Wednesday, May 30, 2018

The Lord's House

I Chronicles 17: 1

And it came about when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the Prophet, "Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord is under curtains."

V. 4 Go and tell David My servant, thus says the Lord, "You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in." 

Vs. 11-12 "He (Solomon) shall build for me a house, and  I will establish his throne forever." 

V. 10 "The Lord will build a house for you."

V. 16 "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that Thou hast brought me thus far?" 

I Kings 8: 18

But the Lord said to my father David, "Because it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart." 

I Chronicles 22: 7-10

David has "shed much blood" and Solomon would have peace and quiet. And,

V. 14 David says that, with great pains I have prepared for the House of the Lord.

So when David had built himself a beautiful mansion to live in, he realized that the Ark of the Lord was still in a tent, and he considered the Lord much more deserving than himself of a beautiful dwelling place. And God commended him for this desire to house the Lord's Ark in a more permanent structure.

The Lord appreciated David and knew that his heart was true. But David had waged the Lord's wars, so had shed a lot of blood before the Lord, and the Lord didn't want to be identified with bloody wars. So He told David that his son Solomon would be a man of peace and build the Lord's house. 

So David made extensive preparations for building this imposing structure.

Instead of David building the Lord a house, the Lord said he'd build a house (lineage) for David! This astounded David. 

David had a humble heart that was true to the Lord, and remained aware of his beginnings as the youngest son of his father when the oldest had the premier position, and was a simple shepherd. Nothing here at all would suggest a regal bearing. 

God does not choose the qualified, He qualifies the chosen. David loved the Lord, so God qualified him to not only be king, but to be the progenitor to God's Messiah, Who would reign forever!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!