The Gospel According to Samuel: God's Constant Grace (2 Samuel 7:1-17)

Hello, friends.

This is Pastor Creighton.

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Today we continue our sermon series, The Gospel According to Samuel.

Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.

Your throne shall be established forever.

Let's pray.

Gracious God, your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

Your dominion endures throughout all ages.

Father, you are the God who keeps his promises.

And so we, gathered here today, gathered as your body, wait eagerly for our Lord Jesus.

It's in his name we pray.

Amen.

Oh, please be seated.

Thank you.

You just go ahead.

What's the most important promise you've made?

What's the most important promise that's been made to you?

I said, think about promises this week, and it brought to mind the words of the great American philosopher, Homer Simpson.

In an interaction with his young daughter Lisa, Homer once said, You know, I promise you a lot of things.

That's what makes me a good father.

And Lisa says, actually keeping your promises would make you a good father.

To which Homer replied, No, Lisa, that would make me a great father.

See, it's funny, but it demonstrates to us something we intuitively know to be true.

We live in a world of flimsy promises, don't we?

Whether it's reading the news or looking at the world of politics or in our workplaces, we know what it's like to be promised something and to be delivered something completely different.

We probably know for ourselves the disappointment, even the pain, that comes with an unkept promise.

Perhaps if we're honest enough with ourselves, we can recognize times in our own lives where we've left promises unfulfilled, even despite our best efforts.

The whole thing can leave us a little bit skeptical when it comes to promises.

And the greater the promise, perhaps the greater our skepticism.

So sometimes I wonder if we're inclined to see our Heavenly Father as a good Father in the sense that Homer Simpson sees himself.

A God who makes a lot of promises, but doesn't necessarily keep his promises, or can't be relied upon to keep his promises.

So at the end of the day, we really can't trust this God, let alone worship and adore this God who we can't really depend on.

Perhaps the best we can do is aspire to work hard enough to make this God notice us and maybe be a little bit more inclined to keep his word.

See, in a world of flimsy promises, we need a sure thing.

We need a constant thing.

Because we live in a world of flimsy promises.

It's this kind of a sure thing that we see in 2 Samuel chapter 7.

2 Samuel 7 · chapter mention

This chapter is a pivotal moment in the history of redemption in Scripture.

It's pivotal in the terms of its importance, sure, but it's pivotal in that this links us to the earliest promises of God, from Genesis chapter 3 to Genesis chapter 12 to Abram through to the new covenant and to the new creation.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention Genesis 12 · chapter mention

This is a hinge point for the story of all of Scripture.

And it tells us something about God's grace and who our good and great Heavenly Father is.

See, 2 Samuel chapter 7 tells us that God's covenant grace is a constant grace.

2 Samuel 7 · chapter mention

God's covenant grace is a constant grace.

And here's what I mean by that: God's covenant, his binding promise to David, his representative, is for his whole people an assurance, an assurance of his favor, of his commitment, of his absolute steadfast love that is perpetual, unceasing, indefectible.

This is a promise that will absolutely come to be.

And friends, this is good news for us.

Because we who are counted among God's people in Christ can come to a God who fulfills his promises, who keeps his word.

In a flimsy world, we can find a sure thing in God's promise.

So here's what I'd like for us to do.

I'd like for us to have a quick overview.

Where do we find ourselves at this point in the story of redemption?

And then I'd like for us to look at our passage this morning, and I'd like for us to land in the gospel.

So let's begin.

What's happened since last week's episode in 1 Samuel 24?

Clearly a lot has happened because we catch up with David and the prophet Nathan here in the kingdom, and all seems pretty well.

Perhaps we can picture them with their feet up, sipping some lemonade on the palace porch.

A lot has clearly happened since last week's episode, where David spared Saul's life in the wilderness.

But you notice they departed separately.

In chapter 25, Samuel, the prophet who anointed Saul and David both, has passed, bringing the time of judges to a close.

Now God is moving forward with his plan for his people through the kingdom.

David continues to be on the run.

He spares Saul's life again in 1 Samuel chapter 26, and he seeks refuge among the Philistines for a number of years.

1 Samuel 26 · chapter mention

In 1 Samuel 31, Saul dies a pretty ignominious death.

And in 2 Samuel chapter 1, bear in mind this isn't a sequel to 1 Samuel, but really just a matter of scroll length that there's this arbitrary divide between 1 and 2 Samuel.

