2 Samuel 5:10-12

(10) And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him. (11) В¶ And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house. (12) And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

How delightful it is to read of David's greatness, when we learn at the same time, that David's Lord made him so. It was the same grace towards David, which inclined the heart of Hiram, king of Tyre, to minister to David's accommodation. Sweet is that promise, and abundantly sure; when a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7, And still more in a spiritual sense, the Lord hath promised his dear Son, concerning his people, that the sons of strangers shall build up the walls of his Zion, their kings shall minister unto him; they shall bring the forces of the Gentiles, and their kings shall be brought. Isaiah 60:10. But what I beg the Reader particularly to notice in this account of David, is that David perceived the Lord's hand in all his advancement. Oh! Reader, what a mercy was this! It was this distinguishing mercy which crowned and sweetened all. Thousands there are upon earth, surrounded with blessings, but who live unconscious of the Lord's hand in the gifts. And tens of thousands who live only to abuse them. Nay, Reader, many among the Lord's people lose much of the sweetness of his precious gifts, from forgetting to eye his hand in them. Lord! I would say, both for myself and Reader, open thou our eyes to see thy gracious goings forth, and as gracious comings in with thy blessings; that we may enjoy Jesus in his blessings, and all blessings for his sake. But, Reader! we must not stop here in our improvement on this view of David. Was not David, very eminently here, a type of his Almighty Saviour? Was David exalted for his people's sake, and was his throne established over Israel; and shall not my faith take wing, and fly up to the contemplation of thee, thou risen and exalted Jesus, who art purposely exalted as a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins? Yes! blessed Lord! thou art indeed exalted, far above all principalities and powers, and might, and dominion! God our Father hath highly exalted thee, and given thee a name above every name. And dearest, blessed Jesus, if thou art thus exalted, and thus lifted up, do I not know (for thou hast thyself spoken the words) that it is to draw all thy people unto thee. Not for thyself, but for Israel's sake; for thy glory as God, one with the Father, could receive no exaltation, no increase; but, as King of thy people, and their Mediator, the Lord our God hath made thee his first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. Psalms 89:27; John 12:32.