On the 30th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a glimpse of eternity (2 Samuel 7).
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips (Proverbs 27:2).
A few years ago I had Joshua memorize that scripture to counter his constant boasting about a new pair of jeans or toy, how fast he could eat or run, what he knew about the Bible or just about anything else he had learned. He needed a scripture to help him learn humility because he was too young for the ultimate teacher of experience, perhaps King David’s greatest teacher.
David learned humility in the pastures with his sheep, under his brothers’ oppressive hands, and from the prophet Nathan’s indicting rebuke. For the most part, he allowed his experiences to humble him so he knew how to respond when he faced something big, like God promising him a royal offspring and an eternal kingdom.
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. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 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, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'”—2 Samuel 7:12-16
This promise to David was a foreshadowing of the promise to Mary about Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”—Luke 1:32-33.
David (and Mary too) responded to God with praise and prayer. He focused on how small he was and how big God is, he recognized that he didn’t deserve any honor from God, but praised Him for giving it to him, and he prayed that God would indeed confirm His word. There is no record where David (or Mary) bragged about such a great revelation from God the Father. God spoke both about David’s physical and spiritual heritage. He spoke about Solomon, but the ‘forever’ makes it clear that this kingdom would transcend Solomon, pointing to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who also was David’s descendant and, yet God Himself. If we received an eternal revelation, many of us would be like Joshua, tapping everyone who came in our path and telling them just how special we are, but from David we not only learn about our coming Messiah but also how to respond when we get a word from God. There is no room for self praise but plenty of room for us to get low and lift up our Savior who doesn’t have to tell us a thing.
Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith