Lord himself will establish a house for you

2 Sam 7
How can we be with God or how can God be with us? If God is with us forever, then it would be the greatest blessing for us because God is Almighty and His grace and mercy will be among us. This hope sits in an ideal that if the mighty God is with us by taking residence among us, we would be better off in this world that is full of violence and human pains and sorrows.
Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Can we change this, “If God is with us, who can be against us?” This desire and hope is good.
This question is explored and answered in today’s passage.
When David settled himself in a palace in the city after his own name, he felt that God’s place was too shabby in comparison to his palace. So David expressed his desire to build a house for the Lord. For David this was a simple question if he could build a house or not. But in God’s point of view, there were many things that must be set straight before that happens.
What does it mean that God is among us? For post modern thinking, the question can be rephrased, ‘if God is good and just and almighty, then why is he not here now?’
As we go through the details of this passage, we can find in-depth plan of God to be with HIS people.
1. The kingdom of Israel is set. My place is set. My city is set. But the ark of God is still in a tent. I want to build a house for the Lord. [1-3]
2. Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?
a. I have not dwelt in a house since I have been with Israel;
b. I have been moving all along with Israel in a tent as Israel moved along.
c. While moving, I did not ask any leaders of Israel to build a house for me. –you are one of these who shepherded my people Israel.[Moses, Joshua, …]
@ I have been with Israel. This is my focus. As long as Israel is not settled and they might have to move, I cannot settle myself in a house.
@ Israel has to settle in first and then I will settle in a house. This means that in your view the kingdom is settled and your kingship is settled in peace. But this kind of settlement is not permanent and not the kind of settlement that I want to provide them with. Though it bears a glimpse of what is yet to come, the final one.
@ I did not expect anyone from the leaders of Israel to build a house for him to dwell in. Likewise, I do not expect this from you as well.
3. I will make your name great [8-9]:
a. I have done many things to bring you this far. But this is not the end or goal! What you have and what you are and what the nation is not the final but still things are to come.—in your mind, you have gone through so many things and now you seem to be happy and settled and you feel that there is nothing further to accomplish. But this not true. God’s work is still yet to come.
b. Now and from now on, I will make your name great—greatest name on the earth! God made such promise to Abraham. This is an extension of that promise to a man of Abraham’s descendant, a king. What God has envisioned in Abraham will be fulfilled through you, as king over His people.
c. How will this promise be fulfilled and/or what things will God do to make David’s name great?
d. This is detailed in v 10-13. First by securing a land free of all enemies [10-11], second by establishing a permanent house through one of your descendant through whom redemption of your people will be provided so that the king may endure before God forever.
4. I will provide a permanent and secure place for my people Israel [10-11b]
a. I will provide a place for my people and plant them where they will be no longer disturbed. There will be a place and this place is secured from all enemies and for all happiness for his people. God will provide this place in a future. Though you are happy to establish a kingdom enjoying peace now, this is only a prototype of what I will provide in the future. The one you have now is not the final one or in its final form or stage!
b. It will be typified by permanence and free from all enemies. –This is first priority for God and then I will think about a house among you! It was in the covenant that He made to Abraham and Moses. It is still the first priority for God.
5. God Himself will establish a house for you! [11b-16]
a. After your death, I will raise up your offspring and I will establish his kingdom, which will last forever! He is the one who will build a house for my name. –simply speaking I[God] have to establish a house and a kingdom that will endure before me and last forever first and then or after this has been done, the I will be with you forever in the house that is built in God’s name.
b. I will be his father and he will be my son.
c. Because of this particular relationship, even if he does wrong, I will not take away the kingdom from him and his kingdom will endure forever.
d. In this way, you house and your kingdom will endure forever before me.
e. After death of David, God will raise a king, with whom God has particular relationship as father- son. Even if he does wrong, God will punish him but God would not take away the kingdom. Through this way, through this king from your own body, your house as well as your kingdom will last forever before God; lasting relationship between the king and God. In this setting, that king will build a house for God’s name.
@ Since it would happen after David’s death, it is prophetic. It is further revelation of the details of what God had promised to Abraham and Moses.
@ There is a particular relationship between the king and God; Father and son. This relationship may be taken as the foundation of this kingdom and enduring nature of the kingdom.
@ the enduring nature is said not of its inherent power and authority but of the quality before God’s judgment. This is important because the enduring nature of the king and kingdom does not hinge just on defeating external forces of enemies but on inherent quality of the king and his people before God’s holiness. In this regard, ‘redeeming’ power of the king and redeemed nature of kingdom people are the key issue of God be with and among them. This is well understood by David and he reiterated in v 28 in thankfulness.