«　WEEK 6　DAY 4　»

　　2 Sam. 7:5 Go and say to My servant David,…Is it you who will build Me a house for Me to dwell in?

　　11…Jehovah declares to you that Jehovah will make you a house.

　　2 Chron. 3:1 And Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where He had appeared to David his father, at the place that David prepared…

　　David cared for the Ark of God…. After David became king, he did not forget God’s dwelling place on earth…. David had a heart to build a temple for God [cf. 2 Sam. 7:2]. God accepted his heart, but God did not want David to build a temple for Him. God spoke to him through Nathan: “Is it you who will build Me a house for Me to dwell in?… I…will make you a house…. I will raise up your seed after you, which will come forth from your body…. It is he who will build a house for My name” (vv. 5, 11-13). David prepared the materials for the building of the temple of God. David’s heart for God was desperate. Although God did not want him to build the temple, he prepared the materials for the building of the temple. David prepared the builders, the site, and the materials for building the temple (2 Sam. 8:11; 1 Kings 7:51; 1 Chron. 26:26-27). David fulfilled his ministry and co-worked with God for the completion of the building of the temple. Acts 13:36 says, “David, having served his own generation by the counsel of God, did indeed fall asleep.” David obtained rest before God. (CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, pp. 533-535)

　　All our work and service in the church must be initiated by God and must be according to His desire…. Anything that is initiated or started by man, regardless of how much it is for God, is a religious activity. In God’s eyes this kind of activity is not His service or His work. God considers only what He has initiated and started as a service and work to Him. No matter related to our service to God should be determined by us. It is right for us to love God, but God does not want us to think about doing something for Him. Our heart to serve Him is acceptable, but our decision to do something for Him is not acceptable. God said, “Is it you…?” God does not want us to decide anything on His behalf. It was not up to David to decide whether or not to build the temple. Nothing should be initiated by us; only God can initiate something.

　　Because David feared God,…he did not react to Nathan; rather, he stopped. It is not a small thing to stop. The act of stopping the building of the temple is a great matter. Sister M. E. Barber said, “Whoever cannot stop working for the sake of God cannot work for the sake of God.” This is a good word of experience. David knew that God needed a temple, but when God’s word came to him, he immediately stopped his work. His stopping was not related to need or ability; rather, he stopped because God did not want him to work. The ability of David not to work for God shows his spirituality. If we were David, could we have stopped? Opportunities will come, but God’s word may also come, saying, “Do not do anything. Slow down. Change your plan. Only My decision counts.” Many who are zealous for God cannot hear such a word. This is the reason many workers of God cannot work for God. May God open our eyes.

　　David’s stopping established a twofold testimony in the universe. First, all the work in the universe should come from God, not from man. Second, all that matters is what God does for man, not what man does for God.

　　We must learn deep within that God wants only our cooperation; He does not need us to do anything for Him…. We must stop all our opinions, decisions, and ideas; we need to let Him speak, let Him come in, and let Him command. All we need to do is cooperate with Him. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 1, “Knowing Life and the Church,” pp. 277, 282-284)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, msgs. 22-23; Truth Lessons—Level One, vol. 1, lsn. 11; CWWL, 1954, vol. 4, pp. 529-535