Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
2 Samuel 7:1-7
David Determines To Build A House Of Cedar For YHWH Like His Own, An Offer Which YHWH Graciously Refuses (2 Samuel 7:1).
It was natural that looking around at his own palace, with which he was clearly delighted, (a palace of cedar represented the height of even a king's ambition, it was the height of luxury and a firm seal on his grandeur), David should consider that YHWH ought also to enjoy such a house. He did not, of course, realise it, but by this he was basically bringing YHWH down to his own materialistic level. He was soon to be reminded that YHWH had no such ambitions and was not to be so bound. YHWH was not interested in a local palace (even though later He would graciously allow them to build one. How we love to tie Him down to a place).
This suggestion follows naturally on what occurred in the last chapter. There the Ark of YHWH had been brought into Jerusalem and placed in a specially made Tent. Now David was thinking beyond that to placing it in a permanent home, a House of cedar. But what David was forgetting was that the Ark of YHWH was the Ark of the God of Battle, of the God of power and movement, of the God of justice, not the Ark of a God of comfortable palaces and soft living. Indeed it would be because David spent too much time in his palace of cedar at the time when kings went forth to war that he would sin with Bathsheba (chapter 11). We need to beware of ‘houses of cedar' (Jeremiah 22:14).
Analysis.
a And it came about, when the king dwelt in his house, and YHWH had given him rest from all his enemies round about, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains” (2 Samuel 7:1).
b And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for YHWH is with you” (2 Samuel 7:3).
c And it came about the same night, that the word of YHWH came to Nathan (2 Samuel 7:4).
b Saying, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says YHWH, Will you build me a house for me to dwell in?' ” (2 Samuel 7:5).
a “For I have not dwelt in a house since the day 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. In all places in which I have walked with all the children of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” (2 Samuel 7:6).
Note that in ‘a' David bewails the fact that he dwells in a house of cedar while YHWH dwells in a tent, and in the parallel YHWH declares that He has always dwelt in a tent while He has been with His people, ever since they left Egypt (first the Tent of Meeting and then the Tabernacle), and had never asked to have a house of cedar built for Him. In ‘b' Nathan tells David he can go ahead, and in the parallel he has to rescind his instruction. Centrally in ‘c' YHWH responds that same night.
‘ And it came about, when the king dwelt in his house, and YHWH had given him rest from all his enemies round about, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.”
This revelation clearly comes a good way into David' reign, for it occurs once he himself was established in his house of cedar (2 Samuel 5:11), a house which would have taken a good while to build, and was in fact built by Hiram of Tyre who himself ruled towards the end of David's reign. It also occurs once David had been given rest from all his enemies, in other words when he had finally established his empire.
It is a tribute to David's genuine feeling for YHWH that at such a time his thoughts should turn towards how he could show his gratitude to YHWH for all that He had done for him. And as he looked around at his house of cedar he began to think how wrong it was that he should have such a magnificent palace while, the Ark of God only had a tent made of curtains for its resting place. We must not, of course, trivialise this by assuming that David had a limited view of YHWH as bound to a tent. Quite apart from the high view of God that he constantly reveals in his Psalms (consider 2 Samuel 22; Psalms 2; Psalms 89), he brought up his son to recognise that ‘even the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain you' (1 Kings 8:27). And he undoubtedly knew that YHWH was continually active wherever he himself went, whether at home or abroad. Nevertheless it quite understandably felt wrong to him that, among men, YHWH's earthly dwellingplace should simply be a place made only of curtains. (His thinking is a reminder of how often we seek to fit God within our limited perceptions and ideas).
But to his credit he did not just steam ahead and build it. He called on Nathan to in order to discover what God's view on the matter was.
‘ And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for YHWH is with you.” '
It is interesting that Nathan the prophet at first went along with David. He was equally confused. He wholly approved of the idea, and assured David that YHWH was with him. This may have meant that he thought that YHWH agreed with the proposal (in which case he spoke without consulting YHWH), but more likely it was simply his reminder to David that YHWH generally fully supported David by His presence in all that he did (‘is with you'), and would therefore no doubt approve. It did however, await sanction from On High.
‘ And it came about the same night, that the word of YHWH came to Nathan, saying,
And sure enough that same night, probably as he was seeking the face of YHWH, the word of YHWH came to Nathan. It is a reminder that YHWH knew what David had said and was fully aware of what was going on (how often we forget this). Note the inference that YHWH wanted David to know immediately that he must not go ahead. He did not want him to go ahead with his plans and then be disappointed, or even humiliated.
“ Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says YHWH, Will you build me a house for me to dwell in?' For I have not dwelt in a house since the day 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.”
His words commenced with a reminder that David was His servant. It was a clear reminder that great king David might be, but he served a Greater. He was as much under YHWH's command as the least of the servants in the household were under his. But it was also a title of honour (it would be one of the titles of the greatest Servant of all - Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12; Mark 10:45). It was no light thing to serve YHWH. This is a balance that we, as His servants, must always maintain. On the one hand those who serve YHWH are greatly privileged. On the other they must be humble. They must remember that they are appointed solely to humbly do His bidding, not their own.
He then questioned what David had determined to do, and asked on what grounds he thought that he had the right to alter the situation that had always stood (i.e. the ‘status quo')? Did he not realise that YHWH had always been pleased to dwell in a tent, ever since He had delivered His people out of Israel? And more, He had wanted to live in a tent, because He had wanted to be alongside His people, and to live as they lived. He had wanted to share with all of them in their lifestyles and in their sufferings. It was a reminder that although He dwelt in the High and Holy Place, He also dwelt with those who were of a humble and contrite spirit (Isaiah 57:15), and shared their afflictions. He did not want His people to feel that He was ‘above them'. He wanted them to know that He was One with them in their pains.
Nor did He need the self-aggrandisement of a house of cedar. If a Temple was to be built which would adequately portray His glory it would require to cover the whole earth, for the whole earth is full of His glory. As Solomon would say, ‘even the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain You. How much less this house that I have built'. Thus a Tent better represented His glory, for it was a reminder that He was too great for anything more splendid, which could therefore only be seen as temporary accommodation.
“ In all places in which I have walked with all the children of Israel, did I speak a word with anyone of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”
Let David think about it. Did he not realise that YHWH had called many to be shepherds of His people Israel, just as He had David? But let him consider this. In all the places where He had walked with them, had He ever commanded that they build Him a house of cedar? The answer expected was ‘No!' It was undoubtedly a gentle rebuke, while recognising David's goodwill, for He was reminding David that David's thoughts were not His thoughts, and that David did not see things as He saw them. What could a house of cedar mean to the invisible One Who dwelt on High (2 Samuel 22:10) and was constantly surrounded by the host of Heaven (Deuteronomy 33:2; 1 Kings 22:19), of which the cherubim on the Ark were but a symbol? A tent indeed best represented Him, for it was a reminder that His permanent dwelling was not among men, and that no Temple could be splendid enough to reveal His glory.
All this was in total contrast with the gods of other nations who, according to their nation's literature, were obsessed with the idea of a Temple being built for them, and conditioned their future rewards and blessings to kings on that fact. Their view was ‘you look after me and I will look after you' (a theology of works). YHWH's very different approach was ‘Forget the Temple. I will look after you, and I will continue to look after you' (a theology of grace)..