Today, something really amazing. Grab a cup of something and settle in for a ride. You might want your Bible for this one, too.

Our writer takes great care to demonstrate Jesus’ superiority. He first compares Jesus, the Word made flesh, to the written word.

The angels find themselves in the crosshairs next.

having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”? – Hebrews 1:4-5 NASB

The first quote is pretty clear. It comes from Psalm 2:7 which is clearly a messianic Psalm.

After introducing “the Son” in verse 7, quoted here, the Psalm ends with the exhortation,

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. – Psalm 2:12 KJV

But this second quote blows my mind. It comes from 2 Samuel 7.

Perhaps you remember the story. David, the great king of Israel, father of Solomon, lives in a great house. It rises up in his heart to build a house for God.

Until then the Ark of the Covenant was kept in a tent, made to God’s exact specification. He instructed Moses regarding the pattern for this tabernacle right down to the pomegranates and almond leaves.

David shares his extream makeover plan with Nathan the prophet. Nathan senses David’s heart and knows that pretty much anytime he goes to God with David’s plans the answer comes back yes, yes, yes. (See 1 Samuel 30:8, 2 Samuel 2:1, 2 Samuel 5:19 and 2 Samuel 5:23) He tells David,

“Go, do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you.” – 2 Samuel 7:3

Nathan goes home and that night the Word of the Lord comes to him. (Is this a Christophony–an Old Testament appearance of Jesus? Or was it a voice? Either way – the Word of God is Jesus and Jesus is the Word of God- just food for thought.) Oh and what a word.

“Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? – 2 Samuel 7:5

There is a place in 1 Chroncles 22 where David instructs Solomon to build a house for the Lord and says he couldn’t do it because of his bloody hands. There he tells his son Solomon that God’s will was for him to build the temple.

God certainly honors Solomon’s temple and shows up to the opening day celebration. However, this is not the house that Nathan speaks of in his prophecy back in 2 Samuel 7. In 2 Samuel 7:7-11 the Word of the Lord is sweet and talks about things that have been. But then it gets fun.

Let’s step through the next couple of verses.

“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. – 2 Samuel 7:12

Solomon? Maybe. Jesus? Let’s read on.

“He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. – 2 Samuel 7:13

Ok–everlasting kingdom–I guess we are talking about Jesus then.

“I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; – 2 Samuel 7:14a

Here’s our Hebrews quote. If the New Testament tells us it’s talking about Jesus, then it’s talking about Jesus. Can I get an amen?

when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, – 2 Samuel 7:14b

But what’s this stuff about “when he commits iniquity?” This can’t be about Jesus.

Ok – here’s the scoop.

Jesus never commits iniquity, but He takes on iniquity. He takes on my iniquity and yours. It is the only temptation that came close to breaking Him. The temptation to say “No” to the will of God in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Take this cup…

Not the cup of human suffering.

The cup of separation from His Father.

If He moved forward one more step on the plan They laid out together for our salvation, it would mean becoming sin. He knew, the moment He became sin, His Father could no longer look at Him, could no longer dwell in Him, could do nothing but forsake Him.

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken ME” (Matthew 27:46)

Take this cup…

The cup of God’s wrath stored up for me, stored up for you.

But God said (Jeremiah heard it in Jeremiah 25:…)

For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. … Then I took the cup from the LORD’S hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it: … “And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “You shall surely drink! – Jeremiah 25:15, 17, 28

The wrath of God, stored up for all nations, (Jeremiah 25 is a pretty stout read if you have 10 minutes,) this is the cup Jesus wanted to take a pass on. This is the cup He resisted unto blood. This is why the Father sent angels to comfort Him. This temptation nearly killed Him.

But He did drink it. He took the correction of the Father. He came forth purified, and on the other side, what did He do?

He built a house. A dwelling place for God.

This is the dwelling place Nathan heard about that night.

A temple, not made with hands.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:19-22

This wrecks me.

David says, hey God, I live in this great house. Can I make a nice house for you?

God says, No, but your Son, your Descendant, will make a house that I will come and inhabit. This house that Jesus is going to build will make any temple you can dream up (even the glory filled temple of Solomon) look like a slum.

The house Jesus is going to build will have the full expression of My glory, so much so that for the ages to come, all who see it will wonder.

This house made of living stones, washed by the blood of the covenant and assembled and held in place by the chief cornerstone and master builder, Jesus Christ the Word of God is the house Nathan spoke of.

Ok – I have to stop for today.

Does this blow your mind?

Yeah – Me too!

I’ll be back with more soon.

Ben