Sermon(2 Sam 7:1-17): To build the house

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025286662

 

 

 

Scripture reading: 2 Sam 7:1-17

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>> 1 Now when the king dwelt in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies round about, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent." .... 8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel; 9 and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. ... 11 ... Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men; ... 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.' ... <<

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Man must be good in heart. Betrayal and ingratitude are a very nasty nature. He who has lived well under the help and favor of others must always be grateful for that and try to repay the kindness as eagerly as possible. If you say "Thank you" to someone else, it will please him greatly although it is a natural ｅxpression of gratitude, and he will more willingly help you next time. Brethren, thank those who deserve to be thanked. That is a good heart. And you can express gratitude not only with words but also with some presents. No one dislikes gifts.

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Today's text shows us well what David's heart or attitude was at ordinary times. With the help of God, David could defeat all his enemies and live in peace. When the war was frequent, David couldn't care about the things of God, but when the time of peace had come, he began to consider the work of God. David risked his life to bring the ark of the God in his city (2 Sam 6). But in the eyes of David, the ark of God, that is the symbol of God's presence, was not in the temple. It is because the temple has not yet been built. What David was really sorry about was that he had built his house with fine wood while the temple where God could dwell was not yet built, so the ark was in the tent.

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My brethren, what is coming into your eyes now? I wonder if God's work does not come into your sight, but only things that make you rich. Look at David. For a while after he became king, David was so busy at war that he couldn't do God's work, but as soon as he defeated all enemies round about with God's help and could rest in peace at his palace (v. 1), he thought of God's work. David thought it was shameful not to consider the affairs of God while living in peace. Above all, when he thought of God who had given him so much success and peace, David felt uneasy by the fact that his palace stood fast but even the site of the temple of God hadn't been determined yet. 'Am I loving God really?' Are you in peace now? Who gave you that peace? Did you get the peace yourself? So, you have no interest in God's work when you are in peace! No! The peace you enjoy now is the one that God has given you by destroying all your enemies, giving you strength and such and such good chances. Now if you are at ease, think of God's work. Think about the affairs of the church. If you are living at ease, nevertheless you ignore the affairs of the God, you are a betrayer of love. The peace that you enjoy now is not a peace for enjoying the world but for doing God's work in earnest.

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David told Nathan the prophet his intension, and Nathan told him that he could do what he had in mind. But God said to Nathan the prophet, “Did I speak a word with anyone of Israel, >Why have you not built me a house of cedar?< (v. 7)" My brethren, originally, God does not need a temple. In fact, it is a ridiculous thought that God is in a small house built by dust-like humans. And the side effect of building the temple is the misunderstanding that God does not exist outside the temple. And it does no small harm to us. People tend to distinguish between the sacred and the secular, and to sin freely in secular place. And if you build a temple, there can be a side effect that makes people more interested in the temple itself than God. So, from the standpoint of God, a tent is more comfortable for him than a temple. The tabernacle symbolically shows that it is not the original dwelling place of God. The tabernacle shows symbolically the temporary presence of God. There is no house in the world where God originally inhabits. God's hometown is not here but heaven. God wants to be in the invisible temple, that is the heart of man, rather than in the visible temple. (I hope that your heart will be a good temple!) There are a number of temples made of stone on earth now, but as a matter of fact, they are just hard tents. Let's think in common sense. Is it likely that the dust-like humans build a house for the unlimited God, or is it likely that the God of abundance grace gives humans houses and lands to live in? He defined the temple as 'a house for the prayer of all people'. In fact, strictly speaking, the temple is a house for those who pray to God. In that sense, the temple is the grace of God that has been given to man. Because, when people pray there, God gives more attention and hears the prayer. God allows humans to build temples in order to give more grace to them.

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God saw and pleased David's heart. But God did not allow David to build a temple. on the surface, the reason was that David shed much blood of men in war. David was a little disappointed, but he followed God's will 100 percent. By this David shows us a good example of faith: we must not do what God forbids even if it looks good to us. You should never arbitrarily build a church or become a pastor. You must be more careful especially when there are many who enter the priesthood like these days. You can be a servant of God only if God has called you as his servant. Just the fact itself that you have received great gifts (charismata) is not the hard evidence that you have been called by God to be a pastor. Do not be tempted to study theology and be ordained minister as you like after you have received such gifts as tongues, prophecy, and healing. A few days ago, there was a report that a crazy minister received 700,000 won from each unqualified woman, and ordained her minister. He must be punished severely! He must have learned how dirty simony is, during his theological college ...

