2 Samuel 7:27

“O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer.”

If we were to judge from the infinite distance which exists between the Creator and his creatures, and especially between a holy God and sinful man, we should say, it was vain, if not impious, to imagine that any request of ours could enter into the ears of Jehovah, or that he could by any means be induced to notice it with his favorable regards. Indeed, if God had not, of his own sovereign mercy, commanded us to spread our needs before him, and assured us of an answer to our supplications, Beelzebub himself might as well hope for acceptance in prayer, as we. But “God has given us exceeding great and precious promises;” which we may plead with him, just as David pleaded in the passage before us.

David had desired to build a house for the Lord; and Nathan, the prophet, had encouraged him in his purpose. But God, not willing that David, who had shed so much blood, should execute that office, devolved it upon one who should spring from his loins verse 12, 13; at the same time assuring David, that God would make his family to be of long continuance upon his throne, “The Lord tells you that he will make a house for you, verse 11.”

Encouraged by this promise, David poured out his soul before God in prayer, saying, “Now, O Lord God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as you have said verse 25.” Then, apologizing, if I may so speak, for presuming to offer such a prayer, he refers expressly to the promise before specified, and assigns that as the ground on which he had found it in his heart to pray this prayer. Then he goes on, again and again reverting to this in vindication of himself, “And now, O Lord God, you are that God, and your words are true, and you have promised this goodness unto your servant. Therefore, now let it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken it; and with your blessing let the house of your servant be blessed forever! verse 28, 29.”

Now, in speaking upon this subject, I will show,

I. The connection which exists between the promises of God and our prayers.

1. The promises of God are our warrant for asking.

Pardon, peace, holiness, glory! How should it be, that we, sinful creatures, should dare to ask such blessings at God’s hands? But God has promised them all. There is not any one thing that an immortal soul can need, which is not the subject of an express promise in the Word of God. Moreover, he permits his sinful creatures to come to him “as his remembrancers.” By this very name are his suppliant people designated, Isaiah 62:6-7; and every one of them is authorized to spread his promises before him, saying, “Remember your word unto your servant, wherein you have caused me to hope, Psalm 119:49;” and “do unto me as you have said, verses 11, 16.”

2. The promises of God are our security for receiving.

God is altogether immutable, both in his nature, Malachi 3:6; James 1:17, and in his Word, Hebrews 6:17. “Sooner should Heaven and earth pass away, than one jot or tittle of his Word should fail, Matthew 24:35.” As for difficulties, we have nothing to do with them. Sarah sinned in allowing these difficulties to have the least influence upon her mind; for “Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:10-14.”

Our confidence cannot possibly be too strong, when we have an express promise to rely upon. We should have this as an abiding principle within us; as a principle which no difficulties whatever should shake, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent; has he said, and shall he not do it? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19.” Never did anyone trust in the Lord, and find himself disappointed of his hope. As Joshua appealed to all Israel, so may we appeal to every believer in the universe, “You know, in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass unto you; and not one thing has failed thereof! Joshua 23:14.”

From the example of David I will further point out,

II. Our duty in relation to God’s promises.

1. We must embrace the promises as made over to us in Christ Jesus.

It is “in Christ alone that they are all Yes, and Amen! 2 Corinthians 1:20;” and it is to those only who are in Christ by a living faith, that any of them are made. True, indeed, there are general promises given to those who come to Christ, Matthew 11:28; John 6:37; but we never have any part in them, until we actually perform the conditions on which alone they are given. The Covenant of grace provides for us all that we can ever stand in need of. But we must “lay hold on that covenant,” and on “Jesus the Mediator of that covenant,” before we can possess the blessings of it. Let this not be forgotten. Let us not suppose that we are to obtain mercy in ways of our own devising. We must come to God by Christ; we must plead what Christ has done and suffered for us; we must trust in him alone. There is “no access to God, for any of us, but by Him, John 14:6; Ephesians 2:18;” “nor is there any name but His, whereby any man can be saved, Acts 4:12.”

2. We must treasure the promises up in our minds, in order to plead them before God.

In going to God, we greatly honor him, when we remind him of his promises, and declare our entire dependence on them. See the example of Jacob, who for his power in prayer was surnamed Israel. Genesis 32:24-28. He had been assured, in a dream, that God would be with him in all places, and never leave him until he had fulfilled to him his promises in their fullest extent, Genesis 28:15. Fully twenty years afterwards, Jacob, in a season of great distress, reminded God of this promise, saying, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my Father Isaac, the Lord which said unto me, Return unto your country and to your kindred, and I will deal well with you; deliver me, I beg you! For you have said, I will surely do you good! Genesis 32:9; Genesis 32:11-12.”

Just so, we should bear in mind the promises which God has given us, and present before him those which are in a more peculiar manner suited to our state. This will give us confidence before God; and it will infallibly secure to us an answer of peace; for “this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us; and, if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him, 1 John 5:14-15.”

3. We must wait with patience for the fulfillment of God’s promises.

God may not answer, either at the time, or in the manner, that our impatient spirits may wish. But though we may ask of him, we are not to dictate to him. We must wait His time, and leave everything to His disposal. The saints of old “saw the promises afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, Hebrews 11:13.” Thus must we do. Times and seasons must be left to God, who alone knows what will be eventually best for us. If we “have found it in our hearts to pray unto him,” we may be sure of two things; first, that God himself has put it into our hearts to pray; and next, that he therefore put it into our hearts to pray, because it was previously in his heart to give. It is “through faith and patience that we are to inherit the promises, Hebrews 6:12;” and the more dark his dispensations, whether of providence or of grace, may be, the more must we “hold fast our confidence in him,” saying, “Though he slays me—yet will I trust in him! Job 13:15.”

Charles Simeon