Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 7

God’s word and his will

2 Samuel 7:20-21

When someone shows us a small kindness, it seems enough to say, ‘Thank you’. For a great kindness, we want to do something more - but often, we cannot. No words seem enough to express how grateful we are.

That was how David felt on this occasion. God had made very wonderful promises to him about the future of his family (7:5-16). David wanted to praise and to thank God - but his words seemed too weak to do that properly (Psalm 116:12-13). God’s goodness to him was so great (compare Romans 11:33-35).

However, David could understand why God had made those promises. It was because of God’s word and his will:

(1) God’s word means the promises that he has already given. God promised to send the Messiah, God’s king, and by him to rescue the world from every evil thing (Genesis 3:15). The Messiah would come from Abraham’s family (Genesis 22:18) and from Judah’s family (Genesis 49:10). David was from Judah’s family and he seems aware of God’s promise to it in 1 Chronicles 28:4.

Now God was carrying out that promise - he was showing that his Messiah would come from David’s family (Matthew 1:1).

(2) God’s will means his choice, in other words, what God wanted to do. David realised that he had done nothing to deserve this great kindness from God. He had not earned it. God had freely chosen, in his great love, to promise this wonderful thing.

Next part: The true greatness of God (2 Samuel 7:22)

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