2 Samuel 7:1-17

If you brought a copy of Scripture with you this morning, you can find second Samuel chapter seven, 2 Samuel chapter 7, as we continue in our series, David, the Man Who Captured the Heart of God. And now, God is going to capture David in a sense by giving him a promise that literally just blows his mind. It really should blow ours when we think of the whole thing. And we are talking about God’s promises today, and how we respond to them. Sometimes we just need to have somebody remind us of God’s promise and the God behind the promise.

The other day, I went to lunch with an 80, almost 85, year old man, a pastor, who I would call sort of just a really a… more of a friend than a mentor. But about 15 plus years ago, I met him. Some of you will remember, I used to talk about a guy by the name of Bob that I used to meet up at a coffee shop with. He was an agnostic, still is an agnostic, still far from God. Had many interactions with Bob to no avail. One day I saw Bob talking to this guy, and they had books and they were talking, they were laughing at each other, and I was thinking, what would these two flaming liberals have in common with one another? And this went on for weeks, and then this guy, the older gentleman walked up to me and said, “You’re a pastor, aren’t you?” And I said, “Yes, I am.” He goes, “I am too.” And I, in my mind, I thought, “Yeah, right.” He goes, “I’m just old Baptist pastor trying to reach people for Jesus like Bob.” And I just… I was instantly convicted, because that’s exactly what he was trying to do, and we became instant friends.

And that was really during one of the lowest times of my life with a couple of my kids. And that man of God would constantly remind me of the promises of God, and more importantly, the God behind the promises, ’cause if we don’t get that right, we don’t get the promises right. And so I’m thankful for Dave Smiley, my friend, who continues … is still preaching, by the way… on the promises of God and the God behind the promises. Because here’s the truth. Truth builds up our faith. Promises hold up our hearts. And some of you would give a rousing ‘amen’ to that already. And some of you have yet to learn that in your life.

We live off promises, do we not? Since you’ve been a child, you know, when your dad said, ‘We’re going to Disney World!’ — said my dad… never. (congregation laughing) Come to think of it, I never have either, so… But we would get the promise, ’cause we were campers, we’d go camping a lot. “We’re going camping!” I would live off that for weeks before we actually went camping!

But when a promise is delayed, or it doesn’t come to pass, the Bible tells us in Proverbs chapter 13 that:

Proverbs 13:12a, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

Doesn’t it? It discourages us.

When my mentor, David Graham, stood over the grave of my wife as the casket was being lowered, he shouted out, “Nina, we’ll rise again!” And that wasn’t just… he wasn’t just conjuring up some vain hope. He was re-issuing a sure, unconditional promise from God, the promise that Jesus, Himself, gave us when He said:

John 11:25, “I am the resurrection in the life. He who believes in Me though he may die yet shall he live.”

And I believed it. And I… just like… it was like spiritual re-rod holding me up in that moment! — because it was a promise from God.

Second Samuel 7 is a promise. It’s known as the Davidic covenant. I mean, there’s been so much ink spilled over this chapter. Books and dissertations have been written over this chapter alone because of its power, its promise, and the ramifications of the promise, and what it means, and who it’s to.

But David is who the promise is immediately given toward, and David now is king. He’s the king of the United Israel. He’s at the peak of his… he’s at the pinnacle of his life, his ministry, his glory, his kingship, all the above. Jerusalem is now his city, and it’s called the city of David. The ark has been brought into Jerusalem. His enemies are on the run. The land of Israel is expanding. It’s growing, and David is over it all. And it’s at this point that God comes to him. And actually David is, David now… he’s established there and he’s looking around. He sees this amazing home, his built of cedar… it’s beautiful… and then he looks at God’s. And let’s just see how he responds here, beginning in verse one.

2 Samuel 7:1-17

1 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,

2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,

(and said, ‘Eh eh.’ That’s not what it says, but it’s kind of the same)

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build Me a house to dwell in?

