Sunday School Lesson
December 8
Lesson 2 (KJV)
God’s Promise
Devotional Reading: Isaiah 9:1–7
Background Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1–17
2 Samuel 7:4–17
4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
5 Go and tell my servant David, thus saith the LORD, shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel.
9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more. Neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime.
11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.
15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee. Thy throne shall be established for ever.
17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Key Text
Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee. Thy throne shall be established for ever.—2 Samuel 7:16
A King Forever and Ever
Unit 1: Jesus, the Heir of David
Lessons 1–5
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Summarize David’s intent and God’s response.
2. Explain the differing senses of the use of the word house.
3. Write a prayer for obedience to God, even when His plans differ from human plans.
How to Say It
Abraham Ay-bruh-ham.
Babylonians Bab-ih-low-nee-unz.
Bathsheba Bath-she-buh.
Bethlehem Beth-lih-hem.
Hebrews Hee-brews. Isaac Eye-zuk.
Israel Iz-ray-el.
Jacob Jay-kub.
Judah Joo-duh.
Moses Mo-zes or Mo-zez.
Philistines Fuh-liss-teenz or Fill-us-teenz.
Solomon Sol-o-mun.
tabernacle tah-burr-nah-kul.
Uriah Yu-rye-uh.
Introduction
A. Temporary Dwellings
Twelve years ago, my wife and I moved to a remote town in western Alaska. The area where we spent the first decade of our Alaskan journey was accessible only by boat or plane. Besides our town, 89 smaller villages are located in western Alaska off the road system. Many of these communities are near rivers, providing more accessible summer transportation and an abundant supply of salmon.
One distinctive aspect of life in this region is that homes are constructed on permafrost, a frozen layer of soil. Due to the thawing permafrost and harsh weather conditions, these houses require more upkeep than those built in the contiguous United States. In Newtok, a small Alaskan village, erosion and deterioration became so severe that the entire community had to be relocated to higher ground, away from the river. Many villagers witnessed the river slowly eat away at their homes until it finally engulfed entire structures. The homes we construct are temporary.
In King David’s mind, the time for the Lord to live in a tent (the tabernacle) was officially over (2 Samuel 7:1–2). What followed the king’s decision would be much different than he anticipated.
B. Lesson Context
David ultimately became king over a united Israel. This happened approximately 1000 BC (2 Samuel 5–6). After a long civil war (3:1–2) and the conquering of the Jebusites and their city of Jerusalem (5:6–7), he made that city the capital of the reunited kingdom of Israel (5:8–12). Victory over the Philistines followed (5:17–25). After that, David brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (also known as “the city of David” [6:16]) and placed it inside a tent (6:17). This move cemented Jerusalem as both the political and religious capital of the kingdom.
After the ark’s arrival in Jerusalem, David confronted what he considered to be a grave disparity. Although he dwelled in a grand palace (2 Samuel 5:11; 7:2), no permanent abode existed for the ark of the covenant (7:6–7, below). Disturbed by this state of affairs, David decided to build a house for God. David communicated his plan to the prophet Nathan, who initially offered encouragement and approval for the king to proceed (7:1–3, not in our lesson text). Apparently, neither man had asked God for His approval, and what follows in chapter 7 was God’s reaction to the plan (1 Chronicles 17:3–15 is a parallel account).
I. History Lessons
(2 Samuel 7:4–9a)
A. Israel’s Past (vv. 4–7)
4. And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying.
Unlike God’s direct communication with King Solomon later (1 Kings 3:5), God chose to speak to David indirectly through Nathan the prophet. The reason for this difference is a matter of speculation. But perhaps the prophet also needed the forthcoming corrective himself since he had encouraged David in his wrong thinking (2 Samuel 7:3).
The prophet would later risk David’s wrath by confronting the king regarding David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 12). Nathan would also anoint Solomon as David’s successor (1 Kings 1:34).
5. Go and tell my servant David, thus saith the LORD, shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
With this verse, God’s corrective begins. The issue at hand seems to be not one of disobedience but rather one of presumption. Has David, God’s servant, presumed that he would be doing God a favor?
6. Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
For God to have the kind of house that David desired to build was never high on God’s list of priorities. To this point, the tabernacle, as prescribed by God to Moses centuries earlier, had sufficed (Exodus 26). At the future dedication of the temple, David’s son Solomon will cite the words of the verse before us (see 1 Kings 8:16). He will note in the same verse that while God was not concerned about choosing a city in which to dwell, He was concerned about choosing a person. This is what the Lord addressed in the next part of His message.
7. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
God had never required a permanent structure for His dwelling place in Israel, let alone a grand one as an house of cedar would surely be (compare 2 Samuel 5:11).
God’s faithfulness to His people had always far exceeded their faithfulness to Him. Yet God had not called on anyone to respond by building an house of cedar (a temple) as a visual aid (or anything else) to influence their faithfulness. The term translated tribes probably refers to tribal leaders.
What Do You Think?
What questions should a congregation ask when discerning how to steward a house of worship?
Digging Deeper
What sorts of answers might suggest that a congregation should choose a different course regarding a place of worship?
B. David’s Past (vv. 8–9a)
8–9a. Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel. And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight.
The image of shepherd-leadership echoes throughout the passage as God reminded David of that man’s own history. God had sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse’s family in the small village of Bethlehem to anoint a new king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:1). There, Samuel reviewed each of the sons of Jesse who were present. Jesse had not bothered to present to Samuel the youngest son, David. Instead, David was left caring for the sheep (16:4–11).
But God had chosen David to be the new king (1 Samuel 16:12–13). Though David had once been a shepherd of sheep, he would now be a shepherd of Israel (Ezekiel 34:23; compare John 10:1–18). And as God had been with the nation of Israel, so also would He be with David in victories over his enemies (examples: 1 Samuel 17:45–54; 23:14–26:25).
What Do You Think?
What events in your life do you point to as reasons for confidence in the Lord?
Digging Deeper
How can recalling this history help you or a friend continue to rely on God in difficult circumstances?
II. Future Plans
(2 Samuel 7:9b–17)
A. David and Israel (vv. 9b–11a)
9b. And have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
Whatever greatness David had achieved to this point, God had given through military victories. It is in this light that God gave the reason for not allowing the man to build a temple: “But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight” (1 Chronicles 22:8). David would not have the chance to think of himself as a great builder (compare Daniel 4:28–30).
Legacy of Faith
Christians living in the Soviet Union faced persecution. Laws prohibited their sharing the faith, even with their own children, unless the teachings aligned with the government-approved Orthodox church. According to the law, those teaching the gospel were subject to imprisonment and could be stripped of their parental rights, resulting in children being placed in orphanages.
Even so, Christians instilled in their children a legacy of faith. Many of those children grew up to be church leaders and were ready and willing to pass on their legacy to their own children. When the Soviet government crumbled, these same church leaders jumped at the opportunity to evangelize freely within their communities.
David had a legacy of faith that began with Abraham. David remained true to that legacy. And God promised David that his children would be blessed and his name would be great. God fulfilled that in Jesus. What is your faith legacy? —L. M. W.
10. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more. Neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime.
The greatness God granted to David was not for David’s benefit alone. The Lord was concerned for His people Israel. God desired not only to give David “rest” (2 Samuel 7:1) but also to give His people a place of their own and relief from those who had afflicted them in the past (see 7:11a, below). God did indeed desire a place—not for himself but for His people. This promise would be the fulfillment of the promise God gave Moses (Exodus 3:16–17; 33:1). The agricultural metaphor emphasizes growth and longevity within the land. God would plant Israel (see Amos 9:15; Jeremiah 31:27–28).
11a. And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies.
The period of the judges (from about 1380 to 1050 BC) followed Israel’s conquest of the promised land. So, we might think of that period as the first era of Israel’s life as a settled nation. That time was filled with conflict as one nation after another rose against Israel. God delivered Israel through the leadership of judges, but He also allowed threats to arise as Israel sank back into sin.
