1 Chronicles 17 -- One Of My Favorites!

Man, I love this chapter!  My commentary says it’s divided into 3 parts – David’s desire to build God a house, God’s determination to build David a house, and David’s responsive prayer.

David was looking around him at all the materialism he’d amassed and came to realize that the Ark of the Covenant was in a tent, not a building.  David had been spending on himself and finally came to recognize that.  Without praying, relying totally on a whim, David decided to build a Temple to house the Ark.  His spiritual advisor, Nathan, had watched how God had been at work in David’s life and no doubt assumed that God had led David to that decision, so he readily agreed that it would be good.

Verse 3 contains my favorite red flag words:  “But God…”  David and Nathan might have agreed, but God didn’t.

God said that all through Israel’s history He’d been moving,  leading them out of Egypt, through the desert for 40 years, and into the Promised Land.  In effect, God wasn’t done moving in Israel yet.

Punctuated with a series of “I’s”, what God said next reminds David of how He’d been at work bringing David into his new palace from the sheepfold.  David had been nothing before God had intervened in his life.  Because of God’s grace and great love for him, David had prospered, and God promised to carry that on through the generations.

When God said, “I will make one of your sons the new king, and I will set up his kingdom … and I will let him kingdom rule always,” He was talking about His Own Son, Jesus, who He was going to graft into David’s family tree.  “I will never stop loving your son.  I will put him in charge of My house and kingdom forever.  His family will rule forever.”  Only God could make such a promise, and only Jesus could fulfill it.

Stunned by this revelation, David sat in front of the Lord in awe and wonder, asking what I can’t stop asking either – “Why ME??”

The only answer is God’s amazing grace.  In fact, John Newton, the former slave-trader turned preacher, based his song “Amazing Grace” on what God said in these verses!  All of us wretches will have eternity to wonder why God picked us.  Though none of us deserved it, God loved us anyway, and established His home in us.  That’s what’s so amazing about His grace!

Father, You always remind me of this when I feel least deserving of it.  Thank You for loving a wretch like me.  Thank You for establishing Your home in my heart.  Remind me of this whenever I’m rudely trying to crowd You out.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford