God's House Before All

“That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.” (2Sa 7:2 AV)

The enemies of which David speaks of are the house of Saul and the city of David.  There are still battles to be fought as is revealed in chapter 8.  What is admirable here is that David’s priorities are the ark of the covenant and the temple before finishing his battles.  He is concerned for the glory of the LORD much more than he is a career accomplishment.

What a lesson!  As a man, what drives us more than anything is what we can accomplish in life.  Build an estate.  Promotion at work.  What we accomplish is more important the relationships.  Leaving behind us that which we accomplish is important.  Some lasting evidence of our lives.  Jebus, the city which would eventually become Jerusalem, was also known as the city of David.  What he wanted even more was a temple in that city and the city to be known not for his military success, but the name of God!  How many men have neglected their spiritual duty for some temporal aspiration?  How many men have squandered away their family’s spiritual welfare for the sake of moving up the ladder?  How many men have whittled away Sundays for maintenance on the estate, scoring the lowest on a golf course, building a hobby, or some other temporary pursuit.

The LORD may have told David no.  He may have declined David’s desire to build the house of God.  But that didn’t stop David from making the house of God his highest priority.  David assembled all the material, furniture, and implements needed so his son could construct the project.  Every war he waged, every goal he accomplished, every spoil he took, had the priority of amassing what was needed for the temple.  His career goals were centered on the temple.  The needs of God’s house came first!  God’s name came first!  Career, hobby, outside interests, were all governed by the priority of the house of God!