Turn with me to 2 Samuel chapter 7. This is a long chapter, and I'm not going to try and go through it all tonight with you, but there are many sweet meditations for us to help us fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. Now, we begin in verses 1 and 2. And it says, It came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies, that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. This is a blessing that we see here that the Lord gave to David, that when God had given him rest from all his enemies, his thoughts went to rest upon God. Isn't that a sweet thing? That when he was at peace, when he was at rest, his thoughts went and rested on the Lord. And you think about the flesh, and oftentimes we, I've experienced this, where the flesh gets some rest, some respite, some peace from some trial, and sadly the flesh goes toward fleshly things, seeking out some pleasure that I've missed in the flesh. But here we see a work of grace that when his flesh found rest from all his labors, rather than seek fleshly things, his mind was on the Lord. That is a blessing of grace, brethren. That is grace that does that, that turns us from the dead vain things of this world to the Lord. That's a gracious spirit that desires the Lord and worships the Lord and seeks to know the Lord more and more. To not waste our time, but to redeem the time, knowing that the hour is short. And so here's a work of grace of our Lord in the heart of a sinner to turn our minds constant care, which is always on the world, always worried about something going on in the world, but to turn our thoughts and our hearts upward toward him who sits above, with whom we sit enthroned in the heavens. And so it's the Lord that is the giver of such a blessed peace. He is the giver of this peace. The Lord is. Now, David is thinking of these many blessings that he's recently comforted by. For example, he has a house that was recently built. him right at the expense of what was it Hiram I think the king's name was from Tyre that area sent down carpenters and cedar wood and built David this beautiful home and he's looking around and he's admiring the artwork and and all that he sees there and he remembers the Ark of God that he had recently brought up from Obed Edom's house and the Ark of God was resting in a tent a tent A tent is not stationary, it's a movable thing, and David calls it curtains. The Ark of God rests in curtains. Nothing that impresses when you compare it to the architecture of man's hands, right? Or is that true? Depends on where your heart is set. Can man build something more beautiful than the Lord? I don't think so. I don't think so. He's thinking of this tent, and it seems dirty, and it certainly seems weak in comparison to where David is sitting, right? From the flesh's perspective, it seems like a weak, dirty, dingy thing, and it didn't sit well with David. And so David has this thought, but one thing I want us to see here tonight is that this thought didn't originate with David. This is a thought which the Lord laid on David's heart. This is a thought which God gave to him according to the sovereign, eternal purpose and will of Almighty God. And it's, as we'll see, as we go through this chapter, the more we go through it, that this is according to a spirit of prophecy. We know that David was a prophet. The Psalms are full of prophecy, all pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so David was a prophet, and this raised up in David, this desire to build God a house, is given to David, even though David won't build it. but the Lord laid it on him according to a spirit of prophecy. And this remembrance of the Lord, it comes into David's mind all by the hand of the Lord. It's the Lord that does this. Whenever your heart is turned to the Lord, it is the Lord's hand that does it. Paul tells us that no man seeketh after God. No man desires God. No man seeks after righteousness. No man is good, despite what we think of ourselves There's none righteous, no, not one. And so any thought that we have of the Lord, any thought of mourning for our sin, any thought of repentance, any thought and desire of the Lord, that is of the Lord. The Lord gives that. The Lord gives that. When he gives that, thank the Lord for that, because it is his work. And David here turns to Nathan, the prophet. And Nathan is a man, just like David is a man. But this whole exchange here that we're going to look at, these first few verses here, there's spiritual imagery given to us here. There's spiritual truths being declared here, woven in these words and the imagery, the pictures that we have here of God's work at stirring up the heart. of his child. You see, the Lord is going to glorify his name in the earth. He shall glorify his name and he'll use the most base elements and the most base creatures to glorify His name in the earth. God is never at a disadvantage. When you examine yourself, and you that know yourselves to be weak in yourselves, to have various infirmities and shortcomings and difficulties, God is never a disadvantage even though he uses the weak and the base things of this world that we are lowly and weak in ourselves he's pleased to use weak things and poor things to accomplish his purpose turn over to 1st Corinthians let's go to chapter 1 1st Corinthians chapter 1 Paul is describing some common characteristics of those who are called by God into his kingdom. Paul's writing a few common characteristics of us. He says at the end of the chapter in verse 26, for ye see your calling, brethren. And this is no different today