Davidandthe“No”fromGod
“PressurePoints”Series
FriendsChurchYorbaLinda
April1/2,2017
MainIdea
SometimesGodsays“no”toourrequestsinordertoaccomplishabiggerplanthatHehasgoing
behindthescenes.
DiscoveryQuestions
1.Whatisthemostrecentunexpected“good”thingyoureceived?
Twoweeksago,aswelookedat2Samuel5,wesawhowDavidestablishedJerusalemasthenew
capitolcityofIsrael.Alongwiththis,weweretoldthatDavidhasahousebuiltforhimbyHiram,the
kingofTyre(2Samuel5:11).Thenlastweek,aswelookedat2Samuel6,wesawhowunderDavid’s
leadership,theArkoftheCovenant—therepresentationofGod’sthronehereonthisearth—isalso
broughttoJerusalem.Butwereadin2Samuel6thatthereisnoformalplacetohousetheark;itis
merelyplacedinsidea“tent”(2Samuel6:17).
Thesetwodetailscometogetherinourpassagetoday.As2Samuel7opens,weseethatDavidwants
tobuilda“house”forGod—atemple—inwhichtohousetheArkoftheCovenant.Afterall,Davidhas
ahouse,soshouldn’tGod?ButGodhasaninterestingresponsetoDavid’srequest—“No.”Aswe
studythispassage,we’llseewhyGodsays“No”toDavid,andwe’lllearnaboutGod’s“no’s”toour
ownrequests,aswell.
2. a.Read2Samuel7:1-17.WhatarethereasonsGodgivesforwhyhesays“no”toDavid’srequest
tobuildatemple?WhatdoesGodpromisetodoinstead?
b.Read2Samuel7:18-29.HowdoesDavidrespondtoGod’s“no”?Whatstandsouttoyou
aboutDavid’sresponse?
WeseeinthispassagethatthoughGodsaid“no”toDavid,Hehadsomethingevenbetterinstorefor
him.Davidwouldhavea“house”—adynasty—thatwouldlastforever.Ultimately,Davidhadtotrust
God’spromise,knowinghewouldnotbearoundtoseeitscompletion.
LikeDavid,wehavetotrustthatwhenGodsays“no”toourrequests,Hehassomethingbetterin
store.It’swiththatinmindthatweconsideratthefollowingquestions.
3. a.HowhaveyouseenChristiansrespondtoa“no”fromGodinthepast?
b.WhenhasGod’s“no”tosomeoneyouknowresultedinsomethingevenbetterforthem?
4. a.Whenisatimethatyouexperienceda“no”fromGod?Howdiditturnout?Haveyoubeen
abletoseeareasonwhyGodanswered“no”tothatprayer?
b.Isthereanareaofyourliferightnowwhereyou’vebeenfeelinglikeGodmightbesaying“no”
toyourrequest?Describeittoyourgroup.WhatwoulditmeanforyouifGodsaid“no”?
c.Wheneveryouheara“no”fromGod,howmightyouremindyourselfofthegreaterplanthat
He’sdevelopingbehindthescenes?Doyouhaveanythoughtsaboutwhatthegreaterplan
couldlooklike?
5.Oneofthehardestthingstoholdontointhemidstofhearinga“no”fromGodisthegoodnessof
God.OneofthereasonswegatheringroupsissothatwecanremindeachotherhowGodhasbeen
goodinourlives.TakesometimetosharetogetherallthewaysGodhasbeengoodinyourlives.
LeaderGuideStartsonNextPage
LeaderGuide
1.Whatisthemostrecentunexpected“good”thingyoureceived?
Thisisa“lighter”questiondesignedtogettheconversationgoing.Spendabout5-7minuteson
thisquestion.
Twoweeksago,aswelookedat2Samuel5,wesawhowDavidestablishedJerusalemasthenew
capitolcityofIsrael.Alongwiththis,weweretoldthatDavidhasahousebuiltforhimbyHiram,the
kingofTyre(2Samuel5:11).Thenlastweek,aswelookedat2Samuel6,wesawhowunderDavid’s
leadership,theArkoftheCovenant—therepresentationofGod’sthronehereonthisearth—isalso
broughttoJerusalem.Butwereadin2Samuel6thatthereisnoformalplacetohousetheark;itis
merelyplacedinsidea“tent”(2Samuel6:17).
Thesetwodetailscometogetherinourpassagetoday.As2Samuel7opens,weseethatDavidwants
tobuilda“house”forGod—atemple—inwhichtohousetheArkoftheCovenant.Afterall,Davidhas
ahouse,soshouldn’tGod?ButGodhasaninterestingresponsetoDavid’srequest—“No.”Aswe
studythispassage,we’llseewhyGodsays“No”toDavid,andwe’lllearnaboutGod’s“no’s”toour
ownrequests,aswell.
2. a.Read2Samuel7:1-17.WhatarethereasonsGodgivesforwhyhesays“no”toDavid’srequest
tobuildatemple?WhatdoesGodpromisetodoinstead?
b.Read2Samuel7:18-29.HowdoesDavidrespondtoGod’s“no”?Whatstandsouttoyou
aboutDavid’sresponse?
