[0:00] 2nd Psalm chapter 7 And 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.
[0:27] And Nathan said to the king, Go to all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee. David, in the chapter that we read, would be a mature man at this time, probably around 40 years of age.
[0:55] And two important facts are disclosed. In the very first verse, you could say, that David had not enjoyed either of these, for most of his life until then.
[1:12] The first of these, that we are told about is, he sat in his house. That was certainly a novelty for this man.
[1:25] He was no longer treated as a fugitive, as he had been over several years. neither was he out leading the army to battle.
[1:38] He had a new house built foreign. I dwell, I dwell, he says, in a house of cedar. And the fifth chapter of this book tells how this house was built.
[1:55] Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons, who built David a house.
[2:07] So, the material and the workmen were supplied by the king of Tyre. And the second fact that we are told is, that the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies.
[2:25] And that tells us, that it was a time of peace. For the first time, you could say, since David was a youth, there was a period of peace in his life.
[2:40] And that peace was shared throughout the kingdom. David had reached, you might say, the pinnacle of his power. And the man who is referred to as a man after God's own heart is spoken of in this chapter as my servant David.
[3:04] Not everyone is granted such a title by the Lord. Moses, you remember, was given this designation, Moses, my servant.
[3:18] So, you might ask, what was uppermost in the mind and heart of David? Was it to enjoy the hard-earned privileges of peace?
[3:30] Was it to add to his wealth as king? And the Bible answers these questions and tells us that none of these things were uppermost in the mind and heart of the king at this time.
[3:47] But what was uppermost was to build a house for the Lord. See now, he says, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
[4:00] In other words, the ark was still sheltered by a kind of tent. And you could say it was an attractive proposal, even a great proposal.
[4:16] The prophet Nathan thought so anyway, for he gives the king every encouragement. Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.
[4:30] So here then we have an example of one of the Lord's people praying to God for a specific proposal, but God says no.
[4:44] Now perhaps you're saying you can't find the word prayer in the words of our text in the first three verses. And I would contend that these verses tell us of prayer in the life of King David because in declaring his mind on this subject to the prophet of the Lord was the equivalent of praying to God.
[5:14] And so I'd like to put four thoughts before you. And the first is this, does prayer always receive an answer? And the second thought is this, David's proposal or David's prayer, the third thought, divine response, and finally the promise of God.
[5:40] Does prayer always receive an answer? And my response to the question is yes and no.
[5:50] It reminds me of something I read about a very young boy. And this young boy earnestly and sincerely was praying that God would give him a bike for Christmas.
[6:11] But on Christmas Day there was no bike. And an adult who had overheard the young lad praying asked him why did God not answer your prayer?
[6:27] Little boy was silent for a while. And this is what he said by way of response. Oh, he said God did answer and he said no.
[6:42] What a wise response from a young child. and what comes to mind is this out of the mouths of babes. So, he didn't conclude that God did not answer for is the answer no?
[7:02] Not as much, not just as much an answer as yes. And just to elaborate on that, remember how the apostle Paul pleaded, pleaded with the Lord to have the thorn in the flesh removed.
[7:22] Did the Lord remove the thorn? And the answer is no. He left the thorn. And yet, despite the refusal to remove the thorn, he did receive a most positive response.
[7:41] And the response was, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. But what we don't know is, how many times the apostle Paul prayed for this very promise to be honored, to enable him to cope with whatever the thorn in the flesh was.
[8:07] But you know, I'm not so sure that we are reconciled to accepting the answer no from the Lord. We are very prepared to accept the answer yes.
[8:22] So, to come back to my question, does prayer always receive an answer? And I said yes and no. You see, it depends what we mean by prayer.
[8:38] Many words are spoken under the general term of prayer which do not receive an answer.
[8:51] If I can elaborate on that, much is said in the Bible about God not answering what is called prayer.
[9:04] And by that I mean there are no promises of comfort or help, times of peril, to those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
[9:20] Many use the forms of prayer in crisis moments, times of tribulation, times of distress, times of danger. But as soon as the crisis moment has passed, there is no more attempt at prayer.
[9:38] But you may be saying to me, but minister, does the Bible not teach? Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. Oh, certainly, the Bible does say that.
[9:52] But to whom are these words addressed? Who is the you who is implied there? Who is being asked to ask and it will be given?
[10:06] Are these words not addressed to those who trust in Christ alone for salvation? Again, how often are the words of the Lord's Prayer used?
[10:21] How does the Lord's Prayer begin? Our Father, which art in heaven. Ask yourself this. Is God the Father of all men?
[10:35] Is God the Father of all men? In the sense that he created all men, yes. But in the sense is God the spiritual Father of all men?