than in Paul's day. You see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen. yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught, or to bring to nothing things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence." And the Lord is careful to protect his people whom he calls so that we can't commend ourselves and pat ourselves on the back and say, I did good there, I did good there, rather than glory in the Lord. He's going to be glorified in the hearts of his people. And that means that he's going to show us our weaknesses. We're going to see our shortcomings and our failings that we might see are all in God. It's on purpose. I'm convinced that the various infirmities that we have, and in my own self, that the various shortcomings and infirmities that I have are on purpose for my good, for my good. And that's true of you. We can beat ourselves up over things, but it's God who permitted it, who gave it to make us weaken ourselves that we would see and learn the strength of God in our weakness. That we wouldn't depend on ourselves like we would, but that we would look to him and cry out to him for grace and mercy and health. Now, with that description there in 1 Corinthians 1, let's go back to our text. Because this speaks of whom the Lord calls. Verse 2. Let's read verse 2 again. And the king said unto Nathan the prophet, see now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within Currens. Currens. The ark of God is a symbol of God's presence. The Ark of God was in Israel, where the presence of God was, not in any other nation of the world. God's presence was with Israel. They are pictured, brought forth, in a sense, there with the Ark of God, where the Shekinah glory was, where the Lord dwelled among his people. And David at this time, I don't think he sees this. It's not necessarily what he was saying, but God's presence His presence dwelling in that tent is really an accurate picture of the presence of the Lord dwelling in the midst and the hearts of His people and among His people. It's a good picture of our Lord's presence, His spirit, Him dwelling in our hearts by faith. proud flesh, right? When we're proud and puffed up in our flesh, we see ourselves as in house of cedar, preserved, strong, fixed, right? We see ourselves in that light, but the reality is that we are really just a curtain. All we are is a curtain. This flesh is but a curtain, a tent. a momentary passing thing that is weak and it's flimsy and it falls apart. It has holes and it needs to be replaced. It's to be put away. And so the curtain really is a perfect picture of our Weakness. And that sense, when you look up that word, curtains, there, it talks about it being tremulous, I think is the word that was used there. And the sense is, if a strong wind comes or you just knock it, you ever hit a curtain, and it just starts waving. It just starts moving. It's moved. It's moved out of place very easily. It might look solid. It might look sturdy until you touch it, until you push on it. And then you see, oh, there's nothing there. That thing is weak. It's easily moved. Now, though we're weak in flesh, though we're weak in the flesh, yet the scriptures say to you that believe the Lord Jesus Christ, that call upon him in spirit and in truth, to you who that confession and that hope has been given by God, he says that ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." The Lord dwells in and walks among the curtains, the tents of his people, the weakness of his people. And everywhere that tent was, it was what? A stranger. It was not there permanently. It was passing through, just passing through. It wasn't going to be there long. And that's true of us as well. We're not going to be here long. We're but a vapor. Here today, gone tomorrow. That quickly. And no one remembers us. No one remembers us. Do you know somebody that lived here 100 years ago? I don't. I don't know anything about them. And no one's going to remember me 100 years from now. We're here today and gone tomorrow. But the Lord knows us. And that's what's important. The Lord knows his people. he remembers his people and he writes the names of his people in his book and he remembers them and it pleases him to dwell among the tents of his people though we are weak and flimsy and easily moved and put out of place now there's another site here that's even more glorious considering this tent housing the ark what does it picture we have another picture a more glorious picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who the Son of God came and from heaven and laid aside his glory and picked up what? Weakness, weakness, humility. The infirmity of this flesh, he took this flesh upon him and walked in weakness to suffer, to suffer for his people, to lay down his life for his people, to fulfill all righteousness, to bear and suffer The offensive man who hated Him, who despised Him, who spoke ill of Him, who sought His death and eventually were allowed to take Him by wicked hands and crucify Him, all to accomplish the redemption, the life, the salvation of His people. This is a picture of our Lord, that ark in the tent is a picture of Christ coming in the flesh. in the flesh. Listen to what the word says under the law concerning this tabernacle. This is from Leviticus 26, verse 11 and 12. The Lord said, I set my tabernacle, that movable tent, I set my tabernacle among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. Think about that. Holy God, who knows our hearts, knows our thoughts, knows our weaknesses, and says, I won't hate you. I won't