Bible Studies
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 – Building a Kingdom
Key Verses:
- 1: “Now when the king was settled in his house…” – The kingdom was established and the king was resting comfortably in his new palace.
- 2: “…but the ark of God is in a tent.” – Perhaps a violent storm had just passed through the night and David was feeling guilty of his safety and comfort while the Ark of the Covenant was still sitting in a lowly tent, exposed to the elements.
- 3: “…for the Lord is with you.” – God sent prophets to the kings of Israel so that he could communicate through them His plans. Nathan’s initial response to David was to go forward with anything you wish, ‘God is with you’.
- 4: “But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan.” – But God had other plans.
- 5b-7: “Are you the one to build me a house to live in?” – God outlines that He had never asked any of the tribal leaders of Israel to build Him a house. Why does David think this is a necessary step?
- 9: “I was with you wherever you went.” – God was not confined to a box or limited to a tent. He was always with David.
- 11: “the Lord will make you a house.” – Instead of David building a temple for the Lord, God says, ‘Here, I have a gift for you, instead.’
- 12-14: “I will raise up your offspring after you…and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever. I will be a father to Him, and He shall be a son to me.” – A promise not only to David but to all of humanity that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
- Where does God live in your life? David had the audacity to think that he knew what was best for God. Do you ever try to put God in His place? Do you place Him in a box or put Him on a shelf, stored away and saved for those times in your life when you might need His help? Do you attempt to define God or bind Him within your scope of understanding and perspective? Do you ever say phrases such as: “God would never do that,” or “God is _____?” Do you see how presumptuous this type of thinking is? Do you see how this limits His ability to mold you into the disciple He wants you to become?
- Do you follow your agenda or God’s? Have you created plans and goals that you expect God to follow or even bless? Or do you lean into His guiding spirit for everything you do? Is your religious life an accessory or add-on that looks good on you when you are in the right circle of friends? Or is it the life-changing, world transforming relationship that God wants it to be? Have you given yourself over to God’s agenda for your life?
- What is the Kingdom of God? What do we mean when we pray “Your kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven?” Dallas Willard, in his book “The Divine Conspiracy,” says that the “kingdom of God is the range of God’s effective will.”1 What do you think about that statement? Is God’s effective will limited in some way? Does the creator of the universe need our help to spread His message and influence to the world? If so, what can be done to expand those limitations? What role do you play in the building of His kingdom?
- This week we are looking at issues surrounding the building God’s kingdom. Do you have preconceived ideas on how His kingdom would look? Have you established barriers in your life and faith community that keep His kingdom from growing? Whose agenda, yours or God’s, dominates your life and your schedule? Do you have a compassionate heart for people seeking spiritual dimensions to their lives, even if they are looking in the wrong places?
- This week we are looking at issues surrounding the building God’s kingdom. Do you have preconceived ideas on how His kingdom would look? Have you established barriers in your life and faith community that keep His kingdom from growing? Whose agenda, yours or God’s, dominates your life and your schedule? Do you have a compassionate heart for people seeking spiritual dimensions to their lives, even if they are looking in the wrong places?
Things had been going very well for David. He had united the kingdom, won impressive battles, and had built a beautiful city. Things had been going so well, in fact, that he decided he would give God a gift; he would build God a house. God teaches us in His response to David the importance of letting God lead the way in our lives. Success in kingdom building comes from having God’s will be done, not our will. When we begin to decide what is best for God, when we box Him and confine Him into labels and categories, we limit His effective will in our lives and minimize our ability to build His kingdom here on earth.
1“The Divine Conspiracy – Rediscovering our Hidden life in God” by Dallas Willard, Copyright © 1998, HarperCollins Publishers; p. 259.
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