1 Chronicles 17:1-15Click here for Bible Verses

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 17:1-15. Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 17:11-14 (NIV) 
11  When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
12  He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.
13  I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor.
14  I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.'”

On verses 1-15: David desires to build a house for God, a permanent venue where God’s people can worship Him regularly (v1).  Though Nathan the prophet is at first approving of this plan (v2), God gives Nathan a message for David that night, which is that, in fact, God wants to build a house for David (v10).  In particular God promises to make David’s name among the greatest men who ever lived (v8), to provide a safe and peaceful place for his countrymen the Israelites (v9) and to subdue David’s enemies (v10).  God says He will do this by raising up a son of David to succeed David (v11) and that this son of David would build a house for God.  Not only that, God promises that this son of David would have authority over God’s own house and God’s own kingdom, and that his kingdom will last forever (v14)!   What can we learn from this?

  1. Centuries after God gave David these promises, God would fulfill these promises through Jesus Christ, who was called both the Son of David and the Son of God.  Jesus Christ built a house for the Lord by allowing his own temple – His body – to be destroyed and raised again, so that now Jesus reigns forever as King of kings.
  1. Sometimes what we have in mind to do for God is different from what God has in mind.  So like Nathan and like David, be open to God superseding your own plans.
  1. When our heart is to build a house for the Lord like David’s was, God turns around and blesses us with our own house as well.  That is God’s heart.  You can’t outgive God.  Seek God’s kingdom first and He will add everything you need and more.

Heavenly Father, I can never outgive You.  Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to be the fulfillment of these promises You spoke to David.  Praise You that the kingdom of Your Son Jesus is an everlasting kingdom and that I can be a part of it.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!