God's Messianic Covenant Through David

2 Samuel 7:1-17
    1 Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.” 3 Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”
    4 But it happened that night that the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ 8 Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, 11 since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house.
    12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
    17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

God made a covenant with King David after he had peace from warring enemies and a desire to build a permanent temple for the tabernacle.  He did not think it was right that he should have a luxurious palace while the meeting place of God for worship and sacrifices should be goatskin tents with hanging curtains (Exodus 26:1-3).  He wanted not to replace God’s design, but make the traveling tabernacle a permanent structure in its permanent home in the city of David where the LORD had brought him.  The prophet David inquired of to God for permission to build this at first just thought it was a good idea and advised him to do what he thought was in his heart.  Then the LORD told Nathan that He had no problem with the mobile tabernacle He gave His people, and that He had chosen and gone with David to this point without asking him to build such a structure.  He also promised that He would provide the place and time for all things, including one for His people to settle and inhabit permanently.  God made David a house.  The seed of David would have an established kingdom, fixed and stable, which would be perpetual as He is (עוֹלָם ‘ôlâm).  That one would build the house of God, not David, whose kingdom would last forever as the Father’s Son.  In one sense this meant Solomon would build an earthly temple, but it was also an eternal covenant through the seed of David (John 7:42, Romans 1:3), the Messiah/Christ, whose promised kingdom would be without end.  On the human side, faithfulness to avoid sin and be disciplined when committing it, mercy to not be taken away as from Saul who rejected Him, and and established throne of a kingdom without end were promised.  This earthly covenant was also a prophetic shadow of the heavenly one with Christ as the eternal ruler in a house not built with hands (Hebrews 8:2, 5, 9:11, Revelation 21:3).  This is the throne which is from forever to forever in the heavens and which will be on the earth in the new Jerusalem by the new covenant in Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior.  This prophecy and promised covenant is to David and God’s chosen people through His Seed to all (Romans 1:3-4, Galatians 3:16) He calls and enter into that covenant in His blood.  This foreshadowing is told here for us to find wonder and awe in God’s sovereign work and promises.