The Indianapolis journal., 1903-10-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
October II, I9O3-2 Samuel vii, 4-16-
Gods Covenant with David.


David sat gazing through his palace window.
How novel his sensations of security and repose.
The fugitive and torager had suddenly come a
ixedness of life. The cave, the leafy cover, the
tent, had given place to the sealed dwelling
ample and elegant in the highest art of that day.
Through the open window the King in his rev.
erie saw the goody battements of a city beau
tiful for situation and destined to become so
beautiful in itself to be the Joy Of all the
earth.
That moment his eye rests upon the curtained
temple crowning the heights. 1t is a painful
anachronism. However well it may have suited
the pilgrim epoch OF the nations history. it is
now palpably out of date. Its swaying walls
are in strange contrast to the immovable bat
Elements rising on every side. yet that moth
eaten and shaking tent shrines the nations
palladium and Jehovahs presence.
David's devout heart scarcely contain it.
self He gazes from the tesseIlated floor TO the
futed cedar columns supporting gold-fretted cell
ing, and then TO the antiquated tabernacle quite
ready to dissolve, cries deprecatingly his con-
genial companions: See, now, dwell in house
of cedar. but the ark Of God dweleth within
curtains,''
Nathan was a trife precipitate when he said:
Go and do all that is in thine heart. for the
Lord is with thee" lie spoke his own mind
not the Lords. He could not even claim that
permission which St. Paul in certain place
assumes in contrast to a positive commandment
A psychological basis for the revelation which
the prophet received that night is found i'm the
profoundly important and spirited conversation
which he had had with the King that day. 1t
is borne in upon his consciousness as in audi
BILE voice that. however desirable from the human
standpoint, IL is not expedient that David should
build the proposed temple.
An,
which plans and specifications shall be matured
and adequate resources and materials gathered
The actual erection OF a structure so unique and
colossal, whose minutest detail and all its wealth
Of curious furniture Is 10 be spiritually signih-
cant, requires the undivided attention OF a perxon
thoroughly equipped for such task. David is
not that person. Leisure from other pursuits is
also indispensable. Additional military UNDER
takings are in store for MIN before the perpetuty
of his royal house is fully assured.
Jehovah, in ineffable condescension. has fore
sworn temple and been satisfied with tent
for 4Oc years. There is need of precipitation
now. Jehovah can wait. He has never yet said:
Why build ye me not house of cedar?" Let
the man who proposes IL do this thing for God
know he would have no power to do it except as
it given him from God. Let him remember
his lowIy origin-the sheep and the sheep-cote
The sine qua OF David's building a house
for God is that God should first build a house
for David. This God will do In the establishment
and perpetuaton OF his dynasty. Davsds holy
ambition however. shall be consummated in the
person Of his son, who shall build house for
Jehovahs name.
Punitive judgments may fall on David's sue
| &c ssors, but there shall never be such with
drawal OF divine favor in the case OF Saul
His house and kingdom shall be tabIfshed for
ever, so Tninutely and satisfactorily the will of
the Lord touching this matter of the rebuilding
OF a temple is revealed to David by the vision
and word OF the prophet Nathan.
THE TEACHERS LANTERN
The diameter OF all the psalms and prophecies
relating to the Hebrew monarchy is always
longer than the lifetime of that monarchy. II
overlaps 1t prodigously 1t Is an exaggera-
| tion. How can David's throne be said 20 be es
,abished forever when 1t has already ceased 10
exist:
| The promised eternal perpetuity OF The Dayidic
| dynasty finds its fulhllment In the spiritual en-
| pire of David's great son. The promises as they
related literally TO David and his descendants
were contingent and temporary. These very
promises. in their larger and sublimer reference
10 the Messiah and His kingdom. are absolute
and unlimited. They literally fulfilling before
our eyes to-day.
That the Mess!anc Kingdom is evolution
| from the Davidc and that all the descriptive
| terms and the promises relating 10 the latter
| are 10 be carried forward In the former Is ext-
| dent from the New Testament. In the Annun-
| citation the angel said TO Mary: The Lord God
shall give unto him tthe unborn Messiah) the
throne of his father David" I'eter said OF
| David: Being a prophet and knowing that
| God had sworn with an oath TO him that OF the
| fruit of his loins according TO the flesh he would
rise Up Christ TO sit on his throne"
The Messianie kingdom is nObly described in