NOTES for Sa2 7:1-29

As soon as peace came to the borders and it became possible to attend to everyday matters, David felt a desire to build a house for the Lord. The desire was entirely legitimate and reflected David’s deep bond with God, and so the prophet Nathan initially approved it. He approved it while reasoning in human terms, basing himself on his understanding of the reality of David’s standing before the Lord: if the Lord was with David, then David’s intentions did not contradict Him.

But the Lord has a different logic, unfathomable to human thought and often inaccessible to the most perceptive of sages. Through Nathan the Lord announced that His House was to be built not by David but by his descendant. At this point in the biblical account, the principal reason why the Lord rejected David’s desire is not mentioned; the Bible will speak of it later....

Yet in rejecting David’s plan, the Lord reveals His own plan for David’s house and descendants. The Lord announced that, whatever might happen, the house of David would remain indestructible. It is still hidden from David how the indestructibility of his house will be manifested; he is not yet able even to imagine what the Kingdom brought by the Son of David will be like. But David’s heart is filled with gratitude, and in response to the promises David turns still more intensely in prayer to the God of Israel.