To Build a House

King David Charges Solomon to Build the Temple

Today is the third day of week twenty, reading the Bible through in a year.  Our scriptures today are: 2 Sam 7-8; 1 Chr 17; Acts 25; Ps 132.

Today's OT scriptures are all about house building.  Our story begins with David ruminating on how the king lives in a palace of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.  David expresses his desire to build God's house, and God declares in return that He will build David's house.  It concludes with God declaring that He will, in fact, build David's house.  Of course, the meaning of "house" changes throughout the discourse.

The Oxford Annotated Bible points out that in vv. 1-2 of 2 Samuel 7, the word "house" refers to a "palace"; in vv. 6, 6, 7, 13 it means "temple"; in vv. 11, 16, 29, 25, 26, 27, 29 it means "dynasty"; in v. 18 it means "family status."

The point is this:  When we build God up, God will build us up.  When we work for His glory, He will see to our security and provision.  When we exalt Him, He will take care of us.  The greatest news is that this isn't all about temples and dynasties.  In 1 Chronicles 17:13 (NRSV), God says, "I will be a father to him, and shall be a son to me.  I will not take my steadfast love from him...."  God declares His steadfast love for us as well.  Just as God blessed David, who was a man after God's own heart, so when we press in toward God, the Lord will bring blessing to our lives.

So, what would it look like, for you to be a builder of God's house?  For you, would that mean working in the church?  There's an unending amount of volunteer work to be done in the church.  Just ask your pastor, and I'm sure that you'll get a beaming smile, along with a long list of things to do.  Maybe building God's house means finally submitting to the unrelenting hints, messages, and completely beseiging word that God has been giving you--that you need to surrender your life and follow God's call to full-time ministry.  Our, perhaps building God's house simply means being a positive example of Christian character to people right where you are.  Whatever it looks like for you, building God's house results in God building your house.  He will be your Father, and you will be His child.  And that's the kind of house we'd all love to live in!