The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 217

Ver. 21.-Prayer induced and encouraged by promi.~e. David gives the promise of God to him es II reason for praying that his house might be established for ever. He intimates that otherwise ho would not have found it in his heart to do so. In like Illnnncr, the promises of God to Christians incite e.nd encourage them to pray for bestow• ments that they would not have otherwise ventured to a.sk for. I. 'l'IIE GREATNESS OF GoD'I! PROMISES. They set before us blessings so precious, v&St, and enduring, that, a.part from the declarations of God, we shc,uld never have dared t.o think of them as possible for us, or to pray for them. From the goodness and power of God in genera.I we might have ventured to hope a.nd pray for some blessings, but not such as are now the common subjects of Christian prayer. Look in this view at some of the Divine promises, or declarations which are equivalent to promises. 1. .A.8 to the believer himself. Promises a.• to: (1) Pardon of great and numerous sins, long practised. Repeated pardons. (2) Renewal of nature and character. Deliverance from slavery to sins the most natural, the most habitual. "A new heart," etc. (3) Adoption into the family of God. The Spirit of adoption. Participation of the Divine nature. Free access to God. Fellowship with him. (4) Victory over the mightiest enemies. (6) "Grace sufficient" for all circumstances, and highest good from them. (6) Ful- ness of spiritual life, of knowledge, holiness, strength, joy. "Filled unto the fulness of God;" "Filled with the Spirit." The indwelling in the heart of Christ, of God, by the Holy Spirit. Truly there are heights of godliness, goodness, and blessedness attainable in this life, to which moat of us are strangers. (7) Heaven. Seeing God face to face; being with Christ, being like him in body, soul, condition; reigning with him as kings; experiencing "fulness of joy, pleasures for evermore." Let any one examine the statements of Holy Scripture on these subjects, and consider what they mean; and he must perceive that they set forth blessings which, apart from the assur- ances thus given, men could not have conceived of, much less imagined that they could ever be their own. 2. .As to the future of the kingdom of God on eal'th. Tbe attractio!l of 1111 men to Christ; the universal spread of the knowledge, worship, and service of God; and consequently of peace, union, and brotherhood; obedience on earth to God's will as it is obeyed in heaven. In opposition to such a prospect is the whole history and experience of the world, with the exception of a small fraction; the depravity of mankiud, the power of error, superstition, idolatry, priestcraft, old habits of wicked- ness, etc. Such a vision could never have appeared to men ; or, if it had occurred to an active imagination, could never have been regarded as a matter for serious prayer and endeavour, if God had not given it by his prophets and by his Son. IL THE EFFECT WHICH THESE PROMISES SHOULD HA VE ON OUR PRAYERS. They should: 1. Impel us to pray. Not lead us to neglect prayer, as if the Divine purpose and promise superseded all need for prayer, "Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them" (Ezek. ::uxvi. 37). The blessings promised are for those who seek them. 2. Enrich and enlarge our prayers. The measure in which we receive is according to the measure in which we desire and ask (Luke xi. 6-13; 2 Kings xiii. 18, 19). 3. Greatly encourage them. Leading us to pray with confidence and importunity. Petitions that would have been presumptuous without the promises are now sober and reasonable. We need not and ought not to be deterred either by: (1) Our sinfulness and God's holiness and threatenings. (2) Our insignificance and God's majesty. (3) The greatness of the blessings promised, and our incapacity to receive them; or ( 4) the difficulties in the way of the fulfilment of the promises. Sufficient that they are the promises of God, and he (1) "Jehovah of hosts," having all things under his control, unchanging and eternal and; (2) "God of Israel," our God, our covenant God, who has taken us to be his, and given himself to be ours in Christ Jesus. All that he has promised appears only to befit such a sublime relationship, (See further in homily on ver. 25.}-G. W. Ver. 28.-Truth of God's words. "Thou art God, and thy words are truth" (Revised Version). David may be thinking only of the promises of God, and expressing his own confidence in their fulfilment to himself and his family. But his assertion applies to all the words of God, declarations and throatenings as well as promises; and, as his lan- guage is general, his thought may be general also; and his faith in the truth. of all the words of God might then be regarded 119 the ground of his faith in the promise made to 222 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [on, vu, 1-20,