Have you ever noticed that sometimes God spoils our plans with something even better? In 1 Chronicles 17, King David decides that he is going to build God a house of worship and starts making preparations.
After the king had made himself at home, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Look at this. Here I am comfortable in a luxurious palace of cedar and the Chest of the Covenant of God sits under a tent."
Nathan told David, "Whatever is on your heart, go and do it; God is with you."
But that night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying, "Go and tell my servant David, This is God's word on the matter: You will not build me a 'house' to live in. Why, I haven't lived in a 'house' from the time I brought up the children of Israel from Egypt till now; I've gone from one tent and makeshift shelter to another. In all my travels with all Israel, did I ever say to any of the leaders I commanded to shepherd Israel, 'Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?' "
Christ's name Immanuel means "God with us." Could it be that God chose to have the Ark of the Covenant housed in a tent for those generations from when it was built until after David's reign, because God wanted a physical sign that He was with them in their discomfort? Many of them were living in transitory tents, moving from place to place with no permanent dwelling-- and so God chose to have his dwelling- the Tent of Meeting- the place you go to to meet with God- in the same level of permanence (or lack of) as the people's homes? Anyone here spend time living in tents for longer than a weekend? It's not the most comfortable of living situations, but could it be that God was pointing out that he was WITH them in their transitory discomfort? The Bible doesn't really spell that out and it may not be good theology, but it makes sense to me.
God then sends Nathan back to David to tell him GOD's actual plan:
"And now I'm telling you this: GOD himself will build YOU a house! When your life is complete and you're buried with your ancestors, then I'll raise up your child to succeed you, a child from your own body, and I will firmly establish his rule. HE will build a house to honor me, and I will guarantee his kingdom's rule forever. I will be a father to him, and he'll be a son to me..."
King David went in, took his place before GOD and prayed:
"Who am I, my Master GOD, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that's nothing compared to what's coming, for you have also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow and looked on me, Master GOD, as a Somebody. What's left for David to say to this- to your honoring your servant, even though you know me just as I am?"
I have been blessed to be married to an amazing woman. Our 25th anniversary is one month from today. But in our first few years of marriage, I was insecure. Make that Insecure, with a capital "I." I was sure that if she really knew me-- knew the REAL me, that she would be gone. Periodically, I would exclaim "Please don't leave me!" She would get annoyed and respond, "I am NOT leaving you." Eventually, she loved that insecurity right out of me, and I am grateful for her persistence. We vowed among other things, to be together "in sickness and in health." This here is the sickness part, and she's still with me, and I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God in giving me this woman.
So you see, this passage really resonates with me. David struggled to wrap his head around such a precious promise, that his own son would build a house for God and that God would establish his rule. The really astounding part for David, is that God would make these precious promises, as he put it "EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW ME JUST AS I AM."
You see, God knows us, knows all our failures, and he STILL loves us. This promise was made after his sin with Bathsheba. It was made after one son murdered another son for raping his sister, and later plotted against his father and was killed in the resulting civil war. As a father, I would feel at least partly responsible before God for my children in situations like these. If I had done my job as father properly, surely these bad things wouldn't have happened? God knows me. He knows everything I am, everything I have been, and everything I will become. And still, STILL, He makes precious promises to me.
EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS ME JUST AS I AM.
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