2 Samuel 7:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

NIV: Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

NASB: Now then, Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth; and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

CSB: Lord God, you are God; your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

NLT: For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

KJV: And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

NKJV: “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

A wise man once said, "We don't talk to ourselves enough." David knows this well.

God has made a covenant with David to continue his line of kings and give Israel rest and peace (2 Samuel 7:8–16). Overwhelmed by God's grace, David sits before Him and pours out his gratitude. In 2 Samuel 7:25 and 29, David asks God to fulfill His promises. He does so with the humility of Daniel (Daniel 9), adding that God's own reputation will be even greater if He follows through.

Now, however, David is talking to God, but he's reminding himself. The God of David and Israel is the only true God. He does not lie (Hebrews 6:18). He is always faithful (Hebrews 10:23). He has made this covenant. He has promised David and Israel good things.

In this fallen world, we would do well to take David's example and remind ourselves of God's character:

God is still the only true God; the Creator of the universe; the first and last (Isaiah 42:5; Revelation 1:8).

God's words are true; we can rely on what He says; He will fulfill His promises (Hebrews 6:18; Psalm 89:34).

God has made promises to us; we should remind ourselves of what they are by studying His Word (Romans 1:16–17; 2 Timothy 3:16).

God will do good for His servants; His promises are to give us hope (Romans 8:28; Proverbs 23:18).

The more we remind ourselves of God's character and His promises, the more we can follow David's example of asking God to fulfill those promises (2 Samuel 7:29). As we do, we will naturally focus our attention on how He moves in our lives.

Second Samuel 7:25–29 records David's "Amen" to God's promises. God has promised great blessings for David and Israel (2 Samuel 7:8–17). David uses a chiasm to affirm God's words: a mirrored pattern of verses. 25: please do it; 26: You will do it; 27: this is what God will do; 28: You will do it; 29: please do it. Second Samuel 8 records some of God's blessings in war and in the officials who help govern the nation. First Chronicles 17:23–27 also records David's plea.

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).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.