Bible Study

Just for your thoughts.

1 Chronicles Book.
Bible Lesson 11
Scripture Portion for Meditation: Chapter 17

This chapter is a very important one. Let us look at the events in this chapter one by one.
Verses 1–4:
In this passage, David realized that the Ark of the Covenant of God was dwelling in a tent—under curtains. So he desired to build a temple and place the Ark of the Covenant there. When he shared this desire with the prophet Nathan, Nathan did not object to David’s plan. He immediately approved of David’s wish.
But this approval of Nathan was not pleasing to God. It was a hasty approval.
Immediately, God intervened and instructed Nathan to tell David that he should not build a temple for Him.
What lesson does this teach us?
David’s desire was a sincere and good one. Nathan was a prophet of God. So, he approved David’s desire, thinking it was right to fulfill it. But the prophet’s approval was not the same as God’s approval. God’s perspective is different.
Sometimes, even our good intentions and actions may be approved by God’s servants. The work itself may seem good. But unless those works are aligned with God’s will and divine approval, they do not carry divine sanction.
Therefore, not every approval given by even great ministers or servants of God is necessarily God’s approval. That night itself, God spoke to Nathan and made His will known—He commanded that David must not build the temple.
No matter how great a servant of God may be, he cannot fully understand all the plans and operations of God’s divine government. Who, how, and when something should be fulfilled—these are under the sovereignty of God alone. Man cannot guess or reason them out, nor is it his place to do so.
Building God’s temple was part of a great divine purpose. David’s role was different, and Solomon’s role was different. God used each of them for distinct purposes. One cannot take the place of the other.
David understood this truth and immediately obeyed, submitting himself to God’s plan.
For David, this was an unfulfilled desire—but even through that unfulfilled desire, God’s will concerning him was fulfilled.
That is why the Scripture says:
“For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.”
(Acts 13:36)

In our own lives too, the primary purpose must be to discover and fulfill God’s will—the very purpose for which He has placed us in this world.
There is safety and success only in fulfilling God’s will, not in any other work or achievement. When we understand this, we will walk in true success.