I Need to Trust God

Advent & Christmas

December 6, 2023

I Need to Trust God 

He shall build a house for my name,

and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

2 Samuel 7:13 (NRSV)

Read: 2 Samuel 7:11-14

In today’s passage, King David is beginning to rest. As he considered all his successes and the wealth he had accumulated, he thought he should build a permanent house for God. He took his idea to the Prophet Nathan, who approved of David’s plan. However, the LORD did not approve. The Word of the LORD to David was quite astonishing. God said he would build a house for David!

There is a beautiful bit of wordplay here. David had in mind building a structure, a house, or home, for God. God had in mind building a legacy for David, David’s House, or his linage. God goes on to say that from David’s house will come a son who will build a house for the name of God and who will reign as King forever.

The early Christian church understood this passage as a Messianic prophecy. Jesus was the son who built a house for God: “Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) The Apostle Paul applied today’s passage to the followers of Jesus: “For we are the temple of the living God” and then quoted verse 2 Samuel 7:14, “And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:16-18)

Paul then takes this prophecy to full term when he writes in Ephesians 2:6-7,10,

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

My Takeaway: How long ago? The passage in 2 Samuel 7 dates to 992 BC. At least 3,000 years ago God planned to unite us with Christ who is God’s temple. God’s House. I believe God wants me to trust him and his plans for my life.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.