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But my brethren, in fact, Israel itself is the temple of God. David made many wars to restore the lands Israel had lost and to expand the national boundaries, so strengthened the national power. He conquered the nations round about and prevented them from invading Israel. If the neighboring countries become strong and the war is frequent, the Israelites can not keep the feasts of God properly and offer sacrifices to God because of the war. A solid border and strong national power were the foundation of the Israeli Yahweh-religion. Therefore, in fact David has played an important role in building the temple (house) of God firmly so far. What was the real reason God would stop David from building a temple? My thought is as follows. David risked his life to fight many wars with neighboring countries, making Israel stand on a solid rock (foundation). It is not a simple work to defeat many enemies round about and make Israel a strong nation in order that Israel may be in stable domestic and international situations. That was necessary for Israel to become a normal nation fully serving God, and David risked his life to accomplish it. How much more effort will David have to make if he begins to build even the temple of God? God is saying to David, “You've worked too hard for me. You'd better rest now. It doesn't matter that the temple should be built at the time of your son. So let the temple be built then.” God permits David who has worked hard for God so far to take a rest, instead he promises David that he will do him (David) great favor from now on. The promise is that God will personally establish the house of David now. “Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. (v. 11)” Until now, David has devoted all his energy to establishing the house of God. Now God promises that he will build up the solid house of David from now on.

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Brethren, God never forgets your labor. David himself thought that he had accomplished all the work of God by God's grace, but God never forgot David's sweat for the establishment of the Yahweh faith in the kingdom of Israel. Brethren, God never forgets your sweat. If you have sweated a lot to establish the kingdom of God, God now builds your house. The God of David is your God.

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Then what are the specific contents of the promise that God will build David's house? First, God says he will grant David great honor. “I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. (v. 9)” Brethren, the first condition for establishing a house is the honor of the family (the house). God promises to make David's name the most honorable one in the world. If one of your family is a thief, your house has already gone down. If someone was a traitor (in old days), the three families (his family, his mother's family, and his wife's family) would be exterminated. But if there is an honorable name in a house, the house stands firmly on the rock. There were a lot of rich people in the past. However, the houses that have remained until now are not their houses but rather the houses whose founders did great works in the world to honor their family. As David became a great figure, there is still the star of David in the Israeli flag. David is also widely known as the greatest believer. This is also his honor. If you spare no pains to build the kingdom of God, he will exalt your name. God honors him who honors him (God), and despises him who despises him.

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Next, God promises to give honorable positions (jobs) to the descendants of David. “But I will not take my steadfast love from him (David's son), as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you, And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever. (v. 15-16)” If you have a good job and earn money, you can get married, buy a house, have children and establish your house. God promises that the sons of David will continue to inherit the throne. God says to David that his descendants will inherit the throne forever lest David be worried because Saul's house was deserted by God and ruined. In fact, the sons of David inherited the throne until Judah was destroyed and taken captive. Above all, Jesus, King of kings, followed David's line. He is the eternal King. What a great honor to David! Jesus belongs to David's house according to flesh. God gives good, noble jobs to the people who worked hard for his kingdom and to their descendants, making them rich and prosperous. In a word, God makes them great as the descendants of Abraham.

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Finally, God promises that he himself will be the father of the house of David. “I will be his (David's offspring's) father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men. (v. 14)” If the head of a household is strong and righteous, no one can harm the house. God says he himself will be the head of the house of David. Thus, if the children of David go astray, he (the God) will lead them to the right path, as a father chastises and admonishes his children. Of course, God will take care of all the difficult problems of the house of David. My brethren, what a grace it is! If you work hard for the kingdom of God like David, he will be the head of your house. He will be the master of your house. He will keep your house. Your family will be a holy family by God's being the master of your house. Your house is already heaven on earth.

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Brethren, if you build and keep the church (God's house), God also will build and keep your house. on the contrary, if you destroy the church and the priesthood, God will destroy your house and your job. Like David, you must always do anything, if possible, physically as well as mentally, for the kingdom of God, The God of David is a faithful God. If you live like David, God will be a faithful God to you.

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May God build your house. God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit bless all of you with all blessings! Amen!

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Chong Tack Kim

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                                 - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -