2Sa 7:26 | KingComments | STEP | After all that David has heard from Nathan, he goes to the LORD. He takes his place “before the LORD”. He sits down with Him, in peace and quiet in His presence ( ). This shows a high degree of confidentiality. He feels at home with God. At the same time he is full of respect for that God. He is impressed by everything God has done and will do for him. He feels overwhelmed by God’s mercies for him and his descendants. David knows that the LORD did this according to His own heart and made him part of it. He will talk about this with the LORD, thank Him for it in the awareness of proven grace. He is deeply imbued with his own unworthiness. This we hear in what he says: “Who am I … and what is my house” (cf. ). This mindset characterizes his whole prayer of thanks. God communicates His plans to us. This is true for His counsels and also for the way we have to go on earth. Do we thank the Lord for including us in His plans and making us part of them? We will do so when we are overwhelmed by His mercy. We will thank Him for making us feel comfortable with Him. We will thank Him for allowing us to rely on His Word, on what He has said, as the basis for every blessing also for us. We will thank Him for allowing us to address him as David does in : “Lord LORD, You are God, and Your words are truth.” David not only expresses his amazement at what the LORD has done, but also at what He will do in the distant future ( ). He will do this according “to the custom of men”, that is to say, by letting follow generation by generation. The LORD will always take care of a descendant. Notice how often David speaks here about God’s Word and what God has spoken. God keeps His Word, as evidenced by the deeds that make it come true. It is also striking that David addresses God six times as “Lord LORD” and speaks of himself ten times as “Your servant”. David knows the power of the word of the LORD, that what He says also happens. He trusts it. He sees it fulfilled in his life and knows that everything will be fulfilled. The word comes from God’s heart. He sees and knows the heart of God. In , however, he begins with the LORD knowing him . Not only is it important to know God, but it is also important to be aware that God knows us. Paul even says that the awareness that God knows us is more than the awareness that we know God ( ). The reason is that our knowledge of God is partial, but God’s knowledge of us is perfect. This is what impressed David and what should impress us. He praises the incomparable greatness and power of God. There is no one like Him. To this he directly connects the incomparability of His people with any other people. After David had said of himself in : “Who am I”, he says in : “what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel?” He also sees God’s goodness for His people that He has redeemed. God’s greatness, power and grace can be seen in His election and redemption of Israel. Just as no one among the gods is equal to God, so no people among the nations are equal to His people. The people belong to God and God belongs to the people. God makes the name of David and His people great; but that is so that David and His people may make His Name great. In view of his own house David has a prayer ( ). He yearns for it and prays that God will make great His Name, which is great, and that He will make it greater, and that He will do so in accordance with His promises concerning Israel and the house of David. He does not speak about what God has spoken about his name, the name of David, but what God has spoken about His own Name, the Name of God ( ). David ends his prayer of thanksgiving by asking that God may bless his house ( ). The basis for this prayer is: “For You, O Lord LORD, have spoken.” His house will be eternally blessed by the birth and reign of the great Son of David.

‏ 2 Samuel 7:26

David’s Thanksgiving Prayer

After all that David has heard from Nathan, he goes to the LORD. He takes his place “before the LORD”. He sits down with Him, in peace and quiet in His presence (2Sam 7:18). This shows a high degree of confidentiality. He feels at home with God. At the same time he is full of respect for that God. He is impressed by everything God has done and will do for him. He feels overwhelmed by God’s mercies for him and his descendants.

David knows that the LORD did this according to His own heart and made him part of it. He will talk about this with the LORD, thank Him for it in the awareness of proven grace. He is deeply imbued with his own unworthiness. This we hear in what he says: “Who am I … and what is my house” (cf. Gen 32:10). This mindset characterizes his whole prayer of thanks.

God communicates His plans to us. This is true for His counsels and also for the way we have to go on earth. Do we thank the Lord for including us in His plans and making us part of them? We will do so when we are overwhelmed by His mercy. We will thank Him for making us feel comfortable with Him. We will thank Him for allowing us to rely on His Word, on what He has said, as the basis for every blessing also for us. We will thank Him for allowing us to address him as David does in 2Sam 7:28: “Lord LORD, You are God, and Your words are truth.”

David not only expresses his amazement at what the LORD has done, but also at what He will do in the distant future (2Sam 7:19). He will do this according “to the custom of men”, that is to say, by letting follow generation by generation. The LORD will always take care of a descendant.

Notice how often David speaks here about God’s Word and what God has spoken. God keeps His Word, as evidenced by the deeds that make it come true. It is also striking that David addresses God six times as “Lord LORD” and speaks of himself ten times as “Your servant”. David knows the power of the word of the LORD, that what He says also happens. He trusts it. He sees it fulfilled in his life and knows that everything will be fulfilled. The word comes from God’s heart. He sees and knows the heart of God.

In 2Sam 7:20, however, he begins with the LORD knowing him. Not only is it important to know God, but it is also important to be aware that God knows us. Paul even says that the awareness that God knows us is more than the awareness that we know God (Gal 4:9a). The reason is that our knowledge of God is partial, but God’s knowledge of us is perfect. This is what impressed David and what should impress us.

He praises the incomparable greatness and power of God. There is no one like Him. To this he directly connects the incomparability of His people with any other people. After David had said of himself in 2Sam 7:18: “Who am I”, he says in 2Sam 7:23: “what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel?” He also sees God’s goodness for His people that He has redeemed. God’s greatness, power and grace can be seen in His election and redemption of Israel. Just as no one among the gods is equal to God, so no people among the nations are equal to His people. The people belong to God and God belongs to the people. God makes the name of David and His people great; but that is so that David and His people may make His Name great.

In view of his own house David has a prayer (2Sam 7:25). He yearns for it and prays that God will make great His Name, which is great, and that He will make it greater, and that He will do so in accordance with His promises concerning Israel and the house of David. He does not speak about what God has spoken about his name, the name of David, but what God has spoken about His own Name, the Name of God (2Sam 7:26).

David ends his prayer of thanksgiving by asking that God may bless his house (2Sam 7:29). The basis for this prayer is: “For You, O Lord LORD, have spoken.” His house will be eternally blessed by the birth and reign of the great Son of David.