The Everlasting Covenant

Chapter 36 - “Another Day.”

“For if Joshua had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” ¹ EVCO 430.1

We have seen that although not one word of God’s promises to Israel failed, “the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it,” ² and that a long time after the Lord had given them rest, He set before them, through Joshua, the conditions on which they might enjoy the inheritance. EVCO 430.2

Passing over a period of more than four hundred years, during which time the history of the children of Israel is a record of apostasy and repentance and apostasy again, we come to the time of David, when the kingdom of Israel was at the height of its power. Although, in demanding a king, the children of Israel rejected God, He did not reject them. It was not God’s design that Israel should ever have any other king than Himself, but they were not content to walk by faith, having a King whom they could not see. Nevertheless the kingdom still remained the Lord’s, and therefore He exercised His right to appoint rulers. EVCO 430.3

Even so it is in all the world. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” “His kingdom ruleth over all.” The people of the world do not recognize Him as King, and boast in the pride of their own Governments; yet “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.” “He removeth kings, and setteth up kings.” ¹ “There is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God.” ² This is why every soul ought to be subject unto “the higher powers,” and is an evidence that the Lord’s kingdom includes the whole earth, even though the rulers who for a season are allowed to imagine that they are holding the reins, set themselves up against Him. EVCO 431.1

So when in the providence of God David came to the throne of Israel, “and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies,” ³ it was in his heart to build a temple to the Lord. At first the prophet Nathan, speaking his own words, said to him, “Go, do all that is in thine heart,” but afterwards he spoke the word of the Lord, and said that David should not build it. At that time the Lord said to David:— EVCO 431.2

“I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any source as at the first, and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Moreover the Lord telleth thee that He will make thee an house.” ⁴ EVCO 431.3