abhor you and destroy you, though I could. And I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my people." And there's an immensity of love and grace in that for his people. It is the love of God that sent the Son of God to this earth in the flesh to lay down His life for His people, so that whosoever believeth on Him, though we are unworthy of ourselves, whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That is a picture of the love and the grace, the immensity, the enormity of God's love and grace for his people, in his holiness, that though we deserve to be destroyed, that though we deserve to be cast into hell for the simplest of things, for the simplest of offense, in our eyes, I say that, but for the most minor of offenses, we deserve an eternity in hell. And yet God says, I won't abhor you. I won't destroy you." Why? Because of Christ, for Christ's sake. That is how God may be just and justifier of them that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is how he is able to love you and be gracious to you, long-suffering, forbearing your sins, for Christ's sake. And you notice he doesn't change us all at once. There are things that he does. He does make us new creatures, but there's a lot of things that the Lord still bears within us for a lifetime. There's a lot of things that he still bears with us and doesn't put away. And so he's very, very merciful. Now, today our Lord still walks among us, dwelling in our hearts by faith. He gives us his spirit. Paul talks about grieve not the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the Spirit continues with us. He doesn't withdraw from us. He dwells in our hearts. Listen to Paul's prayer for the saints in Ephesus. This is from Ephesians chapter three. Ephesians chapter three in verses 16 through 19. Paul prays that God would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ. the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." That love of God that bear with us and provided redemption, salvation, put away your sin forever by the Lord Jesus Christ, that you might know that love and understand that love and understand that understanding. hear him and walk with him and rejoice be joyful and glad in this salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ now returning to our text back in verse 3 Nathan said to the king Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee. Now, the Lord is gonna speak to Nathan more about this that night. Nathan just said, go do it. The Lord's with you, go and do it. Now, as we'll learn, there's nothing wrong in what David did. David's desire to build the house, a temple for God, there's nothing wrong in it. It's going to be clear. We're going to see the word of prophecy that says God's going to build a temple. He's going to establish a temple. It wasn't wrong for David to desire to build this temple for the Lord. Contained in this desire here are prophetic scriptures that speak of that that foretell of Christ's coming. There's pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ in this temple, in the building of the temple, when the temple's built. It all speaks of the coming of Christ, the Son of God, the Savior, the promised seed that should come, promised in the garden. The scriptures tell of what he would accomplish when he dwelt among his people in a curtain of flesh. But one thing we do notice is David didn't consult the Lord on this. David didn't ask the Lord about this, and neither did Nathan. Nathan didn't ask the Lord about this at all here. Now, as you read this chapter, again, we're not gonna finish going through this chapter, but as you read this chapter, you'll notice that there's a lot touched on about prayer in this chapter. This chapter speaks a lot about prayer. And so I just wanna take a few moments as we're going through here just to touch on a few things that may be useful to you as you seek to pray to the Lord. Just some things that might be useful when you're seeking the Lord your God in prayer. First thing we learn from scripture is that we are to pray about all things. We don't see David praying here, but we are to pray about all things. Our Lord himself said, watch ye therefore and pray always, always. That means we should be in prayer about all things, always. Paul said, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. For all saints, right? And that also tells us about the heart of prayer that we should have. It is very helpful, I find, in prayer to be thinking of others, my brethren, you. and those whom I love, it's very good to have your heart set on the needs of your brothers rather than being consumed with yourself. Because we can get caught up and stirred up onto negative thoughts when all our thoughts are just about what we're going through and what we're struggling with. Put it on your brethren. Ask the Lord for grace for them. And think well on them in the spirit of love. We also see in this that we're to pray concerning good things. Things you think, well, why wouldn't the Lord do this? Why do I need to pray about this? Don't worry about it. You pray about it. You pray. It doesn't matter what you think the Lord's going to do with or without your prayers. Whether you think he's going to do it or not, pray without ceasing. Pray. Pray about it. Secondly, all our prayers should be made with the desire that they are according to God's will and desire. The scriptures show us that they ought to be made according to God's will. The Apostle John said it this way in 1 John 5, verse 14, and this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. God