Really smart believers make mistakes too!

For the past 3 weeks I have been trying to reach out to a few old Christian friends. These are men I haven’t seen or spoken with in a very long time. I was hoping somehow we could re-connect because I need some good Christian advice. I located a couple of them on the internet and sent them emails but as of yet they have not responded. I’m not seeking any great confirmations or revelations I would just like to bounce some ideas off them.

I believe it’s always a good idea to bounce ideas off well grounded Christians. If you can’t tell a fellow believer what you think God is leading you to do, then there is a good chance the leading is not coming from God. In spite of how your idea is received there is still is no guarantee that the idea came from God.

In Chapter 7 of 2 Samuel, King David decides it would be a good idea to build a house for God. He tells Nathan the prophet about his idea and Nathan responds in vs. 3 “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

Later that same night God speaks to Nathan and tells him to tell David NOT to build God a house.
2 Samuel 7:4 –17
That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying:
5 "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" '
8 "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. " 'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' "
17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.


Apparently Nathan didn’t bother to seek God’s direction on the subject before sharing his advise with David.

Jump forward in time, and the Bible to 1Kings 5. King Solomon is beginning his preparation to build a house, temple, for God.

Verse 5 “I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.'

Now Solomon was pretty smart, in fact the Bible tells us he was the smartest man who ever lived!

Kings 3:12, “I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.”
In spite of how smart Solomon was he neglected to seek Gods advice about building the temple. We now know that God was referring Jesus, when he spoke through Nathan to David regarding David’s plan to build a house for God. “'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

Solomon thought that he, as the son of David, was the one to fulfill the prophecy and he built the Temple. Why God didn’t send a prophet to dissuade him ? The Bible does not answer that question but God did address the Temple when it was finished.

1 Kings 6:11-13 The word of the LORD came to Solomon: 12 "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."

Notice that God refers to the Temple “As for this temple you are building” and that’s all he said about it. He tells Solomon that if he follows and obeys His regulations and commands that He will fulfill the promise he gave to David. What promise?
Go back to
2 Samuel 7: 11-13 'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

It seems to me that God was not impressed with the Temple. Why should he be? He created the very rocks and trees used to build it. Is there anything we can do, build or say that would impress God? I don’t think so.

God’s anointed King David, his prophet Nathan and the smartest man in the world, King Solomon all were mistaken about building a house for God. God had sent word to David to re-direct his efforts because David had asked Nathan’s advice. The scriptures don’t tell us that Solomon sought out any advise or that he inquired of God. Go back to verse 5 Solomon said " I intend" He didn’t ask God, he didnt ask a prophet, he didnt ask anyone, and consequently he wasted all that effort, time, manpower and money. He even conscripted, (forced labor) 400,000 men of Israel to build it. The Bible doesn’t tell us but I would imagine the people of Israel might have had some less then positive things to say about King Solomon’s Temple.

It occurs to me while I write this that Solomon’s Temple actually became a hindrance to Israel. Just the fact that they called it Solomon’s Temple suggests it took their eyes off of God and onto a work a man. It was such a hindrance that the Temple had to be destroyed to make way for the Christ to come.

Is God leading you to do something?

Make sure you spend some quality time on your knees and make sure that what you are about to do is really directed by Him.

Double check His Word to be sure your direction is in accordance with the Bible. Be sure it lines up with the “full council” of the Bible, not just some verse taken out of context to justify something. This is one reason why it is so important that we read His Word, all of it. God will never direct you to do anything that contradicts or violates His Word.

Then bounce the idea off a few brothers or sisters in the Lord, remembering that even Solomon was capable of a mistake. Ask them to pray about it as well so that like Nathan, God has a chance to speak to them on the subject.

Then, and only then, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”


“ Lord, help me today that through my life someone will be touched by you. Help me to walk in your Spirit. Mostly Lord, help me to be more like Jesus”

Bill