B. Solomon and Christ (vv. 11b–17)
11b. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
Initially, David intended to construct a sanctuary for God. But God planned to turn the king’s plan on its head and instead build a house for David. And though David’s initial thought upon hearing this might have been of a new palace, God’s further promises made clear that He would establish a kingdom and lineage for David.
12. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
God’s promise would come to fruition through a descendant of David who would rise to power after David’s death. The King James Version translates the Hebrew expression literally: David’s seed is the focus of the promise. This word referring to one’s descendant or descendants has a rich background in earlier texts of the Old Testament. God uses this word repeatedly in Genesis in promises of redemption (Genesis 3:15; 9:9; 12:7; etc.); the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob received promises regarding their “seed.” Now David receives a promise that builds on theirs: God will firmly establish the kingdom of one of David’s offspring, one physically descended from him. This wordplay recalls how the Lord would plant Israel in the land (see 2 Samuel 7:10).
What Do You Think?
What hopes do you have for your family when your own days are fulfilled?
Digging Deeper
What actions can you take now to ensure those are hopes for your family and not mere wishes?
13. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
Prophecies with dual fulfillments underscore the cohesion of God’s plan of salvation found in the Scriptures. Such prophecies have a “nearer” fulfillment, and the one in the verse before us was realized through David’s son Solomon (1 Kings 6:1, 37–38; Acts 7:47). He did build an house for the Lord. But quickly it became clear that Solomon’s kingdom would not last forever. He sinned against the Lord by worshipping other gods (1 Kings 11:4, 9–13, 31–33).
For the sake of this promise made to David, God did not strip the kingdom away from Solomon. Nor did God take it entirely from Solomon’s heirs—at least not for many generations. But during the Babylonian exile that began in 586 BC, the rule of David’s family came to an end.
What, then, are we to make of the promise to stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever? We look to the fulfillment found in Christ (Acts 2:29–36; Hebrews 1:5). While the temple Solomon built was destroyed (2 Chronicles 36:18–19), Jesus builds believers into God’s temple in the New Testament era (1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19–22). And Jesus’ kingdom has no end (Revelation 11:15).
14. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.
As in the previous verse, this promise applies first to Solomon and ultimately to Christ. The first statement in the verse before us is quoted in Hebrews 1:5, which clearly affirms its fulfillment in Jesus. But how can sinless Jesus be the fulfillment when He, as the ultimate son of David, did not commit iniquity?
We recall that Jesus was treated as though He had committed blasphemy (Matthew 26:65)—the ultimate iniquity. He took the stripes inflicted by the rod of men and was crucified (Isaiah 53:4–5). That suffering was not due to personal guilt; rather, He took upon himself the punishment that guilty sinners deserve.
15. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
We move to a second question: If the promise also applies to King Solomon (reigned 970–931 BC), how can God say that my mercy shall not depart away from him when we recall that God judged Solomon for his foolish acceptance of the gods of his many wives who turned his heart away from the Lord (1 Kings 11:4, 9–13, 31–33)?
The key is the phrase as I took it from Saul, who was Israel’s first king (reigned 1050–1010 BC). The people of Israel had longed to “be like all the nations” that had kings (1 Samuel 8:7, 20). Following divine guidance, the prophet Samuel was instrumental in shaping Israel’s leadership into a monarchy (12:13–15). But Saul’s sin and paranoia doomed his kingship (1 Samuel 13:10–14; 15:10–26; 18:8–12; 19:9–10; etc.). This pattern persisted, ultimately leading to the Lord’s rejection of Saul as king (15:23, 26, 28). The same cannot be said of either David or Solomon. David was not a perfect man or king, as events yet to come were to demonstrate (see Psalm 51). But his heart was not the same as Saul’s (1 Samuel 13:14), so God chose to establish a relationship of enduring mercy with David. That is proven in the history of kings of Judah—where descendants of David and Solomon reigned after Israel was divided following Solomon’s death—even as judgment was enacted (Isaiah 14:1–2; compare Romans 11). God’s power, not David’s achievements, was to be the basis for house-building, kingdom-securing, and throne-establishing.
16. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee. Thy throne shall be established for ever.
The verse before us summarizes God’s promise to David and concludes God’s word for the king. Even when Solomon’s magnificent temple fell to ruins at the hands of the Babylonians in 586 BC, God’s promise to David remained unshakable. That house, that kingdom, is established in Christ. He is David’s true heir (Matthew 1:1). And what Jesus said of His church remains true: “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
God’s promise was given not because David proved worthy where others did not. Moving beyond 2 Samuel 7, we see David’s deep failures: favoritism within his family, sexual immorality, and even murder. The promise is to David by God’s grace. It is an unmerited gift, given to David despite his unworthiness. It is given to Israel despite the people’s unworthiness. Ultimately, it is offered to all humanity despite all our unworthiness.
What Do You Think?
Imagine you are David learning how God fulfilled this promise. What thoughts and emotions do you have?
Digging Deeper
What encouragement regarding God’s promises can you take away from this lesson?
A Grandmother’s Faith
As a young girl, Lucy attended a small country church with her family. While her brothers and sisters dreaded the long sermons in a hot sanctuary, Lucy looked forward to learning more about Jesus every week. As she grew, she volunteered in her church and looked for ways to honor God in her daily life.
One Sunday, a guest missionary visited their church. Lucy listened, her full attention on the man. She imagined eating strange foods, learning a new language, and especially telling people about Jesus for the first time. She began to dream about becoming a missionary herself. But it was not to be. Still, Lucy taught her boys and then her grandchildren about Jesus. It was first Lucy’s granddaughter and then a great-granddaughter who fulfilled Lucy’s dream of cross-cultural mission work.
David’s heart was in the right place in his desire to build God a house (temple). But the project would fall to his son Solomon. If David made any mistake here, it was that he did not check with the Lord first before deciding. We may have good ideas, but the people or the timing may not be right in God’s eyes. How often do you fail to check with the Lord before launching your own projects? See James 4:13–17. —L. M. W.
17. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
In keeping with his role as a prophet, Nathan relayed what the Lord had revealed unto David (compare 2 Samuel 12:1–14). David’s response (7:18–29, not in our printed text) reveals that the king knew this promise was not for David’s family’s glory but for God’s. We too do well to remember that the fulfilled and yet-to-be-fulfilled promises we enjoy are opportunities to praise the Lord and bring glory to His name. Do we?
What Do You Think?
How is your sharing the gospel similar to Nathan’s sharing these words with David?
Digging Deeper
What details of God’s promises to David might you include when you share the gospel?
Conclusion
A. Eternal Home
Last year, my mother passed away suddenly from a brain tumor discovered only a few months prior. My father followed her in death less than a week later. One of the final requests Dad shared with the family was that he wanted our brother to inherit the family home since the rest of us already owned properties.
We spent our entire childhood in our parents’ house in a small Indiana town, never relocat ing. As funds permitted, Mom and Dad would periodically update the flooring and replace the roof, among other things. However, before my wife and I returned to Alaska after the funeral services, I provided my brother with a list of outstanding repairs that our parents had not finished, and with a good-humored tone, I let him know that the burden of maintaining the house now fell on him.
King David had to leave the construction of God’s house to his son. But God’s grand plans went far beyond the building and upkeep of an inanimate temple. In Jesus, we are part of God’s everlasting and holy temple. And one day, we will arrive home in the Lord, enjoying the everlasting kingdom in ways David could only dream about in his own days. This eternal residence, crafted by God, is where Christ, a descendant of David, reigns for all eternity.
B. Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your everlasting covenant promises, given to David and fulfilled in Jesus. Redirect us when our plans are out of step with Yours. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, we offer this prayer. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
God’s promises are sure.
Standard Publishing. KJV Standard Lesson Commentary® 2024-2025 (pp. 358-375). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.