6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.

7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”’

8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture,” (This is what Nathan is to say to David, “I took you from the pasture…”) from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.

9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.

10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,

11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.”

(You’re not making Me a house. I’m making you a house)

12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers,” (that is, you die) “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 He shall build a house for my name,” (This is Solomon, his son) “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.”

The Davidic covenant… You just heard it. That’s what this is. This is in essence God’s promise to David that the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus, would come through his bloodline,

[2 Samuel] verse 12, “his body,” quote unquote, and his kingdom will last, how long? — three times: “forever…” “forever…” “forever…” — and ultimate fulfillment would come when Messiah returns and sets up His literal kingdom here on earth… Hallelujah!

This is an unconditional covenant, unconditional by definition, that means “without conditions.” There are conditions… the mosaic covenant, if you read that earlier on, God keeps saying, ‘If you will… then I will.’ ‘If you will obey, then I will bless.’ That’s a conditional covenant. This is unconditional, and again, by definition, means no conditions have to be made. Some 15 times in this chapter, and you notice me emphasize it, “I will…” And it builds on other unconditional covenants, particularly the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis chapter 15. You don’t need to go there, but if you might remember the story. Abraham… God’s already made promises to him. And he takes him out one night. He’s an old man. His wife is old. He has no kids, and God says, ‘Can you count the stars?’ Abraham basically says, ‘No.’ And God says, ‘Well, let me tell you something. You’re not gonna be able to count how many kids you’re gonna have from you,’ and the Bible tells us Abraham believed God and God accounted it to him as righteousness. [Genesis 15:6] And that’s always been what God wants us to do with his unconditional promises. In a word, “Believe.” Believe Him.

And so at this point, this is where one of the most amazing dramas occur in all of scripture, because after this, Abraham cuts up a bunch of animals. A whole bunch of them… lines them up… one side, and the other side… blood all over the place, because that’s the way you made a covenant back in the day. You would make a promise… I’d make a promise to you, you make a promise to me… we’d cut up an animal. In fact, the word covenant means… comes from the word which means “to cut.” So they’d cut the animal in half, and then you’d hold hands with one another and you’d walk right between those animals. And as you did, you’d be saying, ‘If you break this covenant, you’re a dead man.’ And he was saying, “If you break this covenant, you’re a dead man.’ That’s the way covenants were made.

And so when Abraham cut up these animals and put them off to the side, he fully expects God to come down take him by the hand and walk through those animals or between them. But that’s not what happens! Instead, Abraham takes a nap. God puts him into a deep sleep, and God, Himself, walks between those parts, as if to say, ‘You couldn’t hold up your end of the bargain, anyway. It’s all on Me. I will… I will… I will…’ It’s an unconditional covenant from God.

So 350 years later, Jeremiah would tell us that this is gonna give way to another unconditional covenant called the New Covenant. We actually celebrate it, and will celebrate it at the Lord’s table, today at the end. It’s an unconditional covenant. Jesus said, “This cup is the (what?) It’s the New Covenant. It’s in My blood.” [1 Corinthians 11:25]

So what does this mean? So, there’s a covenant, the covenants of God that are unconditional… Again, there’s no condition. Just He does it. And we often… theologians… say that what we have in the Kingdom of God is ‘already but, it’s (what?) not yet.‘ What does that mean? Here’s what it means. If you place your faith in Jesus… which some of you need to do here… you need to place your faith in Jesus Christ. You need to trust Him as your Lord and Savior. And when you do that, you will become a child of the kingdom of God. Your heart will be changed. Your destiny will be changed. But the circumstances of your life, they’re not gonna change… not now, anyway. When the ultimate fulfillment comes when Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom, not only are our hearts changed, but our conditions are changed. Everything is awesome, right? All sorrow, all sadness, all tears… every despicable thing in this world and in your life… is gone! — because God takes it out! Amen!

