“¹² And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: ¹⁵ But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. ¹⁶ And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

The Book of 1^st Samuel begins with the people of God desiring a king to rule over them; and ends with the suicide of the first king of Israel, the man who won the people’s heart, but pleased not God.

The Book of 2^nd Samuel picks up where 1^st Samuel ended. It describes the ascendancy of David, the second king of Israel, the man after God’s own heart.

This is a very beautiful historical book that contains many precious promises. But there is one promise that stands out among all the rest. It is a promise that we cannot miss if we are studying the great and precious promises in the Bible.

I am referring, of course, to the promise and prophesy contained in our text, namely 2 Samuel 7:12-16.

Let’s consider this promise under 3 heads. First, let’s consider its historical context. Secondly, let us consider its Christological significance. And thirdly, let us consider how we should respond to this promise.

1. Historical Context

These are the words of the LORD delivered by Nathan the prophet in response to David’s desire to build a temple for Him.

Years later, David would tell his son, and subsequently all his princes that God told him that He did not want him to build the temple because he was a man of war and had shed much blood (1 Chr 22:8; 1Chr 28:3). David understood that Solomon, who would be a man of peace, should build the Temple.

Nevertheless, the Word of God that Nathan brought to David that is recorded for us in our text makes no mention of David being a man of war. Rather the Lord simply told David that his son would build the temple for Him.

Now, this promise would not be extremely significant but for the fact that the Holy Spirit makes it quite clear in the New Testament, that the prophecy of Nathan is not only about Solomon, but about the Greater Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, you will not find any of these verses of our text quoted directly in the New Testament. However, there are so many verses in the New Testament about Christ that allude to it that you can hardly find any commentator who will fail to acknowledge the Christological significance of what Nathan was saying.

2. Christological Significance

Consider the announcement of Gabriel to Mary—how Jesus “shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Lk 1:32). Notice how in our text, the LORD both promised to establish the throne of the son of David and also claim him to be His own Son (v. 14)?

Is this not the reason why Christ, the Son of God is so regularly referred to as “the Son of David” in the New Testament (Mt 1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22 etc).

Consider, likewise, the Apostle Peter’s reference to the oath of God to David to raise up Christ out of his own loins (Acts 2:30). When did God swear to David? No doubt, here in verse 12 of our text.

And consider how the Lord Jesus speaks of building His Church (Mt 16:18); and that the Church is the Temple of God to offer up spiritual sacrifices (1Cor 3:16; Eph 2:21-22; 1Pt 2:5 etc).

What can you conclude by putting all these things together? You do see, don’t you, that the prophecy of Nathan is not only about Solomon, the son of David, but about Christ Jesus, the greater Son of David, the greater Solomon (cf. Mt 12:42).

For if you think about it, although David was a man of war, David’s devotion to the Lord far surpassed,—as far as I can tell,—the devotion of Solomon to the Lord. Solomon might be a man of peace in the temporal sense, but he was a man of great spiritual turmoil.

So it appears that all things equal, ultimately David would appear to be as qualified if not more qualified to build the Temple. But God would have His people recognise that David was not the Messiah, the Messiah would be a Son of David.

Therefore, the promise of our text applied only to Solomon typically, but applied to the Lord ultimately. And so we may learn 4 things from this promise:

(1) The Lord, the Son of David would build the Temple of God.

(2) The Lord, the Son of David would be the only begotten Son of the heavenly Father.

(3) The Lord, the Son of David would experience the Lord’s would be chastised for sin, though not His own—but the sin of His body, the Church, which is imputed to Him.

(4) The kingdom of the Son of David, Christ, would be established forever and ever.

3. Applicatory Response

Now, it is clear that the promise is not given to us directly; nor is it about us personally and individually. How then is this promise important and applicable to us?

Well, this promise is important and applicable to us because it is about Christ Jesus our Lord!

Christ Jesus our Lord is the Greater Solomon, our King and covenant Head, and the builder and finisher of the Temple of God.

Solomon might have been the wisest man who ever lived during his time. Christ Jesus was no mere man. He knew all things that He chose to know (Jn 16:30).

Solomon had everything, and he was shielded from many evils. And yet he sinned grievously against the Lord. Christ Jesus had nothing, was tempted at all points like as we are, and yet without sin.

Solomon built the temple out of carnal materials, much of which was prepared by David his father; Christ Jesus purchased the stones to build the spiritual Temple with His own blood.

Solomon probably did not lift a finger in the actual building of the temple; Christ Jesus on the other hand was and is the chief corner stone of the Temple.

The temple that Solomon built was used to offer carnal sacrifices, sometimes abominable in the sight of God. The Temple that Christ built will offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God for all eternity.

The temple that Solomon built has been torn down. The Temple that Christ is building is for eternity.

The Holy Spirit departed from the temple that Solomon built, He will never depart from the Temple that Christ is building.

Thank God that we can be part of this great Temple of Christ. How should we respond to this great privilege? How, but by gratefully and cheerfully doing what we are redeemed and joined together to do, namely to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ Jesus (1 Pet 2:5).

How may we do so? We may do so in two ways.

First, we must do so in formal worship, public and private worship when we offer up the calves of our lips (Hosea 14:2) and receive a blessing from the Lord.

Secondly, we must do so in our life of worship, offering up of our bodies “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom 12:1).

Conclusion

Beloved brethren and children, every one of the great and precious promises of God in Bible are important and relevant to us. But we must not have the idea that the promises are good only if they encourage us directly and personally.

We must remember that Christianity is not about emotions. It is about salvation and life in Christ. The promises of God speak of what blessings and privileges that God has prepared for us as a people united to Christ.

Only by spiritual eyes opened by the Spirit of Christ can we see how some of these things are blessings and privileges.

For it is when the Spirit of Christ works in our hearts that we realise that true blessedness is not found in carnal pleasures and selfish comforts. It is found rather in the glory of God in Christ.

It is as such a great privilege and blessing to be accounted as living stones of the Temple of Christ which is built for this very purpose that God may be glorified in Christ.

May the Lord help us to appreciate these things and so to serve Him gratefully and joyfully. Amen. Ω