Articles
Speaking for God
In 1 Chronicles 16 King David decided he wanted to build a temple for God. The prophet Nathan told David to do all that was in his heart because God was with him. The only problem was that Nathan was speaking for God when God had not spoken.
Later that night God told Nathan in a dream that David could not build Him a temple. God even asked the question, “When have I ever asked for a house of cedar?” Nathan had thought he knew what God would say, but he was wrong.
Many people today try to justify themselves by saying, “Surely, God would not disapprove of us using a piano in worship.” Or “How could getting together in a fellowship hall to eat a meal possibly be wrong?”
The only problem with that kind of thinking is that God has not spoken. He never asked us to worship Him with instruments or to build fellowship halls. Like Nathan, we’re assuming that we know the answer when God hasn’t given us one. God’s response to David clearly teaches that God will tell us what He wants, and we should leave everything else alone.
