Most of the members of my congregation live in nice houses that they worked hard to acquire and maintain — houses that they will some day pass on to their children and grandchildren. I am very happy for them, and I rejoice when they tell me about all the work they have put into their houses. Penny and I have never owned a house and we probably never will. God has blessed us with a large family, advanced educational and ministry experiences and an impact on the lives of people around the globe. I don’t regret the choices I have made. But I do confess a bit of envy at how God has blessed others.

In today’s text, David had finally been blessed with a royal palace. He had lived his life first as a shepherd, then as a soldier. He was amazed that after all that life in the field, he was now settling down to a permanent house. He was also somewhat ashamed that while he got his permanent house, God was still manifesting his divine presence in the tabernacle. There was something wrong about that, and David intended to change it. He wanted to build the LORD a temple. But God said no. 

Instead of David building God a house, God was going to build David one — a house and a kingdom that will stand before the LORD permanently — a permanent dynasty. The temple would be built by one of David’s sons — Solomon. The Dynasty would be a permanent one because the Messiah himself — Jesus Christ would come from the line of David.

We all want our lives to count for something – to be significant. We want to matter. We try this thing or that, seeking to impact the world around us. We should not fight that impulse, because behind our drive to build a “house” for God, there is a loving sovereign God empowering us to succeed, because he is building a permanent house for us.

Jefferson Vann, Delco, N.C.

Extended Scripture: 2 Samuel 4–7 (NET)