2 Samuel 1 · chapter mention

In 2 Samuel chapter 1, David sincerely laments Saul's passing as God's anointed one.

2 Samuel 1 · chapter mention

David himself is anointed king of Judah in 2 Samuel chapter 2, and then all of Israel in 2 Samuel chapter 5.

2 Samuel 2 · chapter mention 2 Samuel 5 · chapter mention

In that chapter, Jerusalem is conquered, and it's established as the political capital.

And in chapter 5, verse 12, the author writes this David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

And that's a really important point to keep in mind.

David's kingdom is not about how awesome a guy David is, it's about the sake of God's people, Israel.

God has raised up this leader for the sake of his people.

The Philistines are defeated also in chapter 5.

There's peace on the borders, and in chapter 6, the Ark of the Covenant is brought into Jerusalem, making this not just the political capital for God's people, but the religious capital of worship as well.

So we catch up with David and Nathan in verses 1 to 3.

I think you could divide our passage in 2 Samuel this morning into two sections, something of an introduction in verses 1 to 3, and then you could divide the rest of the chapter, expressing God's heart and God's priorities and God's promise in the verses that follow.

What's happening in verses 1 to 3?

Well, David wants to build a temple.

He thinks it's not suitable for me to live in such a luxurious palace made out of cedar, and for the Lord to make his dwelling amongst his people in this tent that has been carried around by the people of Israel since the Exodus.

He says this to Nathan, and he doesn't even lay out his plan to Nathan.

Nathan just says, Go for it, the Lord is with you.

I mean, because what objection could there be to expressing this kind of a desire to honor the Lord in this way?

But what comes to be known is what Isaiah writes in chapter 55 of his book, God's ways are higher than our ways, his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

See, God's word to Nathan shows his priority, his heart, and his promise.

Go tell to my servant David, thus says the Lord, would you build me a house to dwell in?

See, what God lays out for Nathan in verses four to seven is this is a matter of my priority.

He says no, more accurately, he says, not yet, to the temple, because his priority is the well-being and security of his people.

Over his own prestige, God prioritizes his people.

He is content to dwell in a tent, if it means dwelling amongst his people, for now.

This no follows from God's heart.

God's heart expressed towards David in verses 8 and 9.

I guess I just want us to note the subject and the object of these sentences here.

God says, I took you from the pasture.

I have been with you, I have cut off all your enemies, I will make you, for you, a great name.

See, David thinks he's going to do this really nice thing for God, and it would be a really nice thing to do.

But God says, I've got plans, David, for you.

You think you have plans for me, but first and foremost, I'm going to continue my plans for you.

And my plans for Israel, I will appoint a place for my people.

I will plant them.

I will give you rest from all your enemies.

In other words, God is always the divine initiator.

He takes the first step.

And he wants David to recognize that the priority is his.

His heart is for his people, first and foremost, not for his own prestige.

And so we come to God's promise in verses 11 to 16.

And this is what I'd like for us to zoom in on this morning is God's promise.

God's promise to David for his people's sake.

And what's his promise?

Let's look at the last half of verse 11.

The Lord declares to you, David, that the Lord will make you a house.

So David wanted to build God a house, didn't he?

He wanted to build him a temple, a place where his dwelling would be permanent and would be made known amongst his people from generation to generation.

But God says, Oh David, before you do that, I'm going to make you a house.

I'm going to build for you a dynasty, a royal lineage.

I mean, the word play in Hebrew is the same here as the word or the wordplay in English.

God's turning it around to say, David, my grace comes first.

I am going to do a good work for you before you do a good work for me.

And we'll find out that this dynasty is not just for David's benefit, but it's for the benefit of all God's people.

All of God's people will benefit from a royal representative who is a guarantee of God's sovereign, saving grace to his people forever.

This is a word of covenant, a covenant of grace to all God's people.

We won't find this word covenant here in our passage, but elsewhere in Scripture it's referred to as such.

Psalm 89, 3.

You have said, I have made a covenant with my chosen one.

I have sworn to David my servant, I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations.

All of Scripture that follows is going to point back at this promise and hold God to it.

And that's the amazing thing about God's promises.

Once he speaks his word of promise, his people get to claim that, cling to it, and say, God, you have spoken your word.

Show yourself to be true to it.

This is God's binding promise for the sake of his people to King David.

And this is without a doubt the most important promise David has received.

