Introduction:
David’s Prayer of Thanks
This is a prayer from David to God.
How can you apply this passage to your life?
2 Samuel 7:18-29 NLT
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,
“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?
20 “What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord. 21 Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.
22 “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! 23 What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way. 24 You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.
25 “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. 26 And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.
27 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’ 28 For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”
Examine the Scriptures
2 Samuel 7:18-29 NLT (1 Chronicles 17:16-27)
David’s Prayer of Thanks
18 Then
Earlier in 2 Samuel 7:
David was not chosen by God to build the temple.
God declared that he will make a house for David— a dynasty of kings! A lasting dynasty!
King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,
- David went into the tent where the Ark was kept and prayed to the Lord.
The Ark was the symbol of God’s presence with His people.
2 Samuel 6:17 NLT
17 They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.
Exodus 25:22 NLT
22 I (God) will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.
Symbolically, David was coming into the presence of God.
This prayer is David’s response to God’s covenant promise that his dynasty will last forever.
“Who am I,
David’s prayer is an expression of genuine humility and unworthiness.
- David was overwhelmed by the Lord’s promise to establish David’s dynasty and make his descendants into a lasting kingdom.
O Sovereign Lord,
Here, in the NLT, David addresses God as the Sovereign Lord.
Various translations use:
O Lord God (ESV, KJV, CEB)
Sovereign Lord (NIV, NLT)
O Lord Jehovah (ASV)
The following is from Chat GPT
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- “Lord”: This title generally signifies authority, sovereignty, and ownership. In biblical texts, “Lord” often translates from the Hebrew word “Adonai” or “YHWH” (sometimes written as Yahweh or Jehovah). This was the personal, sacred name of God revealed to Moses in the book of Exodus and is considered so holy that traditional Jewish practice avoids pronouncing it, substituting it with “Adonai” (meaning “my Lord”).
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- “God”: In Hebrew, “God” is often rendered as “Elohim.” Elohim is used throughout the Old Testament to denote God’s power, divinity, and role as Creator of all things.
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When combined as “Lord God,” these titles emphasize God’s ultimate authority, holiness, and role as the Creator and ruler of all creation. The phrase conveys both His personal relationship with humanity and His sovereign rule over the universe.
The names Sovereign Lord and Lord God can be used interchangeably. They do not contradict each other.
Notice how often David uses these names in 12 verses.
Sovereign Lord
Lord
God
Lord God
Lord of Heaven’s Armies
God of Israel
- In this passage David repeatedly recognizes God as a Sovereign Lord.
God has ultimate power, authority, and control over all creation and events.
Notice how many times David referred to himself as “Your servant”. A title given to David by God.
2 Samuel 7:5 NLT
5 “Go and tell my servant David,
David was devoted to carrying out God’s will.
David understood his role in life.
- David refers to himself as a servant of God.
and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?
David is overwhelmed by God’s kindness.
19 And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty!
How long will this lasting dynasty exist?
Revelation 11:15 NLT
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever.”
- The “lasting dynasty” promised to David will last “forever and ever”.
David appears to understand that this dynasty goes way beyond the reign of King Solomon and his descendants.
Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?
1 Chronicles 17:17 NLT
17 And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O Lord God!
20 “What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord.
- Again, David humbly considers himself unworthy of all the Lord’s blessings.
21 Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.
- This everlasting dynasty will happen because it is God will for it to happen and God promised that it would happen. It was not a result of David’s ambitions.
This would all be done for Israel’s sake to fulfill God’s covenant with his people Israel.
David attributes all his success to the Lord.
22 “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!
There is none like you.
1 Samuel 2:2 NLT
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
Isaiah 44:6 NLT
6 This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:
“I am the First and the Last;
there is no other God.
Deuteronomy 4:39 NLT
There Is Only One God
39 “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.
1 Kings 8:56-60 NLT
56 “Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. 58 May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before him constantly, day and night, so that the Lord our God may give justice to me and to his people Israel, according to each day’s needs. 60 Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other.
1 Timothy 2:5 NLT
5 For,
There is one God and one Mediator (Jesus Christ) who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
James 2:19 NLT
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
- David exalts God as unique and without equal, recognizing Him as the only true God.
23 What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people?
David recognizes that Israel is unique, set apart to be God’s own special treasure.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 NLT
6 For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.
7 “The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Genesis 12:1-3 NLT
12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
Also verse 24
You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.
24 You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.
- David recognizes that Israel was set apart from every other nation by the uniqueness of its God and by the relationship the people had with Him.
25 “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.
- David is praying that God will fulfill His word regarding David’s house and descendants. (David is praying, “Thy will be done”.)
David understood God’s role and David understood his role.
26 And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.
- David is praying that God’s name would be honored forever.
Our lives are designed to bring honor to God.
Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
27 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’
- David prayed boldly.
We too should come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.
Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT
Christ Is Our High Priest
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
28 For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you.
For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”
- David recognizes that God will do as He has promised.
