2 Samuel 5:7-117Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. 8And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. 9So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. 10And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. 11And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house. (2 Samuel 5:7‑11); 1 Chronicles 13; 15:16; 17
AT last David was made king, as God had promised. I will tell you the name of the city in which he lived; it was Jerusalem. David was born at Bethlehem, and there he kept sheep, but when he was king he lived at Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was a beautiful city. There were a great many hills in it. Do you not think hills very beautiful? One of the hills was called Mount Zion.
David desired some men to build him a house upon Mount Zion. Do you know what a king's house is called? It is called a palace. David's palace was on Mount Zion. David loved God very much, and so he thought he should like God's ark to be very near his palace.
Where was the ark?
You remember that the ark was once at Shiloh, and that the Philistines took it in battle, and that they sent it back to the Israelites: but the ark never was taken back to Shiloh again. God would not let the wicked people who lived in Shiloh have His ark any more. The ark had been kept in a man's house; David knew where it was, and he went himself to fetch it.
A great many priests came with David, and a great many people, who played on musical instruments, such as harps, and trumpets, and other instruments, called cornets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and some people who sang sweet psalms in the praise of God; and there were some women playing on timbrels So they brought the ark from the man's house to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. David was dressed in a white ephod, and all the singers and players of music were dressed in white, and the priests were dressed in white.
David played upon his harp, and he went with the players and singers; and the ark came afterward with the priests.
How beautiful it was to see all these men in white, and to hear them praising God! Would not the sight have put you in mind of the angels of God in heaven?
A great many of the Israelites came to see this beautiful sight. They saw their king praising God upon his harp. O how glad David felt that day!
The ark was taken up the hill, called Mount Zion. There were walls all round the top of Mount Zion, and large gates; the gates were opened wide to let the king come in, and the ark, which was the throne of the Lord David had prepared a place made of curtains for the ark to be placed in. He had not brought the old tabernacle to Mount Zion; but he had made a new tabernacle, close to his own palace There the priests placed the ark, and David desired the singers to sing a psalm that he had written, beginning `Give thanks unto the Lord.'
David also offered some sacrifices upon Mount Zion, and David blessed all the people that stood around. Before the people went home, he gave every man and every woman some bread and some meat, and a little bottle of wine. Was not this very kind of David?
David was very glad that God's ark was near his own palace. He desired the singers and players on music to sing and play every day near the ark. He desired them to sing in the night also: some used to sing in the day, and some used to sing in the night
They sang by turns. The angels in heaven can sing night and day without resting, but these singers could not do so. When David was in his palace he could hear them singing God's praise: even at night, if he lay awake upon his bed, he could hear those sweet songs.
David wrote the psalms himself: God's Spirit taught him what to say? He sang the psalms to his own harp, and he wrote them down and sent them to the singers that they might sing near the ark.
David did not always stay in his palace on Mount Zion. He was often obliged to go out to fight against the Philistines, and other wicked people; and God helped David and his men to conquer them all. Then David used to return to Mount Zion, and sing psalms to God for having helped him to conquer
One day David was sitting in his beautiful palace, and he said to his friend Nathan, `I live in a fine house, but God's ark is placed under curtains.' And David wished to build a beautiful house for God's ark.
Nathan, David's friend, was a very wise and a very good man, and he advised David to build a house for the Lord.
In the night God spoke to Nathan, and said to him, `Go, tell David not to build Me a house; I am pleased with David for wishing to build it, but I do not choose him to build Me one, because he has fought so many battles and killed so many people; but I will give David a son, who shall build me a house: but David shall go on fighting battles, and I will bless David always.'
God was not displeased with David for fighting battles, only he did not choose that he should build him a house.
Then Nathan came to David in the morning and told him what God had said.
David was very much pleased to hear that God would bless him, and that He would give him a son who should build a house for God. So David went to thank God for His kind promises.
David said, 'O Lord, how kind Thou hast been to me! And wilt thou still go on blessing me? I do not deserve such kindness. How can I thank Thee enough? Pray go on blessing my house that it may be before Thee forever.' David's 'house' meant his family.
God liked David's prayer. David was not proud. He wondered that God should be so kind to him, and that He should have taken him from being a shepherd to be king over Israel, and he wondered that God should promise to bless him always, and to bless his son: for David knew that he deserved nothing, for he was but a poor sinner. The Lord Jesus is called the Son of David,' for His mother Mary was descended from David. It is through the Lord Jesus that David's house is blessed forever. And through Him you and I may be blessed also.
Has not God been kind to you, my dear child? and has He not promised to take you to live with Him if you ask Him? Did you ever wonder to yourself why God was so kind to you? It was not because you are good, because you are full of sin. It was because God is so good and loves to bless people.
David's Joy
Behold the pious king advancing
Amidst the white-robed priestly train!
Behold him playing singing, dancing,
His joy unable to restrain!
Now close beside king David's palace
Within a tent the ark shall dwell:
Let Israel fear no heathen malice,
For God Himself shall guard it well.
Their watch the holy servants keeping,
With psalms shall cheer the silent night,
The monarch in his palace sleeping,
Shall wake and listen with delight.
Child
O may I love such holy pleasures,
And taste them in the courts above;
Where saints in softest sweetest measures,
Forever praise the God they love!
David's Wish
Once David in a palace dwelt,
Whose walls were built of cedar wood;
But sorrowful the monarch felt,
For in a tent God's ark abode.
He wish'd to build a temple grand,
Of marble, silver, brass, and gold,
Where men might flock from every land,
And Israel's God might be extoll'd.
His God approved the pious thought,
And yet His servant's wish denied;
Because in battles he had fought,
And human blood his hands had dyed.
Yet when his days were all fulfilled,
God promised him a peaceful son,
Who should a glorious temple build,
And sit upon his father's throne.
Child
And did the Lord the wish approve,
Which show'd affection true and warm?
Will He accept my thoughts of love,
Though I no glorious deeds perform?
He knows my heart, He knows I long,
That every ear should hear His word,
Till Jews and Turks, and heathens throng
Into His house, and call Him Lord.
Questions on Lesson 14
In what city did David live when he was king?
What was the name of the hill in Jerusalem on which David's house was built?
Why did David wish to have the ark near his palace?
Where had the ark been kept since the Philistines had sent it back?
Who went before the ark as it was being taken to Mount Zion?
Where did David place the ark?
Why would not God allow David to build a house for the ark?
Who was to build God's house?
Did David deserve that God should bless him always?
Why does God bless you?