2 Samuel 7:18-29

Order of Service

• Hymn — Glorify Thy Name
• Call to Worship — Psalm 113
• Hymn — Glorify Thy Name
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin
• Assurance of Pardon — Romans 10:9-10
• Scripture Reading — Acts 17:1-15
• Hymn — God in the Gospel of His Son
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Prayer of Dedication
• Hymn — Praise My Soul the King of Heaven
• Sermon
• Hymn — My Faith Looks Up to Thee
• Benediction

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Sermon Title: Responding to the Dumbfounding Grace of God

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:18-29

I. Praise God for His Gracious Word

A. Yahweh is a speaking God whose words are saturated with grace

1. The refrain of God's speech runs throughout the passage: "you have spoken" (2 Sam. 7:19, 25, 28-29); "your words are true"; "all that we have heard with our ears"
2. This distinguishes Yahweh from all false gods of the ancient Near East, who were not speaking gods

B. David addresses God as Adonai Yahweh (Lord God) eight times — unique in 2 Samuel

1. Adonai = Master, total authority; Yahweh = the Covenant God of Israel
2. David is not a manifestation of God; he is a servant wholly dependent on God's word

C. God's gracious word flows from the heart of God, not the heart of man

1. 2 Samuel 7:20-21 — "according to your own heart you have brought about all this greatness" — the language of gracious election
2. God does not look down the corridors of time and choose David because of David's worthy heart; the promise flows entirely from God's own heart
3. Application: In every difficulty, suffering, and confusion, God says, "I give you my word" — and his word, unlike our own introspective consolations, is the only anchor that can lift a downcast soul

II. Praise God for His Gracious People

A. Israel is unique only because of what God has graciously done for them (2 Samuel 7:23-24)

1. David's language about Israel mirrors his language about Yahweh — "who is like your people Israel?" — echoing "there is none like you"
2. God's redemption of Israel from Egypt was not merely physical but spiritual: he redeemed them from "a nation and its gods" (2 Sam. 7:23)
3. Application: God is not aloof to those who anguish over wayward covenant children and loved ones; he sees, he knows, and he pities their spiritual bondage — continue to hope in the covenant-keeping Lord

B. Through Israel, God made himself a name spread among the nations

1. The surrounding nations consistently attributed the fame of Yahweh to the Exodus — the great turning point that put Yahweh's name before the world

C. God's redemptive grace toward Israel is Torah (instruction) for all mankind (2 Samuel 7:19)

1. The Hebrew word for "instruction" here is Torah — God's redemptive plan centered on Israel and David's house is an instruction manual for all humanity
2. Paul echoes this theme: Romans 4:23-24 — Abraham's justification by faith "was not written for his sake alone, but for ours also"; 1 Corinthians 10:11 — Israel's wilderness failures "were written down for our instruction"
3. God's people have always been a people of the Book; the written, inscripturated word ensures that the gospel is not left to a game of telephone but is codified by the Holy Spirit as a Torah for all mankind to the ends of the earth

III. Petition God According to His Gracious Promise

A. David's bold petition models how God's people are to pray (2 Samuel 7:25-29)

1. The key word is "confirm" (v. 25) — Hebrew meaning "to stand, to arise" — David asks God to cause his word to stand firm: "do as you have spoken"
2. This bold language from a self-described lowly servant raises the question: where does David find such courage?

B. David's courage to pray boldly is grounded in God's revelation of his covenant promise (2 Samuel 7:27)

1. "You have made this revelation to your servant… therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer"
2. It is essential to hold God's revelation and covenant together: God reveals himself as a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God so that his children can say, "But you promised"

C. God's revelation is not a random word cast into the atmosphere — it is a personal, covenantal word

1. Revelation is personal; revelation is covenantal; revelation is purposeful
2. In these last days, God's ultimate covenantal condescension is his Son, who fulfills the Davidic covenant and through whom all God's promises are "Yes and Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20)
3. New Covenant believers can come through Christ to the Father and cry, "Abba, Father — do as you promised"; and as last-days people we pray with confidence: Maranatha — come quickly, Lord Jesus