Broken by God’s Kindness…

Meditations on 2 Sam 7:18-29

David sat before the Lord, broken, awed, silent and overwhelmed until he could hold his joy in God and happy tears back no more… “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.” (7:18-21)

The Lord, through Nathan the prophet, had just revealed to King David these words… “1) I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 2) And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. 3) And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 4) And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. 5) Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 6) He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 7) And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'" (7:8-16)

Seven great promises God had made to David that filled him to overflowing with joyful gratitude and awe-struck amazement. Yes Lord, YOU have (will)…

1. Made me prince over Your people Israel. 2. Given me victory over all my enemies. 3. Made my name great already. 4. Planted Your people and will plant them even more firmly. 5. Raise up my offspring to rule after me. 6. Build a house for Your great name. 7. Establish this kingdom forever.

As David pondered the greatness and the extent of these seven promises, he could hold it no longer. He burst out in praise, adoration, and spiritual worship to his awe-inspiring God by joyfully ascribing the following…

“Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making Himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God. (7:22-24)

In effect, David says, “These seven promises that You have given me, LORD, You did and will do for the praise of Your great name…to magnify Your glory…to make a people for Your possession and Your joy.” Often we think of our salvation primarily and solely in terms of what we have received—what it means for us personally. Yet, David here encourages (challenges) us to see God’s saving grace not in terms of what it means to us, but what it means to our glorious Triune God. Yesterday (Friday), I shared with the men the five-fold basis for having personal assurance of salvation. The foundation of experiencing personal assurance of your salvation is…

1. God’s Purpose…to redeem a bride for Himself, for His own joy and glory (Eph. 5:25-27)

2. God’s Gospel…to magnify Jesus Christ and the completeness of His salvation, which He accomplished for His pleasure and the satisfaction of all who taste, treasure and trust Him (Jn. 17:1-5; 1 Cor. 15:1-5; Eph. 1:3-14)

3. God’s Promises…to save forever, for Himself and for the eternal joy of those whom He saves (1 Jn. 5:11-13; John 5:24, 20:31, 17:24)

4. God’s Presence…to eternally live in and amongst a people who love Him with all their hearts and love each other AS they love themselves (Rom. 8:16; Gal. 4:6-7; Jn. 14:18-21)

5. God’s Power…to make dead sinners alive in Christ and transform their lives from God-haters to God-lovers AND people-lovers (Eph. 2:1-10; 2 Peter 1:2-11; 1 Jn. 4:7-12)

David, finishes his time of ‘sitting before the LORD’ by boldly, confidently and expectantly asking the LORD to do, to accomplish, to fulfill His promises for His glory and David’s happiness. “And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, and do as You have spoken. And Your name will be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,' and the house of Your servant David will be established before You. For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to Your servant, saying, 'I will build You a house.' Therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. And now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. Now therefore may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with Your blessing shall the house of Your servant be blessed forever." (7:25-29)

David’s finishing words to the LORD are filled with the word “You.” You are this…, You have promised that…, You will accomplish these things!” Often spiritual praying, bold praying, God-pleasing praying is filled with the word “YOU” not “me.” It is focused on the Lord’s purposes, the Lord’s promises, the Lord’s presence, and the Lord’s power not on self or our situation.

The Lord challenged me this morning to be God-centered, Christ-exalting, and Spirit-listening as I pray… Lord, may You accomplish Your purpose in me today, may the plan of Your Gospel be made known through me, may Your promises encourage and direct me today, may Your presence overwhelm me with Your joy today and may Your power accomplish Your works in and through my weakness today. I ask all this in Jesus’ glorious name, for Your pleasure and my joy so that people around me may ‘smell’ and ‘taste’ the goodness and love of Jesus Christ, awakening in them a desire to treasure and trust Him also. Lord, do this for Your honor that Your name may be blessed by all those who are in Christ.