So, backing up the train here… In the first few verses you have this well intentioned prophet… friend of David’s. David’s coming, you know, ‘Look at me. I’ve got this nice home, and look at… God’s in a tent.’ And Nathan goes, ‘Jahh… do what’s on your heart, David. God’s with you!’ And God in essence says, ‘What are you talking about? Did you ever think about talking to Me about this first?’ It’s a little bit like some of you guys out there, you know, when you make a unilateral decision and your wife finds out about it, and says, ‘Could we have maybe talked about this first?’ This has never happened to me, by the way. Okay, that’s a lie. But Nathan wasn’t the first well-intentioned servant of God.

Remember Eli, the high priest? He sees this woman. She’s praying, she’s praying, and she’s praying, and he says, ‘What? Are you drunk? You must be drunk, woman.’ And she basically says… it’s a play in the Hebrew. She says, ‘I’m not drinking in. I’m pouring out.’

[1Samuel 1] And that was Hannah. Eli misread her, just like Nathan misread God.

Close to this moment here, Samuel… remember the great prophet, Samuel, sent by God to anoint the next king? — comes into the house of Jesse. Here comes big strapping Eliab. He says, ‘That’s gotta be the guy!’ And God says, ‘What are you talking about? I’m looking at hearts. I’m not looking at bodies.’

And even later on… and this is well known probably to some of you… And that is in chapter 15 of this… you don’t need to go there… of this book, second Samuel 15, there is Zadok and Abiathar, two of these servant priests of God. The circumstance is David’s son, Absalom, rebels… takes over the kingdom. David has to leave, has to beat it out of Jerusalem. He’s leaving with all of his faithful, and these two guys, these priests, come hauling the ark with them. ‘Hey, we’ll take the ark with us, David, and God will be with us,’ — because the ark represented the presence of God. And David says, ‘You take that ark back. God will be with me whether that ark is with me or not,’ because David understood while the ark represented the presence of God, he didn’t need the ark for God to be with him. And so, misunderstanding… it happens all the time.

I remember being in a church. I was six months old in the Lord… six months old in the Lord, and I was preaching in a church in Minnesota, a big giant church that had eight people in it. They all sat over here. And I preached my heart out, you know, as a young guy, and they liked me! They liked me so much that they said, “We want you to be our pastor.” And I thought… I remember looking at them going, “There’s only eight of them. I mean, how much can I screw up eight people?” I mean, I literally was thinking I could be their pastor. And just as I thought about that, God brought 1 Timothy 3:6 to my mind where the qualifications of the pastor says:

1 Timothy 3:6, ‘Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride, he’d come under the condemnation of the devil.’

That literally came into my head. And I said, “You know, I’m not quite ready for that just yet.“ Misunderstanding.

So David then is reminded by God in verses 6 and 7…

[2 Samuel 7:6-7

6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.

7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’]

… that God never asked him or anyone else for a permanent place to stay, to dwell in. And he does tell David, because he keeps using that word like “moving.” Look at… He says, “I’ve been moving about,” verse 6. I have moved with all the people. I mean, God’s always been moving. He’s always on the move… and, ‘ I’ve been on the move with you. I’ve been going where… that ark represented Me and My omnipresence. I’ve never asked you for a permanent place.’ And then He goes on for the balance of the chapter and says, in essence, ‘David, through your offspring, I am going to bring about My Christ, Jesus, who will establish His kingdom. And He will bring, (watch this) total security and eternal joy…’ — everything we want, right? — security and eternal joy.

Don’t you want that? I do. Until that day, see, ’cause the Christ did come. Jesus did come! Amen! And, but did He set up His kingdom right there? No, He didn’t. And so He tells us when we pray, we should pray:

[Matthew 6:10] “Your kingdom come, Your will be done…”

It’s already… but it’s not yet. If you trust Christ as your Savior, you’re already in the kingdom, but its fulfillment is yet to come. And so, speaking of that day to come, God’s kingdom is already, but not yet. So, if your desires have been put on hold, why not hold to the One who holds those desires?

