旧约 - 撒母耳记下(2 Samuel)第7章

After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."
Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."
That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying:
"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?
I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling.
Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" '
"Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.
And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning
and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you:
When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.
He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men.
But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?
And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?
"What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD.
For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
"How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
And who is like your people Israel--the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?
You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.
"And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised,
so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you.
"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer.
O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."
撒母耳记下第七章   第 7 章 

  撒下 7:1-29> 神从没有忘记祂立下的约,祂的约最终成就在…… 

  7:1-29 这一章记载神与大卫立约,应许要坚固他后裔的国直到永远,这个应许在耶稣基督降生的时候完全实现了。这一节虽然没有明确地说出“约”,但在其他经文中( 23:5 ;诗 89:3-4 , 28 , 34-37 )则使用“约”来描述这件事。 

  撒下 7:2> 神在每一代都赐下先知的声音,当代先知的呼声在哪里? 

  7:2 这是圣经中第一次提到先知拿单的名字。神清清楚楚地说明,以色列每一个君王在位时都会有一位先知存在,他的主要任务是劝百姓顺服神,将神的律法和旨意告诉王。可惜大多数君王拒绝神的先知,放弃神赐他们聆听和顺服的机会。过去士师与祭司曾兼负先知的任务,撒母耳作士师、祭司,也兼任先知,成为士师时代与君王时代过渡的桥梁。 

  撒下 7:5> 为什么我为神筹算的心意,常不被祂所允诺?难道祂听不到? 

  7:5 神不要大卫为祂建造殿宇,为什么呢?祂告诉大卫,他的任务是统一国家、领导以色列人消灭众仇敌,使命艰巨,要流多人的血,历代志上说明神不要战士为祂建造殿宇(参代上 28:3 );所以大卫定下计划,预备材料,好使儿子所罗门一即王位就可以开始建造的工程(参王上 5-7 )。大卫接受神的计划,忠心服从。有时神拒绝我们的打算,我们就应当善用祂所赐的其他机会。 

  神与人所立之约 

  撒下 7:8-16> 神没有赐给我所祈求的,往往是因为祂要赐下更大的祝福…… 

  7:8-16 大卫的献议虽好,但是神不准许,这并非意味神弃绝大卫。实际上,神在大卫的一生之中,为他设计了更大的作为,远胜过让他建这圣殿。神虽然不接受他的献议,却应许他的后裔永久存留。虽然大卫在地上的王朝四百年后终结了,但是他的直系后裔耶稣基督是这个应许的最后应验(参徒 2:22-36 )。基督要作王直到永世──现在是在属灵的、属天的国度,将来祂必再降临世上,在新耶路撒冷作王(参路 1:30-33 ;启 21 )。你有否出于善意的祷告却不蒙神准许的事?这是神引导你的方法,要在你身上成全祂更大的旨意。顺服神的“不许”与遵行神的“允许”,两者都需要很大的信心。 

  撒下 7:18-29> 大卫经历神的应许后,不禁心存感恩;在我的祷告中,感恩的成分又占了多少? 

  7:18-29 经文记载大卫的祷告,他衷心感激神应许要坚立他的国度直到永远。他知道神将这些福气赐给他和他的后裔,为要使以色列人蒙福。他们要协助世人,成全神更大的旨意,因为神应许说:地上的万族要因他们得福。(参创 12:1-3 )──《灵修版圣经注释》