1 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 17
The LORD Speaks to David – 1 Chronicles 17:1-15
v1 When David was living in his palace, he spoke to Nathan the prophet. David said, ‘I live in a house of cedar wood. But the ark of the LORD’s special promise is in a tent.’ v2 Nathan replied to David. ‘Do whatever you desire to do. Do it because God is with you.’
v3 But that night God spoke to Nathan. v4 The LORD said, ‘Go to my servant David. Tell him, “The LORD says this to you. You are not the right person to build a house for me to live in. v5 From the time that I brought Israel out of Egypt until now, I have not lived in a house. I have always lived in a tent that the Israelites have moved from one place to another place. v6 I have moved with all the Israelites to different places. I ordered judges to lead and to take care of my people. But I did not tell any of those judges to build a house of cedar wood for me.”
v7 Now, say this to my servant David. “The most powerful LORD says this to you. I took you from the fields where you took care of sheep. And I made you to be the ruler of my people Israel. v8 I have been with you everywhere that you have gone. I have defeated all your enemies in front of you. I will make you as famous as any of the great people in the world. v9 I will provide a place for my people Israel. And I will put them there so that they can live in their own homes. Nobody will cause trouble for them ever again. Wicked people will not hurt them as they have done in the past. v10 They have constantly caused trouble for my people since the time when I appointed judges for them. But I will defeat all your enemies.
I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house. v11 When you die, you will go to be with your ancestors. Then I will make one of your own sons to be king. I will make his kingdom strong. v12 He will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne for all time. v13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him. I did take it away from the man who ruled before you. v14 I will appoint your son to rule over my house and my kingdom for all time. His throne will last for all time.” ’ v15 Nathan told David everything that God had said in this vision.
COMMENTARY
VERSES 1-2 The events in this chapter happened after the wars that are in the next chapter. The LORD had given peace to David. At last, David had defeated all his enemies (2 Samuel 7:1).
We know a few facts about Nathan the prophet. It was Nathan who helped David to organize the Levites (2 Chronicles 29:25). When David sinned with Bathsheba, Nathan came to show David his sin (2 Samuel chapter 12). When David was old, one of his sons tried to become king. But Nathan made sure that Solomon became king (1 Kings chapter 1). Also, Nathan recorded the history of David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 29:29 and 2 Chronicles 9:29). The writer of Chronicles probably used some of these records when he wrote these books.
In this chapter, David spoke to Nathan about the desire of his heart. David lived in the palace that Hiram had helped him to build (14:1). The ark of God was in a tent (16:1). So, David wanted to build a temple for the LORD. At first Nathan told David to do what he wanted.
VERSES 3-6
Nathan had replied to David in a natural manner. It must have seemed right to build a temple for the LORD. But that night in a vision, the LORD spoke to Nathan. He told Nathan to go back to David with a message from the LORD. David must not build the temple.
The reason for the LORD’s decision was that David was a man of war (22:8). He had killed so many men and he was not a man of peace (28:3). The idea of a temple was good but it was not for David to build it. Solomon would be a man of peace and he would build it.
Since the time when the Israelites left Egypt, there was no permanent building as the house of God. While the Israelites travelled in the desert, the ark was in a special tent. The ark and its tent travelled with the Israelites from each place to the next place. When the Israelites took control of Canaan, the ark was still in that tent. They put the tent in Shiloh. That was where Samuel served God (1 Samuel 3:3). The Philistines destroyed Shiloh and they took away the ark for a few months (Jeremiah 7:12; 1 Samuel 5:1). But then the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel. So at the time of David, the ark was in a house in Kiriath Jearim (1 Samuel 7:1). And the special tent was at Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39). As we have seen, David moved the ark into a new tent in Jerusalem (chapter 15). But he left the old tent as a place of worship in Gibeon.
So the ark of God had traveled with the people from place to place. And the LORD never asked any of the leaders of Israel to build a permanent house for the ark. The LORD was not against the idea of a temple. But there was no hurry for one. It could wait until the right time.
VERSES 7-10a
(‘10a’ means the first part of verse 10.) David looked after the sheep of his father Jesse. God sent Samuel to appoint David king of Israel (1 Samuel chapter 16). Through all David’s adventures, the LORD was with him. And the LORD had made David the king of all Israel.
