The Living Word

KING JAMES VERSION

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

— Isaiah 40:8

1 Chronicles 17

Listen to the Word

Initializing audio...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

1

Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains.

WhatsApp Copy

2

Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.

WhatsApp Copy

3

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

WhatsApp Copy

4

Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:

WhatsApp Copy

5

For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

WhatsApp Copy

6

Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

WhatsApp Copy

7

Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

WhatsApp Copy

8

And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

WhatsApp Copy

9

Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,

WhatsApp Copy

10

And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.

WhatsApp Copy

11

And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

WhatsApp Copy

12

He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

WhatsApp Copy

13

I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:

WhatsApp Copy

14

But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

WhatsApp Copy

15

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

WhatsApp Copy

16

And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

WhatsApp Copy

17

And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

WhatsApp Copy

18

What can David speak more to thee for the honor of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

WhatsApp Copy

19

O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

WhatsApp Copy

20

O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

WhatsApp Copy

21

And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

WhatsApp Copy

22

For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

WhatsApp Copy

23

Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

WhatsApp Copy

24

Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.

WhatsApp Copy

25

For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.

WhatsApp Copy

26

And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

WhatsApp Copy

27

Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.

WhatsApp Copy

Previous Next

Chapter Study & Analysis

Overview

1 Chronicles 17 contains the Davidic Covenant. David desires to build a house for God, but God speaks through Nathan, promising instead to build David a "house" (a dynasty) that will last forever.

CONTEMPORARY APPLICATIONS

1. God’s "No" is a Greater "Yes": David wanted to build a temple, but God had a bigger plan for a kingdom. When God closes a door, it is often because He is opening an eternal one.
2. Humility in the Face of Blessing: David’s response was, "Who am I, O Lord God?" (v. 16). The more God blesses us, the more humble we should become.
3. Trusting the Promise: David prayed for God to do as He said. We don't need to "help" God fulfill His promises; we just need to believe and obey.

Practical Lessons

FORMAL PRAYER

Lord, we thank Thee for Thy promises that exceed our desires. Grant us the humility to accept Thy timing and the faith to trust that Thou art building something eternal through our lives. Amen.

Copied to clipboard!