correction and discipline Jesus suffered on the Cross for all mankind. And finally, only Jesus' throne has ever been established forever.

Even though Solomon indeed build a glorious earthly Temple, Jesus built the unmatched eternal Temple of men's faithful hearts (read: hearts full of faith).

Sure, David could have built an impressive Temple for God to dwell in, but the Scripture needed to point to Jesus... David was indeed a man of war and Solomon was not completely war-less either. Jesus, on the other hand, never even took an earthly throne and certainly never launched any kind of physical military campaign. Without a doubt, what God told David through Nathan in 2 Samuel 7.12-16 was about Jesus. 

Besides, if God was content to have not lived in an extravagant house up to David's point in history, nothing about Solomon's history changed that. But to dwell in the hearts of men, now that was a different story! In fact, it is the story of the Bible; the story of John 3.16.

Father, it is refreshing today to see Jesus in David's story. I am reminded that Your goal has never been anything except to have intimate fellowship with mankind and that everything in the Old Testament supports that. May the "dynasty of kings" prevail in me as Jesus is found in my heart! So be it.