This chapter, this chapter is as much about the Promise-er as it is about the promises. We love promises, but you’ve gotta get your heart behind the One who makes them! Amen? Don’t just trust the promise. Trust the Promise-er. Fifteen times, “I will…” “… I will.” When God says, “I will,” He’s pointing us back to Him!

Some of you have godly dreams, but they aren’t behind a promise. You have godly dreams that aren’t behind any particular promise from God. So… and if you think about it, even when our dreams do come true, they’re usually rarely exactly as we dreamed ’em. You ever know that?

I mean, the first time I kissed my wife… she wasn’t my wife at the time, but I kissed her. And the first time I kissed her, Marilyn said, “Pat, you’re a dream come true.” That’s what she said! I remind her of that every once in awhile, because she hadn’t said that for a while… (because she couldn’t see the whole package that was coming with me!)

If your desires have been put on hold, and some of them have, why not hold to the One who holds those desires? He knows what your heart wants.

I just read this morning:

Psalm 62:8, “Trust in Him at all times you people; pour out your hearts to Him.”

That’s what we do until then. Amen?

Secondly, if God moves with you, why wouldn’t you move with Him? It’s just a question. I mean, all over verses 6 and 7 He’s there. I mean, it’s all over. He’s like, God goes out of His way to tell David through Nathan, ‘I’ve been moving with my people all the time, moving around, I’m moving, I’m always moving.’ If God moves with you, why wouldn’t you move with him?

Oh, now that said, we need to differentiate… now, listen to this… we need to differentiate between God’s leading and mere personal ambition. You say, ‘Well, I’ve checked my heart.’ Really? I’ll bet Nathan did too, but he hadn’t checked with God, right? And God said… ‘You might want…’ ‘You mind talking to Me about it first before you tell David something?’ I mean, have you checked with God, and have you checked with those who God has placed in your life… over your life? This is the way God allows us to understand His will and His direction.

I’ve wondered from time to time, if God is up there looking down at some of the things we do, and saying, ‘I didn’t direct that.’

I had somebody to me just the other day say, “You know, I was talking to someone, so-and-so, and so-and-so told me Pastor Pat said…” — and then they told me what I’d said. And I said, “I didn’t say that.” And it may be wonder how often God is thinking that. We say, ‘Oh God has led me.’ He… really? I wonder how many times God said, ‘I didn’t lead you to do that.’ Godly intentions don’t always equate with God’s directions. And this is the secret. This is… what’s going on underneath the heart of David when he confessed in Psalm 32. It’s a… contrite Psalm. We think it’s probably connected to his sin with Bathsheba, and he talks about God’s hand being heavy against him and what life was like when he was living in an confessed state. And then he sort of shows his hand about why he hadn’t confessed. When he tells us, when he instructs us with these words. He’s actually telling us what he did for over a year. And here’s the words I’m talking about. It’s Psalm 32 verse 9.

Psalm 32:9, “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be harnessed with bit and bridal, or they will not come to you.”

What’s he describing? — stubbornness, which is the sin of idolatry. And so, if God moves with you, why won’t you move with Him? Follow God… Amen? — and sometimes that means God says, ‘Stay put. Don’t go anywhere.’ And sometimes that means you’ve got to go. You’ve got to be like the Israelites in the wilderness when the pillar of the cloud moved, they moved. When the pillar stopped, they stopped. When the fire moved, they moved. When the fire stopped, they stopped. Follow God! That’s why one of my favorite verses is Abraham’s servant when he came back looking for a wife for Abraham’s son, he said:

[Genesis 24:27b] “As for me, being on the way, (on the move) the Lord led me.”

I love that!

Thirdly, if God promises security in your future, why not trust Him in the now? Right? And look at verse 10… and 11 here?