The LORD promised to make David a great king. Also, he promised that the Israelites would live in their own country. From the time of Joshua to the time of Saul, there had been trouble with the Philistines and other nations. Now the LORD would bring peace to Israel.
‘Ever again’ in verse 9 could mean during the rule of David. But it could mean a future time when the final king from David’s family rules.
VERSES 10b-15
(‘10b’ means the last part of verse 10.) David wanted to build a house for the LORD. Then the LORD replied that he (the LORD) would build a house for David. The house for the LORD means the temple. The house for David does not mean a building. It is a picture in words of the future of David’s family. The LORD will make David’s descendants kings of Israel. And the final king of Israel will be from the family of David.
God promised David that one of his sons would build the temple. That son would be Solomon. God promised that there would be future kings from the family of Solomon. The rule of that family would last for all time. This is a prophecy about the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. But he was born into the family of David. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David.
When Jesus came, he set up his kingdom in the hearts of people (Luke 17:21). That kingdom will never end. When Jesus comes again, he will rule the world in the final kingdom on earth (Daniel 2:44; Romans 15:12).
Solomon would be a son of God, as in fact David was. This would be so because Solomon would be the king of God’s people. God would not turn away from Solomon as he had done to Saul. Solomon did turn from the LORD, yet the LORD did not turn away from Solomon. Because of this promise to David, the LORD did not take the kingdom from Solomon (1 Kings 11:9-12).
But this is not only about Solomon. Solomon was a son of God because of his function as the king of God’s people. The meaning also refers to the future king. That king will be the Son of God. Jesus is the Son of God because he has a special relationship with God the Father. Jesus has the same nature as God. He is God the Son, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit is God. Jesus the Son of God will rule over the kingdom of God. There shall be no end to his kingdom.
David Prays – 1 Chronicles 17:16-27
v16 Then King David went in and he sat in front of the LORD. He said, ‘LORD God, I do not deserve this. And my family is not important. We do not even deserve the things that you have already done for us. v17 But God, even that was not enough for you. You have made promises about my descendants in future years. LORD God, you have dealt with me as you deal with a very important person.
v18 I can say no more. You have given such honour to me, your servant. You know me, your servant, so well. v19 LORD, you have done this wonderful thing to me, your servant. You did it because you wanted to. You have shown to me all these great things.
v20 Nobody is like you, LORD. There is no God except you. We have heard all this with our own ears. v21 There is no nation on earth like your people Israel. They are the only people whom God rescued in order to make them his own. You made your name famous. You did great and wonderful things. You forced out nations in front of your people. You did all these things for your people whom you had rescued from Egypt. v22 You made the Israelites your very own people for all time. And LORD, you became their God.
v23 And now LORD, do what you have promised to me, your servant, and to my family. For all time, do as you have said. v24 So your name will always be great and famous. People will say, “The all powerful LORD, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.” And the descendants of your servant David shall be strong because of you.
v25 My God, I am your servant. You have told me that you will make my descendants strong. That is why I have the courage to pray this prayer to you. v26 LORD, you are God. You have promised these good things to me, your servant. v27 You have been pleased to bless my family so that it will always continue to live with you. You LORD have blessed it and you will always bless it.’
COMMENTARY
VERSES 16-19
David went to the place where the ark of God was. Here, he prayed to the LORD. He was not from a royal family. He had no natural right to be the king of Israel, but he was king because God made him the king.
It surprised David that God should make such promises to him. David considered himself an ordinary man. But God dealt with him as if he were a very important person. The LORD promised to preserve the future of his family. To David, this was such an honor. He did not deserve any of this. The LORD did it because He is God.
VERSES 20-22
The LORD is the only real God. All other gods are false gods. The LORD chose only one nation to be his special people. That nation is Israel. God rescued the people from Egypt, made them into a great nation, and became their God. He is the God of the whole world, but to Israel, he is special.
VERSES 23-27
David agrees with everything that God has said. So David asks God to do all that he has promised to do. Then, people will recognize that he is God. They will know that he is Israel’s God. And the kingdom will be strong under the rule of David’s descendants.
At the end of his prayer, David accepts God’s promises. David believes that God will do these things. David wants his family to always live with God. God has blessed that family, and he will continue to bless it. What God has blessed, he will always bless.
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