1 Chronicles 17:7-15: a reflection

7“Now therefore, you shall tell my servant David, ‘The LORD of Armies says, “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel. 8I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are on the earth. 9I 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. The children of wickedness will not waste them any more, as at the first, 10and from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I tell you that the LORD will build you a house. 11It will happen, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your offspring after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12He will build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you; 14but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne will be established forever.”’” 15According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

God speaks to David through Nathan, and he begins by recalling David's humble origins. I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel. David had been a shepherd boy, the least of his brothers; and God took him from the sheep pen to make him king. And now God promises to establish David's house and throne forever. The whole exalted future rested on God's grace in first raising up a shepherd boy to greatness.

Notice where God begins: with David's lowly origins, and God's grace in raising him. I took you from following the sheep. David had not climbed to the throne by his own greatness; God had reached down and taken him, a shepherd boy, and raised him up. Everything David became rested on that grace, on God's choosing to take the lowly and exalt him. God did not choose David because he was already great, but made him great, taking him from the pasture.

That is a pattern of God's grace worth remembering: he takes the lowly and raises them up. God does not wait for people to make themselves great before he uses them; he reaches down to the lowly, the overlooked, the shepherd boys, and raises them for his purposes. Whatever you are or become in God's service rests not on your own greatness, but on his grace in taking you up. Do not think you must be great before God can use you; he takes the lowly, as he took David from the sheep pen, and raises them for his purposes. And do not credit whatever you become to your own greatness; like David, remember that God took you from the pasture, and that all you are in his service rests on his grace, not your merit. He raises the lowly; let him raise you, and give him the glory for it.

Lord, you spoke to David through Nathan, beginning by recalling his humble origins: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people; and then you promised to establish his house forever. David's whole exalted future rested on your grace in first raising a shepherd boy to greatness. Help me remember that pattern of your grace: you take the lowly and raise them up. You do not wait for people to make themselves great before you use them; you reach down to the lowly, the overlooked, the shepherd boys, and raise them for your purposes. Whatever I am or become in your service rests not on my own greatness, but on your grace in taking me up. Keep me from thinking I must be great before you can use me; you take the lowly, as you took David from the sheep pen, and raise them for your purposes. And keep me from crediting whatever I become to my own greatness; like David, help me remember that you took me from the pasture, and that all I am in your service rests on your grace, not my merit. You raise the lowly; raise me, Lord, and receive the glory for it.