Asnoted,inthispassageDavidwantstobuilda“house”forGod—atemplethatcanserveas
God’shomeonthisearth.Otherreligionshadtemplesfortheirgods;Davidnodoubthasseen
thoseandfeelsasthoughGoddeservesoneofhisown.
Godsaysthathedoesn’twanta“house”builtforHimbecauseHehasneverlivedinahouseand
Hehasneveraskedforahouse.WelearnelsewhereintheBiblethatevenwhenGoddoesgeta
temple,HewantstomakeitcleartotheIsraelitesthatHecannotdwellinatemplemadeby
humanhands(seeActs7:48).
InsteadofDavidbuildinga“house”forGod,GodsaysthatHewantstobuilda“house”forDavid—
a“dynasty”thatwilllastintoeternity.GodmakesitclearinthispassagethatDavidwillhavea
descendantthatWILLbuildahouseforDavid(7:13-14,16).Thoughthereisaquestionasto
whetherthispassagereferstoSolomon(David’ssonwhoDOESbuildatempleforGod)or
someoneelseinthefuture—aneternalKingthatwillreignforever(seeespecially7:13and16)—
thepassageissignificantlyvague,allowingforbothinterpretations.Thereisanimmediate
fulfillmentofGod’sWordsinSolomon,butthereisamuchgreaterfulfillmentinJesus.Thusthis
passageisaverysignificantoneinScripture,asitisaprophecyaboutJesus.
Forpart“b,”weseeDavid’sprayeroftrustinGodandhisgratitudeforwhatGodhasdone.Thisis
averyGod-exaltingprayerandarichonetoreadoutloudinyourgroup.
Spend10-12minutesonthisquestioninitsentirety.
WeseeinthispassagethatthoughGodsaid“no”toDavid,Hehadsomethingevenbetterinstorefor
him.Davidwouldhavea“house”—adynasty—thatwouldlastforever.Ultimately,Davidhadtotrust
God’spromise,knowinghewouldnotbearoundtoseeitscompletion.
LikeDavid,wehavetotrustthatwhenGodsays“no”toourrequests,Hehassomethingbetterin
store.It’swiththatinmindthatweconsideratthefollowingquestions.
3.
a.HowhaveyouseenChristiansrespondtoa“no”fromGodinthepast?
b.WhenhasGod’s“no”tosomeoneyouknowresultedinsomethingevenbetterforthem?
Forpart“a,”you’veprobablyseenawidevarietyofresponses.Somepeopleareacceptingofthe
“no,”understandingthatGodmayhaveotherthingsHeisplanning.Otherscangetangryor
frustratedwithGod,especiallywhenitdoesn’tmakesensetouswhyGodwouldsay“No.”Still
otherscontinuetopleadwithGod,asking—andbelieving—thatGodmayendupsaying“yes”
aftera“no.”
Spend7-10minutesonthisquestioninitsentirety.
4.
a.Whenisatimethatyouexperienceda“no”fromGod?Howdiditturnout?Haveyoubeen
abletoseeareasonwhyGodanswered“no”tothatprayer?
b.Isthereanareaofyourliferightnowwhereyou’vebeenfeelinglikeGodmightbesaying
“no”toyourrequest?Describeittoyourgroup.WhatwoulditmeanforyouifGodsaid“no”?
c.Wheneveryouheara“no”fromGod,howmightyouremindyourselfofthegreaterplan
thatHe’sdevelopingbehindthescenes?Doyouhaveanythoughtsaboutwhatthegreater
plancouldlooklike?
Forthesequestions,wewanttobesensitivetowhatpeopleareexperiencinginthemidstof
hearinga“no”fromGod.Theremaybesomeinyourgroup,forexample,whorecentlylosta
lovedonefromanillnessafterprayingforthem,andareunderstandablyupsetandfrustrated
thatGodmighthavesaid“no”tothatprayer.Wewanttowalkwithpeopleinthemidstoftheir
pain;to“weepwiththosewhoweep”(Romans12:15)andnotshouttheologyatthem.Be
sensitive,then,towhatpeoplearegoingthroughastheyanswerthesequestions.
Forpart“c,”sometimesitispossibleto“see”whatGodisworkingevenasHesays“no.”Though
manyofuswon’tgetadirectexplanationlikeDaviddoesinthispassage,wemaygeta“sense”
ofwhatGodisuptobehindthescenes.Sometimesotherpeoplecanhelpussee,aswell,what
Godmightbedoing.
Spendabout10-12minutesonthisquestioninitsentirety.
5.Oneofthehardestthingstoholdontointhemidstofhearinga“no”fromGodisthegoodnessof
God.OneofthereasonswegatheringroupsissothatwecanremindeachotherhowGodhasbeen
goodinourlives.TakesometimetosharetogetherallthewaysGodhasbeengoodinyourlives.
ThisissimplyatimetoberemindedofthewaysthatGodhasbeenkindandgracioustousin
recentweeks.Itcouldbeanythingfrom,“Igotanunexpected$5giftcardtomyfavorite
restaurant”to“IgotthatjobthatIreallywanted.”Youmayalsowanttoendinatimeofprayer,
thankingGodforHisgoodness.
Spend7-10minutesonthisquestioninitsentirety.