[10:47] I think you will find from careful study of the Bible, that he is Father only to those who trust in Christ, to whom belong the privilege of adoption.
[11:02] So then surely we must conclude that the prayer of the unbeliever goes unanswered. But where there is true prayer, it is the mark of regeneration.
[11:17] it is the mark of spiritual life. Remember the assurance that was given to an apprehensive church regarding Saul of Tarsus.
[11:31] Behold, he is praying. Had you heard the prayers of Saul of Tarsus before that moment, you would have noticed a marked difference in the way in which Saul of Tarsus approached the throne of God.
[11:50] He was no longer coming as one who considered himself to be a Hebrew of the Hebrews. No longer coming as one who considered that regarding the law he was blameless.
[12:06] He was coming as a sinner who had been convicted of his sin and who was marvelling at the power of divine grace to receive a broken sinner and make him whole.
[12:25] So you see, that is true prayer. But I'm going to go further. Not only does not unbelieving prayer not get answered, but there are times when the prayers of believing people go unanswered.
[12:44] Maybe you're saying, well, you're going too far now, minister. Well, let me explain. I'm going to draw attention to what the Bible teaches.
[12:56] If I regard iniquity in my heart, what does the Bible teach? The Lord will not hear me. in the book of Psalms.
[13:08] Psalm 66. When faith is an exercise and we submit in repentance, then the testimony of the psalmist is very different.
[13:19] Verily God hath heard me. He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. And the prophet Isaiah fully understood this. Remember when he wrote, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, or his ear dull that it cannot hear.
[13:37] How encouraging and uplifting are these words. They are spoken to show the folly of the conclusion drawn by the people that divine inaction is a sign of inability on the part of God to intervene, or a lack of awareness of their plight on the part of God.
[14:00] So you find this little word after these encouraging words, but, but, used to draw attention to what is really true, but, your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he does not hear.
[14:29] Note what is said. Your iniquities and your sins have caused this disruption. Here were a people who were finding fault with God, but the fault was really theirs.
[14:48] How like us? How like us? These truths, then, are very searching. Again, if we are praying for things that are not in accordance with God's will, then he will not answer.
[15:04] He will not give you what is harmful to you spiritually, just as surely as a mother who loves her child will not accede to a child's request, what they may believe to be harmful, even if the child is imploring with crying and tears.
[15:23] Apostle James highlights this, you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.
[15:35] So, is prayer always answered? Is a searching question? And that surely raises the question, what is prayer?
[15:45] prayer? And the reformers from the Shorter Catechism have given us a very apt definition of prayer. It's an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.
[16:07] Is prayer then always answered? Yes and no, because the Bible says not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
[16:24] Now, all of what I have said until now may sound discouraging. That's the negative side of the answer. That's the no part.
[16:35] And it is very searching. But there is this assurance in the Bible, the prayers of the poor he'll heed. He will not spurn their cry of need.
[16:50] Now, the poor may often say that they have no prayer. They are so conscious of their poverty when they come before God.
[17:03] And this promise to the poor ought to encourage every believer to persevere in prayer. praying for the church of Christ in the world.
[17:14] That she continue to remain faithful to the scriptures. That her ministers live a godly life. To pray for zeal for holiness in the lives of the people of God.
[17:29] Prayer for the covenantal children to be converted. Prayer for the church to be strengthened numerically, prayer for the people. But especially spiritually.
[17:41] So does prayer always receive an answer. Yes and no. And that brings me to my second point, to David's prayer and proposal.
[17:53] David we know trusted in God. He was well aware that God was the hearer of prayer. And you find him writing, O you who hear prayer.
[18:06] David could also testify from personal experience that the Lord not only hears prayer but answers prayer. In the day of my trouble he says I call upon you for you answer me.
[18:22] David's proposal or his prayer was from a good motive. When he was, you could say, in a right relationship with God, he prayed also at an appropriate moment.
[18:35] We are told, and note what is written, it was when the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies. It wasn't David who had won the peace, but God.
[18:47] Nor did David offer this petition when there were other priorities to be attended to and duties that were laid upon him, but it wasn't a time of peace and prosperity.
[19:00] he offered this petition when all the other duties that had been laid upon him with regard to his kingship were fulfilled. And again, you cannot say that there was anything selfish about the petition.
[19:16] He wasn't, for example, praying for an extension to the palace building, nor was he pleading for additional recruits to be added to the army, but merely this.
[19:31] See, now I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And you see the contrast. He is an appalachial abode, but in his view, the ark of God, what represents the presence of God, is in poor quarters.
[19:54] and, you know, he is not praying for something that is not in accord with the will of God. It was something that was acceptable to God.
[20:06] And I base this on the words that you find in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 12 verses 10 to 11, where the Lord says, when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God has given you to inherit, when he gives you rest from all your enemies around.
