There is none like you, O LORD, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? – 1 Chronicles 17:20-21 (ESV)
Whether it is the issue of the ark being separated from the tabernacle or his own desire for God's glory, David wants to build the Lord a house. The Lord, though, responds to this in several ways. First, David's son will build the house, not David. Secondly, God will build David a house, that is, a kingdom ruled by his offspring. Here we see the character of God. God does not need our efforts; He is fully capable of taking care of Himself. However, God does use us and wants to establish His greatness through us.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. – 1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV)
