Over the years Cally and I have received some amazing prophesies and promises. Some quite frankly have been wrong, like places we would go to. Some have been so bizarre and so abstract that we never understood them and some have shaped our lives. We moved to Staffordshire from Sussex after a lady from Scotland whose husband was a visiting preacher in the church we were then attending for a short while prophesied about a future move.

Also, scripture is overloaded with promises for us to hold on to, to shape our lives around, to make decisions around. God is always speaking and he will not pull away from the responsibility of what he says.

Here’s a few that have helped me….. I am sure you have your own, why not spend some time revisiting them?

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32

I am with you always, to the end of the age Matthew 28:20

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Just one word of advice. I think it is good to memorise a handful of promises so that you can always call them to mind no matter what your situation, for encouragement and protection and strength.

Anyway, let’s get to David. What happens to David in 2 Samuel 7 is the equivalent to what happened to Abraham in Genesis 22. God said to Abraham “now I know that you fear God “ and God made an oath or made a promise to bless him and to multiply his offspring to become as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sand that is in on the seashore.  That oath, promise was immutably fixed. It will happen because God has said it.

What we are seeing here is God’s oath to David.

And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 2 Samuel 7:9.

‘A name’ is one of the great promises of the Bible. God said to Abraham “I will make your name great.” The promise, the oath was that David’s name would be known and remembered. Even today, people know David, king of Israel. But the greatest honour is that Jesus would come from the line of David.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1

Israel’s greatest King, David prepares the way for the King of Kings and the kingdom over which he rules. God gave Jesus a greater name than David’s, one that is above every other name and far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

So, promises and oaths from God are not just your personal piece of happiness from God they hold far reaching consequences for generations. Take them very seriously church!

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 2 Samuel 7:10

For David and Israel this was quite literal. For David’s sake God gave Israel security. This did not mean that they would not walk away from this promise. Sin and a leaving of dependency on God would cost them dearly but God will not forget his promise.

Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. Jeremiah 32:37

So, it’s time to refresh ourselves in God’s promises and to cling onto them for what lies ahead. Did God not say?

The biblical word cling is to adhere to closely, to stick to, to hold fast. It’s the tendril of a vine, to stay close, to keep close, to join to.

I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!  Psalm 119:31-32