When God says NO to your plans
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38
Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap
David wanted to build a brand spanking new house for God, and all of a sudden God says, No.
- What exactly was wrong with David’s building a house for God?
- Why would God forbid this man after His own heart?
- What can we learn from this experience of David?
The first thing is that it was…
I) Forbidden but not WRONG-God had not had a temple at any point from the time he delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt until this time. God was not saying that the idea of a temple was wrong. He was saying that the timing was not right. David was not allowed to build the temple because he had shed blood (1 Chr 22:8). God didn’t totally disapprove though. There were two things that he approved of. The first was the SPIRIT in which the offer was made. God appreciated the motive of David’s heart. Most of the time we see kings turn their back on God when they get to positions of power. They look at all the wonderful things that they have done and swell up with pride. This was not the case with David. The second was the OBJECT of David’s desire. God didn’t say that the temple was a bad idea. He only said that David wouldn’t build it.
II) Forbidden with GOOD REASON.
- Forbidden because God’s PRESENCE was not CONFINED to a location. The ark of the Lord had been in a tent since Moses put it there during the Exodus. The nation of Israel had been unsettled up to this point and the ark of the Lord in a tent symbolized that situation. God’s presence could be mobile. The presence of God could go with the people. The fact that the ark of the Lord was in a tent meant that it was mobile. God’s presence was with his people. It wasn’t in a fixed location. The temple of God is within his people. Our hearts are the temple of God. God wasn’t saying though that the temple was a bad idea.
- Forbidden because of The ABSENCE of divine DIRECTION. God didn’t ask David to build the temple. God hadn’t commanded that a house. It was human idea not divine. We have to wait for God’s direction.
- Forbidden because The TIME still was not RIGHT. Israel had yet to fully settle the land. There were still wars going on with the neighbours. It wasn’t the right time to put resources into building a temple for the Lord. The people were not yet safe from all the enemies that lived nearby.
- Forbidden because David was not the right man for the job. David had fought off the enemies of Israel, and his hands were bloody as a result. The Lord wanted someone who wasn’t warlike to build his temple. The Lord wanted someone to build who was peaceful. Solomon is given most of the credit for building the temple, but it was David who drew up the plans and gathered the material. David did play a significant role in the temple building, but he did not get to build it.
III) Forbidden for a LARGER PURPOSE. God’s purpose was larger than David could have imagined. God’s purpose involved something larger. The Messiah came through the descendants of David. Jesus is referred to as the “Son of David.” God’s greater purpose in the plan for David’s life involved the Savior of the world. The temple that Solomon built is long gone. Jesus is still on the throne. David’s plan was good and noble, but God’s plan was bigger and better.
Conclusion: God was most gracious in the manner in which he forbade David from building the temple. God showed David regard. He let David know that he was held in high esteem. God reminded David of what he had already done. David had done great things. He had brought stability to the land of Israel. God promised David an enduring dynasty. The Lord said, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever … Your throne shall be established forever.”
God’s agenda is not building houses, but homes. God’s agenda is not building structures, but people. God’s agenda is not filling institutions, but filling spirits. We invest ourselves in big dreams and plans, the noble works of our imaginations; but God invests Himself in lives, hearts and souls. God builds not houses, but homes. God’s agenda is people, making a home for Himself among people. God’s agenda is lifting up the fallen, binding up the broken-hearted, healing the wounded, forgiving flawed. God is always about: building lives. Making homes, not just houses; making people, not monuments.