2 Samuel 7:10

10 “And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and I will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more…” (which has never been true of Israel. They have been harassed and persecuted and martyred and murdered from time immortal. To this day, they dwell in the midst of a sea of enemies who would like to just push them into the sea!)

In fact, 375 years ago, Blaze Pascal was asked, “What is the greatest evidence of God’s existence?” He said:

“The greatest evidence of God’s existence…? The Jews.” Blaze Pascal

That was 375 years ago! And it’s amazing! — the idea is that they are still here! — because God’s promises are true, and will come true. They will be secure when Jesus sets up His kingdom. Amen?

Do you have a security system? Yeah. Some of you… you’re like Fort Knox! They’re not getting into your house!

I didn’t tell my wife about this. She still hasn’t talked to me about it yet, but she was in the first service. Last week, the garbage was going to go out the next day, and, I don’t know why, I walked out the front door. I came back in through the garage, and I put the garbage out there. And uhhh… It was late at night. She’s already in the bedroom. And so, I came back in the house… you know, got everything… turned lights off, and walked in, and I just glanced over, and the front door was open… and I don’t mean unlocked. I mean, open! If I hadn’t glanced, that’s the way it would have been all night long!

Can I show you God’s security system? When God began to explain the New Jerusalem and all of its glory, all of its beauty, and the glory that the nations will bring into it, He tells us:

[Revelation 21:25] “It’s gates will never be shut,” — because they’ll never have to be shut. There’ll be no thieves, no intruders, no sin, no threat. It’s wide open! — because God is our ultimate security! Amen?

So God’s promises, and I… with a nod to Bible expositor/ commentator Dale Davis… This is not what he said, but a lot of his points were so close to this, I’ve gotta give him credit. When you look at the promises that God gave to David in this Davidic covenant, first: death can’t annul them. If God promises death can’t annul them, you see in [2 Samuel 7] verses 12 and 13, God says to David, ‘You’re gonna lay down and die.’ David was gonna die, and did die! But the greater David conquered death! Amen!

My… one of my favorite theologians, DA Carson just announced recently that he’s no longer gonna publicly minister because he has Parkinson’s. But what a man of God he has been! He said one day, he says:

“There’s nothing so bad in my life that a good resurrection won’t take care of.” DA Carson

(congregation laughing) And that’s true of yours too. Death can’t annul the promises of God. Sin can’t destroy them. Okay, so you see in [2 Samuel 7] verses 14 and 15, Nathan talks about how God isn’t going to allow the sins of the future kings to destroy the promises of God.

[2 Samuel 7:14-15

14 “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.”]

Just the other day, I heard of a prominent Christian leader, an older man was living a complete sham of a life morally, and now he’s out of the ministry… prolific writer, moral failure. But if you look at the lines of Israel’s kings, it’s pathetic! Their record is pathetic! None of them got away with it. And that’s what he’s saying. They’re gonna come under the rod of God. Did you see that there? If he commits iniquity (verse 14) I’ll discipline him with the rod of men, but their unfaithfulness would not destroy the faithfulness of God, the promise of God. All the promises of God Paul wrote later on in 2 Corinthians:

[2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory.“]

… are “Yes” and “Amen.” Take ’em to the bank!

And then finally, time won’t exhaust them. [2 Samuel 7] verses 13 and 16…

[2 Samuel 7:13 and 16

13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

Forever… forever. This is all forever! Time cannot exhaust the promises of God! Hallelujah! I mean nearly everything in your life is exhaustible. Your car is exhausted by time. Your refrigerator is exhausted by time. Your hot water unit is exhausted over time. Your homes are exhausted over time.

In fact, the elders, we all went to Waterloo, Iowa several weeks back to attend a funeral of one of our guy’s… death in the family. And so we’re back in my old stomping grounds. And I said, “Guys, I want to take you on a tour of the old neighborhood!” So, as we’re going, I’m pointin’ to all kinds of stuff from my childhood…. all the way to the house I grew up in, and we are talking about one dilapidated house! It was fallen apart! It was so pitiful. Time has exhausted all its quaintness.

