House Wey Go Last Forever

One king dey waka inside im new palace, e dey rub im hand for walls wey dem make with cedar wood wey dey smell sweet. E fine. E quiet. And e dey worry am. Because for di oda side of di city, di ark of God still dey live inside tent.

Di king na David, di shepherd boy from Bethlehem wey kill Goliath, wey run for im life from King Saul, and wey become king over di whole Israel. E don capture Jerusalem and make am im capital. E don bring di ark of di covenant, di holy box wey dey show say God dey among im people, enter di city with dancing and music. Now, at last, di Lord don give am rest from all im enemies wey dey around. For di first time for many years, peace dey. And David begin dream.

David call Nathan di prophet. “See now, I dey live for house wey dem build with cedar, but di ark of God dey inside curtains.” E no be like say e correct. Why di king go dey live for palace while God ark dey sit for tent? David want build house for God, one temple. Nathan like di idea. “Go, do everytin wey dey your heart, because di Lord dey with you.” E sound like happy ending. But dat night, di word of di Lord come to Nathan.

God talk: go tell my servant David. Na you go build house for me make I live inside? I never live for house since di day wey I bring Israel comot from Egypt. I don dey move up and down inside tent all dis time. I ever ask anybody make e build house of cedar for me? Then God remind David who e be. “I carry you from di sheep pen, from where you dey follow sheep, make you be leader over my people Israel. I don dey with you anywhere wey you go, and I don cut off all your enemies from your front. I go make your name great.” David want do something big for God. But God want make David remember wetin God don already do for am.

And then di surprise come. David want build house for God. Instead, God talk: I go build house for you. No be building, but family. One royal line. “When your days don complete, and you sleep with your fathers, I go raise your offspring after you, wey go comot from your own body, and I go establish im kingdom. Na im go build house for my name.” Dat son na Solomon, wey truly build di temple. But God continue. “I go establish di throne of im kingdom forever. I go be im papa, and e go be my son.” Even when David sons go wrong, God talk, my loving kindness no go comot from am. “Your house and your kingdom go dey sure forever for your front. Your throne go dey established forever.” Forever. Kings go come and go. One day di kingdom go fall. But one thousand years after, one angel go tell one young woman for Nazareth say dem go give her son di throne of im papa David, and im kingdom no go ever end.

House of David really dey? For nineteen ninety-three, archaeologists for Tel Dan, for di far north of Israel, find pieces of one broken stone monument wey dem write for Aramaic. Na one enemy king set am up, maybe Hazael of Damascus, about one hundred and fifty years after David time. E dey boast say e defeat di king of Israel and di king of di house of David. Na di earliest mention wey we know of David family outside Bible.

House wey go last forever. You go find am for Second Samuel chapter seven, verse one reach seventeen. David want give God house, and God give David one promise wey go lead all di way reach Bethlehem. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Before you think about wetin you fit do for God, you don stop to remember wetin God don do for you?