The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-10-01
GODS PROMISE
TO DAVID
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. II, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper


failed one word Of all his good promises"
/ Kings $3.50.
TIME-About the middle OF David's
reign. Not long after the ark was brought
TO Jerusalem.
PLACE.-Jerusalem.
PROPHETS.-Nathan, now first mem
toned: and Cad who had been with Da-
vid In his exile.
The second period OF David's reign.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
David. In his magnificent palace OF
cedar. looked out upon the place of
worship for the nation and saw only
a tent, which must soon decay, as the
Mosaic tent had decayed. II did not
seem right and fitting that any private
house, even a kings should be more
beautiful and costly than Gods house.
II did not honor God nor religion. The
prophet Haggai Q:D, five centuries
later. uttered the Lords rebuke to his
people. rs II time for you, o ye. to
dwell in your ceiled houses, and this
house lie waste?"
The king. with a noble longing for
the good of his people and the honor
Of God, desired TO build temple that
would worthily express the nations
feelings toward their God and
strengthen their religious moral life
Accordingly he consulted with Nathan
the prophet.
V. 2. Nathan said Do all
that is in thine heart; for God is with
thee" Davids desire was right
v. 3. The same night, the
word OF God came to Nathan" In a
vision q Sam. 7:17)
The prophet was right in the assur-
ance that the object OF David's desire
was pleasing to God, but there was
need of light upon the best way of &C
complishing IT, God had better an
swer to David's prayer than David
imagined.
v. 4. Thou shalt not" Emphasize
the pronoun-"THOU shalt not build
me a house to dwell in" II shall be
built. but not by David's hands.
There is a deep lesson for us In
Gods treatment Of David's plan. We
are tempted 10 do a right thing in a
wrong way. OF a second best way.
God approved Of Jacobs possessing
the birthright, but not OF his method
Of obtaining It. The early Christians
were right in their expectation of the
fact OF the early coming again Of
Christ, but not necessarily of the exact
method of his coming. God approves
OF our desire for the conversion of
men. for the unity of the church, for
the reformation OF the land from GER
tain evils. but that does not necessari-
ly carry with It his approval OF every
method and saying OF reviyalists and
reformers.
Instead of Dayid's building a house
for God, God will build a house for
David. Il tell thee the Lord
will build thee an house" The EN-
phasis is on thee. His descendants
shall be on the throne for evermore.
V. IA. Il will settle him in mine
house and in my kingdom for ever"
The real kingdom of God consists of
his people. gradually increasing in
numbers, in character. in power for
good. till the kingdom shall include
the wide. wide world, the spiritual
temple in which God dwels. and is
worshiped by all creation for evermore.
Through the whole history OF Judah
there was but one dynasty. while in
the Northern Kingdom there were
seven different dynasties in their 10
kings.
After the destruction of the temple
and the extinction Of David's dynasty
in Jerusalem. the writer in Chronicles
and the post-exilian Prophets regard
the promise as still in force, and still
In process of fulfillment to the seed
of David, With no limit TO its eternal
operation" This was the period of
transition from the formal to the spir-
itual, but none the less real, kingdom
and Inheritance OF David. The COM
plete fulfllment was in Jesus Christ.
great David's greater Son." In the
works of Keil, The posterity of David
could only last forever by running out
in person who lives forever; that is,
by eliminating in the Messiah, who
lives forever, and of whose kingdom
there is no end" The prediction OF
Balaam. of a scepter and star arising
out OF jacob, is now 10 De uulOlueQ
in the scepter OF David's line" The
New Testament repeatedly speaks of
Jesus as the son of David, and inher-
itor of the promises (Luke 1878;
20:4l-44; Acts 2:2s-S1; 1929. 49,
Soon after Christs death, authority
and almost existence as a separate ma
ton was taken away from the Jews, at
the destruction of Jerusalem. But be-
fore this time Christ set up his king.
dom. which was David's kingdom, in
another form. for David's kingdom was
in his time the visible kingdom of God
in the world. And thus David's king
dom, through his descendant and heir,
still continues. and will abide forever.
bringing all nations and peoples under
It's sway. and more than realizing all
the visions of glory which filled the
Jewish heart.
Practical Points.
God will answer our sincere prayers,
but often in better way than we had
planned for ourselves.
-. - IL