And then, let’s not get started with our bodies, right? I mean, really… What are you looking at? (audience laughing) We need something, we need a promise that never ends, that promises new bodies. And you’ll get it if you have a relationship with Jesus!

Arthur Stace was a man who lived in Australia. He was a drunk, he was a complete derelict to society… and he was illiterate. He came under the preaching of the Gospel, and he was gloriously converted to Jesus Christ! That didn’t change the fact that he was illiterate. He could barely write. But shortly after he came to Christ, he heard a message on eternity. And in the message, it was a message from Isaiah, I think 57:15, something like that, where it says:

Isaiah 57:15 “… thus says the high and holy One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy. Behold, I dwell in the high and lofty place.”

That’s the message he heard, and these were the words he heard from the messenger.

“ETERNITY!… ETERNITY! I wish I could sound or shout that word to everyone in the streets of Sydney.” Arthur Stace

This illiterate man learned to write the word “eternity.” And he wrote it everywhere with chalk on doorsteps and on sidewalks. He became a legend because he was overwhelmed with the promise of God that if you place your faith in His Son, you get eternal life. And at the dawn of… in the year 2000, where it starts, what’s in Sydney? They put that word over the bridge!

Do you have eternal security? O for the day that we have eternal security! But you can have it now.

[John 3:16] “For God so loved the world, (you know it. Quote it with me) that He gave His only begotten Son, but whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have (what?) Eternity! Eternity!

You say, “Well, I’ve got that.” Are you sure you’ve got that? Are you sure? I think some of you have a false security, and you don’t even know it.

Years ago we had a fire extinguisher… Not a fire extinguisher, fire alarm. It was right at the foot of our steps coming down from our bedroom, and it was right there. I remember walking under that thing every day… every night… every day… every night… for years, years, years. I remember the sense of security. I felt secure. I’d look up to… that thing is going to secure my safety… if fire ever breaks out. One day I opened it up. It didn’t have any batteries! Was I secure? No…? Yes, I was! I felt secure. I felt secure. Was I secure? No, I wasn’t.

… and neither are some of you. You’ve got no battery in your security, and that comes through genuine repentance and faith from the One who promises you, “He who believes in me, I will in no way cast out.” [John 6:37] Now, that’s a promise you can take to the bank! Let’s pray.

Our Father, thank You for Your promises, the Davidic covenant, that promises that the Messiah would come… He did come! — that He would build His kingdom… He’s doing it, and that He will set up a forever kingdom, and that’s still to come. Already… not yet. And we look for it! We say, “Your kingdom come, Lord. Your will be done.” And Lord, I pray for those right now in this room, watching online as well. They feel secure because they prayed the prayer, or joined a church, or, you know… they’re religious, but they’re empty of power. If that’s you, dear friend, and you would say, ‘I need help. I need my sins to be forgiven. I want to trust Jesus right now,” in your heart acknowledge your sin, you’re a sinner, you’re separated from God, and believe that Jesus died for you, and rose again for you, and with all your heart place your faith in Him right now to be your Savior. You’ll get better than a good battery. You’ll have everlasting life. Help us, Lord, to those who cling to Your promises, and even more importantly to You, the Promise giver and keeper. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

When David was given this promise from God, he was so overwhelmed! The Bible says in the very next verse:

[2 Samuel 7:18

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”]

… he sat before God. Now that’s what you’re about to do as you go to the Lord’s table, to sit before God, and I’m going to ask you as you do, as you sit before God, would you contemplate your life, whether you really are God’s child? And if you are, are you clinging on to His promises like you ought? There’ll be instructions up here for those of you who’ve never been with us and you’ve never experienced… we’ll put ’em up there But with that in mind, go, take the elements, and we’ll take them together.