[20:25] Here now is rest granted from all the enemies around. And when you live in safety, then to the place that the Lord your God will choose to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes on the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.
[20:50] Now, David would not be ignorant of this teaching. It may even be that it was that these very words that planted the seed in his mind, which resulted in his proposal.
[21:06] The first part of these truths had been fulfilled. They had rest as a nation. And it may be that David now considered the time was ripe.
[21:18] For the second part, a place where worship might be made, to the living and true God. So that was his proposal, to build a house for the Lord.
[21:30] Does prayer always receive an answer? Thirdly, the divine response. And what you find is God refuses David's petition.
[21:43] You see, God can reject our plans without rejecting our passions, because our plans may not be made in accord with the divine plan.
[22:00] Why does God say no? And there are probably answers to that question that we probably will never know, at least this side of death.
[22:13] But there are answers given in this chapter from which we can learn. You could say that God was teaching, that David was not so necessary to God's planning, as David might have been tempted to think.
[22:34] Where do we see that? well, is it not reinforced in what the Lord reminds David? God reminds him not of what David has done or might do for God, but of what God has done for David.
[22:53] That's very important. What God has done, thus says the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheep court, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel.
[23:10] That's what God did. Think of the transition and the transformation that was effected in the life of this man, taken from being a shepherd boy to being the leader of a nation, in a position of power, a position of authority, a position of trust, a position of leadership.
[23:33] He didn't achieve that, by his own ends, or by his own planning. He only achieved it because God had purposed it.
[23:45] He was God's anointed, he was God's choice. And you may remember how at times when he was a fugitive in the wilderness, that David was almost on the point of concluding that God's purpose would not be fulfilled.
[24:06] And you find his friend, Jonathan, coming to strengthen his hand in the Lord, by placing his hand on the promises of God, in order to encourage him.
[24:21] Now, I'm quite sure that everyone here believes, at least intellectually, that God can do whatever he wants without us.
[24:34] But, when you are involved with the work of the Lord, and especially if the cause is prospering, have you found this thought raising its head?
[24:47] For example, when someone has been converted, someone begins to attend the means of grace, oh, while I was speaking to that person, I said this to them, and I said the next thing to them.
[25:03] In other words, you are wanting a little bit of the glory for yourself. And so, you come to the, how can a congregation do without you?
[25:15] Well, do you know the answer that I'm going to give? Maybe even much better than when we are not there. So, you see, if we are tempted by that kind of temptation, we too need to learn David's lesson of what the Lord has done for us.
[25:36] Remember what Christ taught his disciples. Apart from or without me, you can do nothing. You can do nothing without Christ.
[25:51] Absolutely nothing. how we all need to learn this lesson again and again and again. And the second benefit that David learned, that God had reason to say no, although I don't think that was quite obvious to David just at that, at the point that we read.
[26:16] but he did learn the reason later on. How do we know? Because you find David speaking to Solomon later on, my son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God.
[26:33] But the word of the Lord came to me saying, you have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth and so on.
[26:51] But at this point in time, David wasn't given that knowledge. He simply had to trust in God's answer.
[27:04] And you know, it's not always easy to discern God's ways in this life. if I can use the illustration of tapestry, when you look at the back of a piece of tapestry, all you will see is a maze of threads going in every direction with very little or no indication of a pattern.
[27:38] But when you look at the proper side of the tapestry, what do you see? You see a beautiful pattern clear emerge.
[27:53] And that is often how life is. We only see it from the wrong side, the side of all the different threads.
[28:03] things. But you know, the day will come in the life of every child of grace where you will see life from the right side, from God's perspective.
[28:16] But in the meantime, you are to continue trusting in him to work out and complete the pattern that he has begun.
[28:27] and there is something else I think I ought to mention here. Although God refused the proposal, he gave great blessing to David and in some ways David is like the apostle Paul here, where the Lord refused to remove the thorn but gave him the promise of grace.
[28:53] And the blessing that he gave here was, remember David was going to build a house for the Lord, but the Lord's response showed that he was building a house for David, a house that was going to be eternal.
[29:13] The Lord telleth thee he will make thee a house, and when thy days be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after them which shall proceed out of thy vows, and I will establish his kingdom, and thine house, and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee, thy throne shall be established forever.
[29:35] In other words, it's as if God were saying, I don't want you caught up in building a temple, instead, I will give you a dynasty established forever, so that when Messiah comes, I will speak of the permanence of his reign with reference to you, he will reign on the throne of his father, David, forever.
[29:58] In effect, God was making a covenant, commitment to David. Some of the theologians call it the climax of the old covenant.
[30:10] You remember in the garden of Eden, when man broke the covenant that God made with him, the covenant of works, God, the God of the covenant of grace promised salvation to fallen man.