has a will and a purpose. And when we're praying, we understand that if we're praying anything according to his will, he hears us, he hears us. There are things that we pray for that we might consume in our flesh or think is good for us that the Lord knows, no, that's not my will, I'm not going to give you that. And so we pray and know that God has a will and we're seeking his will in prayer. not our will, but His will in prayer. Third, I would say, when you don't feel like praying, pray. Pray. Pray anyway, because if you don't feel like praying, well, that's an indication that we do need to pray. There are times when we don't feel like praying, but that means we really do need to pray. And fourth is related to that, in those times when When you are burdened, let me start with that one. When you are burdened to pray, but don't feel like praying, don't talk yourself out of it. And don't, because you know that we are able to talk ourselves out of praying. And the way we do that often is, well, let me just take care of this first. And oh, and let me do that too. And all of a sudden, the flesh is stacked up all kinds of things that you just want to get done real quick before you pray. And then what happens? You never pray. You forget. or just leaves you, that burden is gone. And I get that we don't want to be mechanical. I totally understand that we don't want to be cold and mechanical and just start into a form. But don't let yourself use that excuse, too, because the flesh is very crafty in that. What I would say is, But I would encourage you, brethren, because again, I know it's of the Lord. I know it's of the Lord that must give us this heart. But when you pray, even though you don't feel like praying, begin with thankfulness. Begin thanking the Lord. And I've said this before, thank the Lord for those you love. I thank the Lord for the family of God. Thank the Lord for your family. Thank the Lord for these things. Thank him for those things that you can think of in that. Thank him for those things. And I find that Though you begin in that straight and narrow and difficult spot, you don't feel like praying, just thanking the Lord on those things that you do love, that are easy. It tends to open up to a wider room of seeing many more things to give thanks to the Lord for. And it does stir up a more thankful heart. And you begin to remember things that you weren't thinking of. when you didn't feel like praying, you just begin to think of things that you've forgotten. And sometimes you're praying about something and you realize, you know the Lord. laid that on my heart a month ago. And I see how the Lord answered that prayer, and I just totally forgot about it. Thank you, Lord. And then as your heart's warmed, and you're thinking of Him, and you're remembering how gracious He is, because He didn't knock you in the head for not thinking of it. He just waited, and laid it on your heart to pray, and then brought it to your heart then. Because the Lord teaches His people in prayer a great deal in prayer. And so, as you begin remembering things, you'll find more to pray about. And with a willing heart, and a warmed heart, and a desirous heart to pray to the Lord. And so, you'll lay things before Him joyfully with that desire, with the desire that He gives, because He's the one that lays it on our heart, burdens us, and He's the one that brings us to Him, that finally cuts us at the knees and brings us down to pray to him. Because, yeah, when you put off prayer, the flesh is never going to want to cooperate, never going to want to pray. And yet, it's a joyful thing to pray. And fifth, if you are cold and hard, confess it to him. Just say, Lord, I am cold and hard. And I don't want to pray. And I don't even know how to pray. Just confess it to him. And ask Him for grace. Ask Him for grace. He does it this way. He shows us our need. It's all His way of teaching us and showing us our need of Him and how precious He really is to us. It's all of His hand that does it. In prayer, it's in prayer that we're blessed. This is where the Lord teaches us to say, as our Lord said, nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou will. Where does the Lord teach you that? In prayer. Not when you're just walking down the street and doing chores or whatever. He teaches you, Lord, because he deals with us in prayer. He teaches us and instructs us in prayer. Now, we don't change God's mind in prayer. God changes your mind in prayer. He changes my mind in prayer. He changes us about what we think on a thing. And he turns the heart to see this is what the Lord's doing. And that's where he turns that heart. Lord, nevertheless, not as I will, but as that will. He instructs the heart in prayer. Pray for that. Trust the Lord. If you remember, those men, like our Lord and like Stephen, who said, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. Father, forgive them. Where was that spoken? In prayer. If you need a thankful heart, it's going to be in prayer. That's where the Lord's going to give you that thankful heart. Father, forgive them. Father, forgive them. Pray for grace and a spirit of love to be in you. Ask them for grace because we don't understand that in the flesh. But that is the spirit he gives. He calls it a spirit of grace and supplication. That's the spirit he gives, the spirit of grace and supplication. If it wasn't so, he wouldn't say it. And he wouldn't call it that. But that's what he calls it, the spirit of grace and supplication. So ask him for grace for yourself and for others. And seek him that