2 Samuel 7:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.

NIV: For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

NASB: For the sake of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know.

CSB: Because of your word and according to your will, you have revealed all these great things to your servant.

NLT: Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.

KJV: For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.

NKJV: For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them.

God has promised to give David a son to sit on his throne and a descendant to reign forever (2 Samuel 7:12–16). David's reputation will be as famous as the "great ones of the earth" (2 Samuel 7:9). When David hears, he goes to the ark of the covenant and praises God. He knows he's not worthy of so much favor; God has chosen to do this. If God promises it, the history of mankind will have no choice but to make it happen. He's so overwhelmed that he can only trust God can hear the gratefulness in his heart (2 Samuel 7:18–20).

One of the reasons David is thankful is that God has let him know what's going to happen. In that time and place, ruling a nation was a dangerous job. If foreign armies weren't trying to invade, or raiders weren't trying to disrupt the political structure, rivals might try to take the throne by force (2 Samuel 5:17–25; 4:5–6; 1 Kings 16:8–13). David doesn't have to worry about any of this. He knows he will die when his "days are full," and his son will take the throne after him (2 Samuel 7:12). That son will have the honor of building the temple David desperately wants for God. And his descendant's reign will last forever (2 Samuel 7:13–16).

David knows Saul disobeyed God, lost His son's chance to be king, and then lost his life. David can go to his grave knowing this won't happen to him.

In the New Testament, James revealed that God is the source of every good thing, including our own place in His family, by His will and His word:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
James 1:17–18

Second Samuel 7:18–22 relates David's thanks for God's promises. God chose David to be king when he was just a shepherd boy. God gave him the crown, a family, and peace. But God will bless him even more: with a great legacy and an eternal kingdom that will find its fulfillment in Jesus (2 Samuel 7:8–17). David pours out his gratefulness for God's grace. He also thanks God for choosing Israel to be His people, and asks that God will, indeed, fulfill His promises (2 Samuel 7:23–29). First Chronicles 17:16–20 mirrors this part of David's prayer.

In 2 Samuel 7, David wants to build a temple for the ark of the covenant. He's convicted that he has a big house, so the ark doesn't belong in a tent (2 Samuel 5:11–12; 6:17). God declines David's request. Rather, God will build David a "house": a dynasty. David's son will be king—and that sone will build the temple. David's throne will be established forever. David responds with a humble prayer of gratitude and praise, asking God to do all He has promised for David and for Israel. God will, through Jesus (Revelation 22:16). First Chronicles 17 records the same events.

In 2 Samuel 7, David learns he can't out-give God. God has made him king and given him a mansion and a family (2 Samuel 5:3, 11–15). He's allowed David to bring the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1–15). Now, David wants to build the ark a proper temple. Instead, God says David's son will build the temple, and God will build David a lasting dynasty. Solomon does build the temple (1 Kings 5), and Jesus will fulfill David's dynasty (Luke 1:32).