Marrow and Fatness

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon

2 Samuel 7:18-19

Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house…

I. THE HUMILITY APPARENT IN DAVID'S WORDS.

1. He owned the lowliness of his origin — "What is my house?" He came not of royal blood.

2. David laid the most stress upon his own personal unworthiness. He said, "Who am I? What was there in me that thou shouldest make me a king, and a progenitor of the Christ?" And will not each believer here say the same? Who am I?

II. DAVID'S WONDERING GRATITUDE.

1. He wondered, first, at what God had done for him: "What is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? — to a house of cedar, and to be able to talk about building a house for thee: to be thy chosen king, and to have my seed established on my throne, and to become the ancestor of the Christ!"

2. David did not end his wonder there, but went on to another and greater theme, viz., the blessings which the Lord had promised him. He praised the Lord for what he had laid up as well as for what he had laid out. He said, "And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come." What a wonderful expression! "And this was yet a small thing in thy sight."

3. David had yet another theme for wonder, which was this — the manner of the giving of all this. There is often as much in the manner of a gift as in a gift itself.

III. DAVID'S EMOTION OF LOVE.

1. David found but a scant outlet for his love. What precious words are these: "What can David say more?" It is love struck dumb by receiving an unspeakable gift. The king was exactly in the same case as Paul when he said, "What shall we then say to these things?"

2. Notice the childlikeness of this love. "What can David say more?"

3. Observe, it is a love which longs for communion, and enjoys it. He says, "What can David say more unto thee?" He can talk to other people, but he does not quite know how to speak to God, and then he adds, "For Thou, Lord God, knowest Thy servant," which is a parallel passage to that of Peter, "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee."

4. But do you see it is obedient love as well? It is not mere sentiment, there is a practicalness about it, for he says, "Lord, Thou knowest Thy servant," he subscribes himself as henceforth bound to God's service. With delight he puts on his Master's livery, and sits like a servitor in the hall of the King of kings, waiting to hear what shall be spoken to him.

IV. DAVID'S HEART WAS FULL OF PRAISE.

1. The praise was for the freeness of the grace which brought him such blessedness. "For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things." Whenever the believer asks why God gave him grace in Christ Jesus he can only resort to one answer — the Lord's own heart has devised and ordained our salvation.

2. David praised also the faithfulness of God. He says, "For Thy word's sake." Is not that the ground upon which all mercy is received by the child of God? God has promised it and will keep His word. He never did run back from His covenant yet.

3. Then the king's heart was taken up with the greatness of the covenant blessings. "According to Thine own heart, hast Thou done all these great things." They were all great. There was not a little mercy among them.

4. Once more David praised God for his condescending familiarity. "According to Thine own heart, hast Thou done all these great things, to make Thy servant know them." They were revealed to David by a prophet, just as Jesus communed with His disciples, and said, "I have told you before it come to pass, that when it come to pass ye may believe."

V. DAVID'S SOUL WAS ROUND UP IN HIGH THOUGHTS OF GOD, for our text concludes with these words: "Wherefore Thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears." "God is great. He is the greatest because He is the best. The old Romans used to say, optimus maximus — the best, the greatest. Thou, God, art good, and therefore Thou art great.

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