you may learn that love. And walk in that spirit, because we don't know how. It sounds very fleshy to us. but it's not. If it's of the Lord and He stirs you up, it's not fleshly at all. It's of His grace that gives us a spirit of grace like that. So I encourage you, brethren, pray continually. Now returning to our text here. The Lord instructed the prophet Nathan about his will, who in turn reveals the will of God to David. Now, we don't have prophets like we do in the day David had Nathan here. We don't have prophets like that. Christ is our prophet, our prophet, priest, and king. The scriptures in Hebrews 1, verse 1 and 2 says, God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, like we see with David. And Nathan's getting instructed, and Nathan's going to go and talk to David. Hath, well now, and hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. And the Father and the Son have done what? They've given us the Spirit. They've given us the Spirit. They've sent the Spirit to dwell in our hearts, to give us life, to regenerate us in life in Christ. Well, the name Nathan means whom God gave, or given. That's what Nathan means. Nathan is a prophet. He's a real man, a prophet, speaking to David. But it's a picture of what the Lord does for us in giving us the spirit who instructs us, who teaches us, who makes us to know the mind of God. It's a picture here, Nathan and David here. So in this relation here, we see a picture of the giving of the Holy Ghost to the people of God, whereby we may know the mind of our God. How so? Through life, through that new birth, making us new creatures. We're not just the same old dead creature in the flesh with new hobbies, with a new religion, with new thoughts. That's not it. We are made in Christ Jesus new creatures, given a new heart to see things differently in Christ, to desire to see things differently through the lens of Christ, to know him who loved me and gave himself for me. We're new creatures by that spirit, and what is the spirit given to do? to take the things of Christ that are in here, that is a mystery to dead man, and to make that known to you, that we would see the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave himself for me, that he is my salvation. It's not my tinkering that does it. It's Christ, Christ who suffered, Christ who died, and Christ who is risen again. And that life is given to his children, whom he loves and calls to himself. And so the Holy Ghost specifically is given, not to make you spiritual in the world and just be a spiritual person, right, and just be this magnet for spiritual weirdness. No, the Holy Spirit is given to reveal Christ to you in that new man. And he takes the things of Christ and shows them unto you. If he's showing you something else, it ain't the Spirit of Christ. Because he's going to show you the Spirit, he's going to show you Christ. And so let me just read it. We'll turn over to Romans 8. Romans 8. And we see something of this when Paul says down in verse 26 through 28, likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. That's true. We don't know. We don't know. But he does. But the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints." Here it is according to the will of God. God's will is going to be done. Not ours. God's will is going to be done. And we know This is what he teaches us in prayer. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are thee called according to his purpose. It's his work that humbles us and brings us, conforms us, conforms us to the will of God, conforming us to Christ and to see him and be content in him. Now, listen to these words spoken to Nathan. for David's instruction, it came to pass that night, that night, and that's when we hear from the Lord, isn't it? When we're in darkness, when we're in night, and we don't understand, and we can't see, and we're blind, and we're deaf, and we're dumb, and don't know what's going on, the Lord comes. And he spoke that word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, go and tell my servant David, thus saith the Lord, shalt thou build me in house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle in all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel all during that time, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why, Bilge, not me in house of Cedar? And it just reminds me of Paul, who was given infirmities and weaknesses in the flesh. Remember when he spoke and prayed for three times? He said, I prayed, Lord, remove this thorn. Lord, remove this thorn. Lord, remove this thorn. And three times the Lord said, no, I'm not removing this thorn. Why? My grace is sufficient for thee, and my strength is made perfect in weakness, in weakness. And so we walk in a tent of flesh. We are weak. We do stumble. We do ignorant things and foolish things, and we don't know what we're doing, but the Lord knows what he's doing. And his grace, he says, is sufficient for his people, and his strength is made perfect in weakness. Why? Because it's not my strength, it's not my wisdom, it's not my righteousness, it's not my sanctification, it's not my redemption. Christ has made all those things unto his people. Christ is your wisdom. Christ is your righteousness. Christ is your sanctification. Christ is your redemption. He's your all, brethren. And so that's what the Lord shows us. Now, I'm going to stop there tonight, but we'll pick this up because there's many, many blessed things to see of our Lord's mercy and grace toward us in Christ. So I pray the Lord bless that word to our hearts, brethren.