But a promise is only good in so far as it's kept, isn't it?

And that's what I'd like us to see in these verses: that God's covenant grace is a constant grace.

It's a perpetual grace.

It's an indefectible, irretractable grace.

God's promised favor to his people is unceasing.

It is a sure thing.

And that's important for us to consider in a world of flimsy promises.

I get flimsy promises in the mail just about every week.

I'm willing to bet that you do too.

They're perforated.

They're called coupons.

We peel off these promises, don't we?

And we go to the clerk and we hand them to them.

And if we meet the conditions, then they uh, well, I guess it's an implicit promise, isn't it?

They're going to render us whatever service or discount that's promised on this slip of paper.

And I love a good coupon.

Don't get me wrong.

I understand I've got that in common with another uh former priest here at New Song.

I love a good coupon.

Nothing makes my heart soar more, or few things I should say, make my heart soar more than a well-placed, well-timed coupon.

But few things make my heart sink.

Quite like a coupon that one isn't honored, or two expired.

We've all been there, right?

Because the promise is no good.

We might as well not have the coupon at all.

See, God wants David to know that there are no terms or conditions that come with this promise.

God wants David to know there is no expiry date on this promise.

You can hold me to it.

It is guaranteed.

And friends, that is grace not just to David, but all of God's people who stand to benefit.

Because God's grace, covenant grace, is a constant grace, God's promise cannot be annulled.

Not by death, not by sin, not by time.

And that's exactly what we see in the verses to follow.

Let's pick it up in verse 12.

When your days, David, are fulfilled, and you lie down with your fathers, well then I'll reassess our covenant standing.

I'll figure out whether or not I want to honor my terms.

No, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body.

I will establish your kingdom.

He shall build for me a house, pardon me, he shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

See, David might lie down, but God's in the business of raising up.

His promise extends beyond David to all the generations that will follow.

So perhaps here we're reminded of God's promise to David's ancestor Abraham, who in Genesis chapter 12 is still going by the name Abram.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

When he's passing through the land of Canaan, God promises to him, to your offspring, I will give this land.

It's the very land that David occupies right now.

See, where God promises Abraham's offspring the land, he now promises David's offspring the kingdom.

This is how God is going to move his program of renewal and rescue and redemption forward.

In an immediate sense, this promise points us to David's son, Solomon, who is going to build the temple at the right time.

See, God's people are not left wondering whether or not God's grace is guaranteed so long as David is alive.

Boy, I hope this guy has a long lifespan, because I have no idea whether or not God's going to like us after this guy kicks the bucket.

No, this promise endures.

Death does not annul this promise.

God's grade is constant.

It's greater even than the grave.

Death can't void this promise.

Sin can't void this promise either.

I will be to him a father, God declares in verse 14.

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.

So notice the kind of relationship that God endeavors to share with David's offspring.

It is that of a father with a son.

It's a relationship of love, fidelity, provision, and protection.

God is a realist.

He says, when he commits iniquity, not if he commits iniquity.

I will discipline him.

But notice my steadfast love, my chesed will not depart from him.

Parents, you get this, right?

You know what it's like to discipline your child.

It's not something you look forward to, it's something you do for their benefit.

But you never stop loving them, even when you're disciplining them.

Such is God's commitment to David and all his offspring after him.

Yes, I'll discipline you, but I will never retract my love from you.

I will always desire your best, and I will always work towards it.

This word for steadfast love, Hesed, appears throughout Scripture, and it appears especially in the book of Ruth.

Perhaps you remember our study of Ruth last fall.

This is God's covenant love, his committed, irretractable love, unshakable, binding, steadfast.

So God's people are not left wondering whether or not God's grace and love are only guaranteed so long as David or his offspring live perfectly holy lives.

God's grace is constant.

It's not conditional, it's greater even than their sin.

And so we come to verse 16.

Neither death nor sin can annul this promise, nor can time.

Your house and your kingdom, David, shall be made sure forever before me.

Your throne shall be established forever.

David, my promise is a sure thing.

Your throne shall be established forever.

There's no expiry date on this promise.

From generation to generation, this promise will be carried on in perpetuity.

The grace I promise you is as constant as it gets.

See, God promises his covenant grace, his favor, his goodness, his commitment to his people.

And his covenant grace is constant grace, because it will not be voided under any circumstances.

As one commentator says, almost like a challenge, let death, sin, and time do what they will.

