By Sam Greer
Senior Pastor, Red Bank Baptist Church, Chattanooga
Focal Passage: II Samuel 7:8-21
Some days are not easily forgotten. Pulling up in my future father-in-law’s driveway for the purpose of asking his blessing to propose to his daughter is a day etched in my memory. After an attempt to make small talk, which completely tanked, I mustered up the nerve to ask the question: “Mr. Tillman, may I have your blessing to ask Tonya to marry me?” He replied to my question with a few questions of his own, “How certain are you that Tonya will say yes? What makes you think she will say yes? She very well may say no.” Besides death, taxes and a train perpetually crossing Hamill Road in Hixson, Tenn., are there any guarantees in life?
Many guarantees are made. Most guarantees are conditional. Other guarantees expire. Few guarantees are truly guaranteed. In II Samuel 7:8-21, the Bible offers at least three established guarantees that you can count on.
First, God’s plan Is working! (II Samuel 7:8-13). David’s plan was to build God a house. Nathan, the prophet of God, told David to go ahead and do all that was in his heart for God (II Samuel 7:3). On that same night, God spoke to His prophet Nathan and told him to speak a different word to David (II Samuel 7:8). At the end of the day (literally at the end of that day), God’s plan was not David’s plan and vice versa. David had good intentions but they were not God’s intentions. Sure, all of God’s intentions are good, but every good intention may not be God’s intention.
God reminded David of how and why He brought him from the shepherd’s field to the king’s throne (vv. 8-9). God, then, began to tell David of His future plan to give His people rest (vv. 10-11). Although he wanted to build God a house, David learned that God would establish the house of David forever (II Samuel 7:1-13). God is always working His plan and His plan is always working. We may not understand it, agree with it, be privy to it, or like it, but God’s plan is always working!
Second, The God-Man Is coming! (II Samuel 7:13-17). God used David’s son Solomon to build His temple (II Samuel 7:12-15). Ultimately, through the offspring of David and his son Solomon, God will establish His kingdom in the future forever through His Son, the Messiah (vv. 14-16). Jesus, the God-Man, referred to Himself as the root and offspring of David in Revelation 22. Being the root of David, highlights Jesus’ deity as man’s perfect God. Being the offspring of David, highlights Jesus’ humanity as being God’s perfect Man. Hence, God incarnated in the person of Jesus was and is the God-Man.
In Revelation, just before and after Jesus referred to Himself as the root and offspring of David, He said: “I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:12, 20). You can disobey the good news of Jesus, but you will never be able to delay the good news of Jesus. Jesus, the God-Man is coming! Are you ready?
Third, God’s clan Is growing! (II Samuel 7:18-21). David recognized God’s blessing on his household (vv. 18-19). David knew that God’s established guarantee was not just for David’s household, but through his household God would offer eternal rest for all the households of mankind (vv. 19-21). God’s good news came to David’s household because it was going to another household. God’s good news has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else. God is growing His clan!


