After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” – 1 Samuel 7:1-2

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 15, 2019): 2 Samuel 7

Confession time: I suffer from “house guilt.” Don’t get me wrong; I like my home. Some years ago, a couple of friends tried to convince me to move with them into a newer subdivision, and one of the many reasons why I didn’t move is that I really like my house. My house is nice, really more than I deserve. I have other contacts who live in “less nice” homes who think that I should sell my house and downsize, giving the money to other ministries. But I don’t believe that God has convinced me of that, at least not yet. Part of my self-justification is that while my home might be worth more than theirs (I don’t know if that is true), I bought it a long time ago and paid less than half of the current market value. Most of those who think that I should sell live in rented places, and the rent payments that they pay is significantly higher than my mortgage payment. If I did sell and moved into a rented residence, I would not be able to do some of the things that I do or support the charitable causes that I support. So, at least for now, I am content to sit back and suffer from house guilt.

Apparently, I am not the only one. David also suffered from house guilt. He lived in a house built for a king, while his God lived in a tent erected by a King. And David wanted to change that. However, he did not make plans to go out and live in a tent. Instead, he wanted God to live in a house. It is David’s house guilt that planted the first seeds of the Temple in David’s mind.

Of course, David would not build the Temple; his son Solomon would have that task. But the dream of the house that was worthy of God never died inside of David. It is likely that the discussion of the Temple occupied much of the time that David spent with his sons. He instilled the dream of a Temple into the next generation. Every element of the Temple was likely discussed. And the hope was passed on from David to the next generation.

It was in this way that David dealt with his house guilt. He made sure that a house would be built for God, whether God wanted one or not. And just as a note, I am pretty sure that God did not mind living in a Tent, although the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle was the God designated home that was built for him. But in this case, what God may have wanted didn’t weigh as heavily on David than the house guilt from which David suffered. And it was only the dream of the Temple that could take the guilt away.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 8