17:1 When David had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under a tent.”
Along with 2 Samuel 7, this was the first mention of Nathan the Prophet. This information may have been obtained from the no-longer-existent “book of Nathan the prophet” (I Chronicles 29:29). David had just finished building his nice palace, but the Lord still lived in the tent of the Tabernacle.
17:2 Nathan said to David, “You should do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you.”
Nathan thought that David building a temple was a good idea. He even told David that “God is with you.”
17:3 That night God told Nathan the prophet, 17:4 “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: “You must not build me a house in which to live.
Prophets are human. Their prophets are inspired and inerrant, but their own human opinions are not.
17:5 For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places.
God is omnipresent. He is everywhere. He can live inside of a tent and also be everywhere in the universe all at the same time. He can be in the physical body of the Lord Jesus Christ, but still be everywhere at one time. He can be inside of the physical body of every believer, but still be everywhere at once.
17:6 Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, ‘Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?’ ” ’
Pagan gods demanded temples. Jehovah did not.
17:7 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord who commands armies says: “I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you a leader of my people Israel.
God reminded David of his humble origins. God made David king. All believers must remember that God also took them from humble origins.
17:8 I was with you wherever you went and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.
God gave David victories and made him famous.
17:9 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning
During the Messianic Kingdom, God will establish Israel back in their land. Violent nations will no longer oppress Israel.
17:10 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies. “ ‘ “I declare to you that the Lord will build a dynastic house for you!
David had just finished building himself a fine palace house. The house that God was speaking about is a dynasty.
17:11 When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.
David already knew that he would one day go to live with his dead son who died after childbirth. God now told David that one of his descendants would establish the Messianic Kingdom.
17:12 He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent.
Solomon would build the temple. Jesus will become the dynastic King who will rule during the Messianic Kingdom.
17:13 I will become his father and he will become my son. I will never withhold my loyal love from him, as I withheld it from the one who ruled before you.
God will build a kingdom on this earth. Jesus Christ is coming to establish that kingdom.
17:14 I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent.” ’ ”
The parallel passage in 2 Samuel is very similar, but there are some differences. In 2 Samuel, the son is immediate, but in this passage the son is distant. In 2 Samuel, the son is a sinner, but in this passage there is no mention of sin. In 2 Samuel, the reference is to Solomon, but in this passage the reference is to Messiah.
A fourth promise is added in this passage. The son is to be eternal. David’s line will eventually produce the birth of an eternal Person whose eternality will guarantee David’s dynasty, kingdom, and throne forever.
Prior prophecies had already determined that the messianic seed was to be born of a woman, Abraham, Jacob and Judah. Now, the seed must come from the line of David. This meant that the Messiah must come prior to the 70 A.D. Temple destruction, since all of Israel’s genealogical records were destroyed by the Romans. Without these genealogical records, it is impossible to prove who was a son of David and who was not.
The religious leaders attacked Jesus in many ways, but they never attacked Him through His genealogy. They already knew that He was from the line of David, so they were silent on this issue.
17:15 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.
Nathan revealed to David that his son would be the Messiah who would rule over the Messianic Kingdom. This promise is called the Davidic Covenant. This covenant is unconditional. God must fulfill it, or He is a liar. Jesus must return to Israel and fulfill this prophecy. This prophecy has nothing to do with the church.
17:16 David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point?
David was very humble that he had been chosen for this honor. His hands were bloody. He had done nothing to deserve this great honor.
17:17 And you did not stop there, O God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. You have revealed to me what men long to know, O Lord God.
All kings wanted an eternal dynasty. King Henry VIII went through six wives unsuccessfully to produce a male heir.
17:18 What more can David say to you? You have honored your servant; you have given your servant special recognition.
David received this special recognition by the grace of God. Grace means kindness. God was kind to David.
17:19 O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.
David was overwhelmed that the Messiah would come from his line.
17:20 O Lord, there is none like you; there is no God besides you! What we heard is true!
Krishna, Buddha, Allah, nor any other new-age god would ever get their hands dirty and become a man to die for the sins of their followers.
17:21 And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation in the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds when you drove out nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods.
Israel was a unique nation. No other god had ever delivered their followers out of slavery with miracles.
17:22 You made Israel your very own nation for all time. You, O Lord, became their God.
Israel was unique. No other god had ever made a covenant with his followers.
17:23 So now, O Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality! Do as you promised,
David asked God to fulfill the Davidic Covenant.
17:24 so it may become a reality and you may gain lasting fame, as people say, ‘The Lord who commands armies is the God of Israel.’ David’s dynasty will be established before you,
Jehovah is the Commander of the angelic armies. He controls all things in heaven and on earth. David’s eternal dynasty will be fulfilled through the coming Messiah.
17:25 for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.
God revealed to David His plan for the future.
17:26 Now, O Lord, you are the true God; you have made this good promise to your servant.
Unlike men, God keeps His promises.
17:27 Now you are willing to bless your servant’s dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Lord, have blessed it and it will be blessed from now on into the future.”
The Messianic King will arrive someday from the line of David. The other prophets will later add more details to this prophecy.