Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
2 Samuel 7:18-21
1). Gratitude to YHWH for what He has promised for him and his house (2 Samuel 7:18).
‘Then David the king went in, and remained before YHWH.'
David clearly sees himself here as having a role to play in the Tent of Meeting, just as the prince will have one in the heavenly Temple of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 44:3). Thus here he now goes in and sits before YHWH to pray with regard to both himself and the people.
“Remained (tarried) before YHWH.” For the use of the verb compare Genesis 24:55; Genesis 29:19; etc. We do not know what posture David took up. He in fact probably stood, although he may have fallen on his face (compare 2 Samuel 12:16).
‘And he said, “Who am I, O Lord YHWH, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”
He opens his prayer by admitting that he and his house are totally undeserving. Who is he, and what are they, that YHWH has even brought them thus far, to sit on the throne of Israel? Even though he is now a great king he is aware of his own undeserving and recognises that he owes it all to YHWH, and he is amazed at YHWH's condescension. He is amazed at God's goodness to him. Note how ‘who am I O Lord YHWH' here becomes ‘Who is like to You' in 2 Samuel 7:22. His wonder at God's goodness to him leads him on to be aware of just how wonderful God is. It is a reminder to us that self-examination fails if it does not lead on to a recognition of the wonder and grace of God. It should never lead us to despair, but, through the cross, to an appreciation of all God's undeserved goodness towards us.
“You have brought me thus far” - as described in 1 Samuel 16:1 -2 Samuel 6:23. David could look back on a life of many ups and downs, and he is filled with wonder at the fact that YHWH has been with him through them all. We too should be filled with amazement as we look back in the same way and consider how God has similarly brought us safely through all the vicissitudes of life to our present position. In the words of Paul, ‘by the grace of God I am what I am', that is, the chief of sinners saved by grace.
“ And this was yet a small thing in your eyes, O Lord YHWH, but you have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is the law of man, O Lord YHWH!”
And yet YHWH has not only done this comparatively small thing, but now the wonder is that He has extended it to apply to His servant's house for a great while to come. He has, indeed, condescended to act in accordance with the law laid down for the behaviour of one man to another (‘the law (torah) of man') where the laws of inheritance are strictly laid down and permanent, guaranteeing their fulfilment. Such is His mercy and compassion that YHWH has bound Himself to similar consistency of dealing with the house of David as is found in such laws of inheritance, so that the rights of inheritance will pass on, just as they do under the law of man.
Alternately we might see ‘this is the law (instruction, directive) of man' as meaning ‘the instruction (of YHWH) as it applies to humankind'. The first interpretation saw the certainty of fulfilment as based on the fact that YHWH would show great condescension and follow the permanent custom of men in this regard, this second now makes the certainty of fulfilment dependent on nothing less than God's own directive as regards men. In both cases the emphasis is on the certainty of fulfilment.
“ And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord YHWH.”
In view of YHWH's grace and condescension David finds that he can have nothing further to say. He has been rendered speechless in wonder. He can only rest on the fact that YHWH knows His servant (him) through and through (1 Samuel 16:7), and has therefore in His own sovereign purpose decided to act in this way. Thus he rests all on YHWH. It is all within His good pleasure (see Deuteronomy 7:7).
Alternately ‘you know (have known) your servant' may have in mind the divine activity whereby He ‘knows' a person by choosing them out for himself. Compare Genesis 18:19; Amo 3:2; 1 Corinthians 8:3; Galatians 4:9. This interpretation fits in well with verse 21. Of course, both are true for all who are His. He both ‘knows' His servants by choosing them out for Himself from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), and also knows them through and through.
“ For your word's sake, and according to your own heart, have you wrought all this greatness, to make your servant know it.”
Indeed he recognises that the basis of YHWH's action towards him and his seed can only be His own promises, what He has Himself guaranteed by His word and will therefore fulfil (e.g. Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17; 1 Samuel 16:1; compare 1 Samuel 2:10), and His own love and covenant kindness which springs from His own heart (compare Deuteronomy 7:7). David acknowledges that it is because of these past promises made according to God's sovereign will that He has wrought all that He has made known to His servant, the fulfilment of all these great and wonderful promises through which He is showing His greatness. In the end all is of God.
That David did recognise the connection between the promise of God now being communicated to him by Nathan and Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:10 is evident from 1 Chronicles 28:4 where he clearly refers to his election as king as being as a consequence of the election of Judah as ruler.