I like good surprises.  I don’t like bad surprises.

I remember years ago as a young adult being “good” surprised when I read the story surrounding John Newton’s writing of his most famous hymn, “Amazing Grace.”  With the myriad of possible Scripture texts on grace available to Newton to inspire his beloved hymn, I was surprised to learn that he based “Amazing Grace,” on 2 Samuel 7/1 Chronicles 17.  My surprise wasn’t that I thought it was a wrong choice or even an unworthy choice.  I was surprised because it was an unknown choice to me  As I read through those accounts, my eyes fell on the same words that caught Newton’s own eyes.  “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”  As I pondered that statement, the more I began to understand why this was Newton’s choice to illustrate God’s amazing grace.  David’s position in his family had been like the runt of the litter…an afterthought.  And yet not to God.  In God’s providence, He raised David up from the fields (not the palace) to be the king that would unite Israel and bring peace.  While man looked at the outer appearance, God looked on the heart.  David had the heart of God’s king.

After God had established David’s kingdom and things began to settle down, David had time to think more about the shape and direction of “his” kingdom.  It seemed right to give God a permanent home since he had been dwelling in the traveling tent, called the Tabernacle, since the days of Moses.  But it was not going to be David’s lot.  That surprised David, as much as it did God’s prophet, Nathan, who gave David the green light for the project.

And yet the reason God gives to David for not building Him a permanent house is striking.  After reminding David of all that He has done for him, He tells him I’m going to do more.  I’m going to “make you a house.”  I’m going to establish a forever dynasty, as it were, through you.

Mind blown.

Heart stopped.

David is astonished and so are we.  We are blown away not simply because of His obscure past but because of his obvious future.  Four chapters later, David commits adultery with one of his most loyal soldiers and then kills that soldier to cover up her pregnancy.  God makes that covenant with David knowing full well what David will do.

When Nathan confronts David over his sin using a cleverly-devised story, David is wrecked with guilt (“I have sinned against God”).  He had used his God-given power to expose and take advantage of the weak and vulnerable.  He had covered up his sin, but God exposed it.  He made it go public.  Why?  Because David’s sin was public.  The people needed to see a broken king fall on the mercy of God.  They needed to see what repentance looked like.  They needed to see God’s grace.  And they did, but it was a harsh grace as David’s son died.

It wasn’t long after that God gave David another son with Bathsheba, Solomon.  Through Solomon, God began fulfilling his promise to make David a house.  Of course, the House of David went all the way to a manger in Bethlehem 1,000 years later when the Son of David was born.  It was Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who would fulfill God’s promise to David of a forever kingdom because He would be the forever King.  Even now, he rules and reigns at the right hand of the Father.

If you are in Christ, God has already made a house in you.  A house in which He dwells through His Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:14).  In fact the word for dwells in the New Testament is the same word for “tabernacled.”  The Holy Spirit tabernacles in us that God’s presence might always be with us.  His Spirit moves us and in us wherever we go.  What a glorious grace it is for God to have taken up residence inside of you and me.

“Whom am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”

Amazing Grace!  How sweet the sound.