[30:28] And you remember God promised that there would come from the seed of the woman, one who would bruise the head of the serpent. And you remember how that promise seemed fairly wide initially in the succeeding covenants that were made, as he revealed himself as a covenant keeping God, and first of all from a nation, then from a tribe, the tribe of Judah, and here it is narrowed down still to come from one family.
[31:03] God reveals that it would be a royal seed that would bruise the head of the serpent, even Jesus Christ. So, the divine response, David's proposal, does prayer receive an answer, finally, the promise of God?
[31:20] And the revelation of the promise that was given has a deeply humbling effect on the king. He comes before the Lord as the implication of the promise sinks in.
[31:40] Here is the great king of Israel, having an audience with the king of kings. David the servant before his royal superior.
[31:54] And you remember what he says, who am I? Who am I? You could say that these words are an indication of his attitude towards his own life and achievements, which are so well summarized by the psalmist, Lord, not to us, O not to us, to your name be the praise, because your love and faithfulness endure, O Lord, always.
[32:23] Who am I? O Lord God. And the usage of the two names, Lord God, summarize the absolute authority unity that David recognizes belongs to God, Lord God.
[32:44] And it could also be an indication of how captivated David is in his contemplation of God's love and provision.
[32:55] and so he repeats the name Lord God. And I get the impression that he understands that he is following in the footsteps of Abraham.
[33:07] The promise given to David is very similar to that of Abraham. Given to David, I have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are on the earth.
[33:18] And you know, when a person comes face to face with the majesty and sovereignty of God, they are not inclined to think highly of themselves.
[33:32] Who am I? You can see that in the life of Abraham, when he was interceding for the inhabitants of Sodom. Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord.
[33:43] And you remember what he went on to say, I, who am but dust and ashes. You see it in the life of Isaiah, when he saw the Lord high and lifted up, woes me, for I am undone.
[33:58] I am a man of unclean lips. Who am I? Says David. It's as if he sees his personal circumstances being so insignificant in comparison to the great covenant purpose of God.
[34:15] And God's purpose is outworked through his covenant promises. may be that, I don't know, but it may be that David has also said the very same thing that was said of Abraham.
[34:28] What was said of Abraham? He saw the day of Christ and we are told he rejoiced. David was also rejoicing as he came before God.
[34:43] And however that might be, he learned to claim the promise for himself. And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, concerning his house, establish it forever.
[34:58] Do as thou hast said, let thy name be magnified forever, say, the Lord of hosts is the God over Israel. Let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
[35:11] So, if God says no to one of your prayers, it is not that you might become discouraged or confused.
[35:22] Why else does he say no? Well, could I suggest that it is that you might be led to turn to the promises of God and to plead them again?
[35:35] What are your needs? Is your need for pardon of sin and forgiveness? What says the scriptures? If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, is our need for peace?
[35:56] What says the scriptures? Come to me all who labor and heavy laden, I will give you rest. And again, you keep him in perfect peace, whose mind has stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
[36:10] Is our need for wisdom? If any of you lack wisdom, says the Bible, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach and will be given him.
[36:21] Is there need for assurance? My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they will, they follow me. I give them eternal life, they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
[36:33] And if I have left any doubt, what about this promise? The promise that Paul gives to the church at Philippi, my God, he says, will supply every need of use according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.
[36:51] Every need of use. There is no need in our life for which God has not made provision.
[37:02] the promises are there in order that we might learn to claim them. Does prayer receive an answer?
[37:13] Yes and no. David's prayer, the divine response on the promise of God.
[37:24] Let us pray. O Lord God, we thank Thee that we come to one who is faithful in keeping his promises.
[37:40] Grant most gracious God that we be no strangers to that place where these promises are pled before thy throne and where they are answered graciously, lovingly, mercifully, by Thee, cleansing the blood.
[38:01] In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen. Let us conclude by singing to his praise again from Psalm 89 and verse 33.
[38:17] Psalm 89 and verse 33. 3. 4. Yet I'll not take my love from him, nor false my promise make, my covenant I'll not break, nor change, what with my mouth I speak.
[38:37] once by my holiness I swear, to David I'll not lie, his seed and throne shall as the sun before me last for a, it like the moon shall ever be established steadfastly, and like to that which in the heaven doth witness faithfully.
[39:01] These three verses, yet I'll not take my love from him. yet I not took my love from him, nor false my promise me, by covenant I not brick nor change, nor change, but will my love I stay, but by my holiness toward Beth before me last for a year.
[40:26] And like the man shall ever be, his childish step thusly, and like to that which in the hand hath witnessed victory.
[41:05] Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit, rest on and abide with you all, now and forever. Amen.