A Pious Discontent Text: 2 Samuel 7:1-3
Introduction: The Architecture of Worship
We come now to a pivotal moment in the history of redemption. David is at the apex of his power. He has subdued his enemies, brought the Ark of God to Jerusalem, and is now settled in his own palace. And in this moment of peace, a holy discontent begins to stir in his heart. This is the kind of discontent that God loves. It is not the grumbling of a man who wants more for himself, but the yearning of a man who wants more for his God. He looks at his own comfortable house of cedar and then at the humble tent that houses the Ark, and the contrast troubles him. This is the genesis of the temple, but more than that, it is a profound lesson in the nature of true piety.
Our modern world is allergic to this kind of piety. We are taught to be content with our spiritual mediocrity. We are told that God is just fine with a ramshackle, temporary dwelling in our lives, so long as we have a nice, comfortable setup for ourselves. We have compartmentalized our faith. We build palaces of cedar for our careers, our hobbies, and our personal ambitions, while the presence of God is relegated to a flimsy tent, brought out for an hour on Sunday. But David's heart reveals the foolishness of this arrangement. A man whose heart is truly right with God will always be troubled by any disparity between the honor he gives himself and the honor he gives to God.
This passage is about more than just architecture. It is about the architecture of a godly heart. It is about the impulse to worship God with extravagance. And it is about how God takes our good, pious, and even logical desires, and then turns them on their head to reveal a far greater plan. David wants to build God a house. It is a good thought. It is a kingly thought. But God's response, which we will get to in the coming weeks, is that He is going to build David a house, a dynasty that will culminate in the Messiah. Here we see the glorious disproportion of grace. We offer God our best, and He responds by giving us His everything. But it all begins here, with a king in a moment of rest, who cannot rest easy while the glory of God is not adequately housed.
The Text
Now it happened when the king inhabited his house, and Yahweh had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I inhabit a house of cedar, but the ark of God inhabits tent curtains.” So Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.”
(2 Samuel 7:1-3 LSB)
A Time of Rest (v. 1)
The scene is set with a description of David's circumstances.
"Now it happened when the king inhabited his house, and Yahweh had given him rest on every side from all his enemies," (2 Samuel 7:1)
This "rest" is a deeply significant theological concept in Scripture. It is not mere inactivity or a lazy afternoon. This is covenantal rest. It is the peace that comes after the victory has been won. It is the fulfillment of the promise God made to Israel when they were to enter the Promised Land. This is a foretaste of the Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God. David has fought the Lord's battles, he has been faithful in the conflict, and now God has granted him a season of security and stability. The kingdom is established. The enemies are subdued. There is a quiet moment in the storm of redemptive history.
It is in this moment of rest that David's thoughts turn toward the Lord's house. This is instructive for us. What do we think about when we are at ease? When the mortgage is paid, the kids are healthy, and the job is secure, where does the heart go? For many, rest is a time for self-indulgence. It is a time to build bigger barns. But for the godly man, rest is an opportunity to consider the state of God's kingdom. A man's true priorities are revealed not in the heat of battle, but in the quiet of the peace that follows. David's first thought in his settled prosperity is for the glory of God. This demonstrates that his heart is rightly calibrated.
This rest is a gift from Yahweh. It is not something David achieved on his own. Every victory, every subdued enemy, was the result of God's favor and power. David knows this. He is not a self-made king puffed up with pride in his new palace. He is a grateful vassal, and his gratitude now seeks an appropriate expression. He understands that the peace he enjoys was purchased by God, and so that peace should be leveraged for God's honor.
A Holy Incongruity (v. 2)
David expresses his pious discontent to his spiritual advisor, Nathan the prophet.
"that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I inhabit a house of cedar, but the ark of God inhabits tent curtains.”" (2 Samuel 7:2)
Here is the heart of the matter. David sees a profound incongruity, a mismatch that grates on his conscience. He lives in a "house of cedar," which signifies permanence, expense, and royal dignity. Cedar was imported from Lebanon; it was the finest building material available. His house was a statement of stability and glory. In stark contrast, the Ark of God, the very symbol of God's presence and throne on earth, "inhabits tent curtains." A tent is temporary, portable, and humble. It speaks of wandering and sojourning, which was appropriate for Israel in the wilderness. But now the kingdom is established. The king is in his palace. For the Ark to remain in a tent seems unfitting, even dishonorable.
David is applying a basic principle of righteousness: first things first. He is saying, in effect, "How can I accept this luxury for myself while the symbol of God's own kingship is housed so meanly?" This is the opposite of the modern mindset, which is perfectly happy to worship in a glorified warehouse or a rented school auditorium while living in a meticulously decorated home. We have made our comfort the priority and God's glory an afterthought. David's conscience was pricked by this disparity. He felt a sense of spiritual impropriety.
The Ark of God was the center of Israel's life. It contained the tablets of the Law, representing God's righteous standard. It had the pot of manna, representing God's faithful provision. It held Aaron's rod that budded, representing God's chosen authority. And above it, on the mercy seat between the cherubim, God's presence was manifest. This was the throne of the true King of Israel. For David, the human king, to have a more glorious throne-room than Yahweh, the divine King, was an intolerable state of affairs. His desire to build a temple was born from a zeal for God's honor.
The Prophet's Green Light (v. 3)
Nathan's initial response is one of immediate encouragement.
"So Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.”" (2 Samuel 7:3)
Nathan gives David the green light. And why wouldn't he? David's desire seems entirely right and good. It is a pious desire, motivated by a love for God. It is a logical desire, consistent with the new era of stability in the kingdom. From a human standpoint, Nathan's advice is impeccable. "Go, do all that is in your heart." He assumes that because David's heart is in the right place, his plan must be God's plan. He adds, "for Yahweh is with you," which was demonstrably true. God had been with David in battle, had given him rest, and had established his throne.
But we are about to learn a crucial lesson. Even a godly man's best intentions, and even a true prophet's sanctified common sense, are not the same as a direct revelation from God. Nathan spoke here as a wise counselor, not yet as a prophet relaying a specific word from the Lord. His counsel was based on sound principles, but it was premature. God had other plans, bigger plans. This is not to fault Nathan. His encouragement of David's pious heart was right. But it shows us that our best-laid plans for God's kingdom must always be held in submission to His sovereign will.
It is no sin to have a good idea for the advancement of God's glory. It is no sin to want to build a great work for God. But we must always be prepared for God to say, "Thank you for the heart behind it. I love that you wanted to do this for me. But I have something else in mind." God was pleased with David's heart, even though He was about to veto David's project. As we see later, God says to David, "you did well that it was in your heart" (1 Kings 8:18). God sees and honors the desire, even when He redirects the action.
This is where the story pauses, on the cusp of a great project, seemingly approved by both king and prophet. It is a project born of rest, motivated by piety, and encouraged by godly counsel. It seems like a sure thing. But God is about to interrupt their plans in order to reveal His own, and in doing so, He will show that His plan is not for man to build Him a house of wood and stone, but for Him to build a house for His people, a living temple, a royal dynasty whose kingdom will have no end. David wanted to do something great for God, but God was about to do something infinitely greater for David, and for us.