They will never frustrate the Lord's kingdom plan through David's dynasty house.

What is security for God's people?

This is rock solid stuff.

This is a sure thing.

And it brings us back to verses 1 to 3.

David thought he was going to do the great work for God.

Turns out God is going to do the greater work for him.

He's so committed to David, to his people, and to this dynasty, that he commits his constant grace forever.

This God, he wants to be known not just as a good father who makes promises, but a great father who will keep him, who will keep them.

Now, how does this work for God's people, Israel?

Well, David, we're going to see next week, falls into grievous sin.

He does not live the honorable or sinless life that God might desire for him.

His son Solomon's heart departs from the Lord.

It leads to a divided kingdom that spirals into further sin and disobedience.

And yes, God is true to his word.

He disciplines those sons of David who commit this iniquity.

God's people go into exile.

But God's steadfast love does not depart from David's line, nor from his people, who they represent.

God does not abandon his kingdom plan for the sake of his people.

His grace remains constant.

And so we were read God's word to the prophet Jeremiah, who is in exile.

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.

This is chapter 33, verse 19 and 20.

Isaiah 33:19

Thus says the Lord, If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David, my servant, may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne.

What's God saying to Jeremiah?

As sure as there is day and there is night, as sure as there is a sunrise and a sunset, my commitment, my promise to David will not be voided.

I am committed to my people.

I am committed to my people for their benefit and for their renewal and for their rescue.

It's as sure as day and night.

All of this leads to a distant descendant of David named Mary, who receives God's word delivered by the angel Gabriel.

You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

See, friends, in Christ, we know supremely that God's covenant grace is a constant grace, a perpetual and unshakable grace.

It can't be voided by death.

On Pentecost, Peter's preaching to a crowd in Jerusalem, he references Psalm 16, which David himself wrote, and Peter says this Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

David kicked the bucket.

Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with him an oath that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of Christ.

This Jesus God raised up.

And of that we are all witnesses.

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus, whom you crucified.

In other words, Peter is saying this.

David points us forward to the greater one who is to come, the one who defeats death, the one who shows us that God's covenant grace, his constant grace to us, is greater than the grave.

Death does not void God's constant grace because Christ's resurrection has defeated death.

God's grace to us in Christ is not voided by death, it's not voided by sin.

Referencing Isaiah 53, the Lord has laid on his suffering servant the iniquity of us all.

Peter goes on to write in 1 Peter chapter 2: He himself, that is Jesus, bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds we are healed.

See, in Christ, sin does not void God's covenant of grace, his constant grace.

Because through the cross of Christ, the power of sin has been defeated.

He has borne the wrath, the ultimate discipline, the stripes of men for our sake, so that through faith in him we can live to righteousness and live forever.

So in our sin, we can come to Jesus and rest assured.

We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

He is the propitiation for our sins.

He has made satisfaction on our behalf, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.

Neither death nor sin can void God's constant grace to us in Christ, but neither can time.

Hebrews is the great forever book, and I love it.

Hebrews 1, verse 8.

Hebrews 1:8

Of the Son, God says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

In other words, Jesus' kingdom will have no end.

As an heir to David, he will sit on the throne as the people's representative forever, as the royal representative of all God's people.

He will be the guarantee of God's grace to his people for all time, and he reigns even now.

And we wait for the full realization of the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

And so we can rejoice with heavenly voices that we read in Revelation chapter 11 the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

Revelation 11 · chapter mention

You're so glad I sang that, aren't you?

Friends, we can rest assured in Christ.

Neither death nor sin nor time can void God's kingdom plan and his constant grace.

You in Christ are in the grip of grace, and there is nothing that can void that.

So we approach God in the context of this grace and not in our works.

And I love this.

David wants to approach God in the context of this wonderful work that he wants to do for God.

He wants to build God a house.

And friends, I suspect there are many wonderful houses that we want to build for God in our own lives.

But more fundamentally than the good works that we want to do for God is God's constant grace to us.

He has built for us a wonderful house in Christ.

He is building us up into his house as living stones.

His constant grace to us is fundamental, is foundational, and it is the context in which we always approach our gracious and great Heavenly Father.

See, friends, in a world of fickle promises, this is a sure thing.

God's constant grace, guaranteed by Christ Himself.

This is our great covenant-making, promise-keeping, constant God.

Now and ever we confess Christ our hope in life and death.

Amen.

Thank you for listening today.

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