I Chronicles Chapter 17

Please read:  I Chronicles 17 –

David is known for “having a heart after God,” and it is very evident here.  David was always thinking about how he could show his love to God and how he could bring glory to God.  The fact that David lived in a beautiful home while the Ark of the Covenant rested in a tent bothered David.  What seemed like a beautiful idea to build a temple was not according to God’s timetable.  David would not be the one to build the temple but rather his offspring.

God had something much bigger in mind to give to David than David’s gift of wanting to build a temple.  God was going to establish the kingdom of David forever.  And David’s heart was exactly in the right place; not feeling worthy that God would bestow such a beautiful gift to him.  David gave God all the glory for the greatness of God.

Let's Reflect

1.  Did you notice that the prophet Nathan agreed with David right away that he should build a temple for God?  Why was it wrong for Nathan to give that response?

2.  Imagine for a moment Nathan’s thoughts as he realized the next day that he needed to recant what he said the day before to the king.  Why did he have to recant what he had said?

3.  In God’s message to David, God speaks of moving from place to place with the Israelites in a tent.  What question did God never ask of the people in all those years?

4.  God, instead of accepting David’s offer, makes several promises to David.  What promises did God make to David in verses 8-10?

5.  The biggest gift that God promised to David was that He would build David a house.  God was referring to His eternal kingdom.  We know that it was from the line of David that our eternal king was born, King Jesus.  He also promised David, that in the future, someone would build a temple building.  According to verse 11 who would build the temple?

Luke 1:30-33 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

6.  After receiving all these beautiful promises from God, what did David do?

7.  According to verse 20, what did David know about God?

8.  David was glad to know that God wanted to establish His kingdom through the lineage of David.  He was glad because he knew that it would do what?  See verse 24.