After Saul died, David was anointed King of Judah (Southern tribes) and eventually became King over all of Israel (twelve tribes). YHWH was with David, and David was very successful at uniting the twelve tribes of Israel and defeating the Philistines and other Canaanites.
When did Jerusalem become the Capital of Israel? During the time of the Conquest under Joshua, Jerusalem had remained in Jebusite hands. Neither the tribe of Judah nor the tribe of Benjamin could dislodge them (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21), though at one point Judah had a successful raid against it (Judges 1:8). However, King David, a man after God’s own heart, successfully wrested Jerusalem from the Jebusites. After David reigned as King over Israel for 7 years in Hebron, he captured the Jebusite city of Jerusalem and made it the Capital of Israel. Jerusalem became known as “The City of David”. David reigned in Jerusalem for 33 years, reigning over Israel for a total of 40 years.
After David captured Jerusalem, he then desired to build a house for YHWH.
2 Samuel 7: 1 Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you.”
YHWH’s response was surprising. The Lord told Nathan to tell David that God (YHWH) had NEVER asked for a house, only a Tabernacle. Quite frankly, NO HOUSE built with human hands could contain the Great I AM. In-fact, the Lord then said something surprising, that it would be the LORD who would build a HOUSE for David, not the other way around. This is known as the Davidic Covenant, and has to do with the Promised Seed.
2 Samuel 7: 4-16: But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan,5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges 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 you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince[b] over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 11… Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall 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 to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
What was the Lord telling David? The Lord had never asked for His people to build Him a house, only a Tabernacle. If you remember correctly, Moses was given some very specific plans to build the Tabernacle. Each piece of furniture, including the placement, all pointed to YESHUA (Jesus), the Great I AM.
John 1:14: And the Word became flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In the book of Exodus, God instructed Moses and the Israelites to build HIM a Tabernacle so that His Glory could dwell with the Israelites (Exodus 25:9) . A Tabernacle is a TEMPORARY dwelling place. Even today, year after year, the Jews celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Although they do not YET realize this, they are really celebrating the fact that GOD ALMIGHTY in the likeness of human flesh (YESHUA/JESUS) literally “Tabernacled” among men. God (YHWH) did not desire a permanent dwelling place on earth to house His Glory, but rather, a Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was actually a copy and a shadow of what exists in Heaven. (Hebrews 8:5).
God therefore told David, I do not desire that You build a house for me, but rather, I will build a house for you, an enduring house, an everlasting house. What did God mean by this? Obviously a “house” means alot more than just a building or dwelling place. The Hebrew word (beyt) means house or tent as well as family. A common designation for a family is to identify the “house” of the family patriarch such as in “The house of Jacob.” God was telling David that the Promised Seed, the Messiah and King would come from his lineage, his “house”. As a matter of fact, the Messiah would come through David’s son Solomon. David had many sons, but the Messiah would come through Solomon, therefore Solomon would be the one to build the “house” for the Lord. This would be known as “Solomon’s Temple”, and God’s Glory did indeed rest upon this “house” (2 Chronicles 7:1-3). More importantly; however, is that the Son of God, Yeshua, did indeed come from the Lineage (house) of King David and of Solomon Matthew 1:1-17).
All the Praise belongs to God, who has set mankind FREE through His Son, the Son of David, Yeshua Hamashiach, Jesus the Christ! Hallelujah!!! 🙂
