The Divine Covenants
The Davidic Covenant
Before we dive into a study of the Davidic Covenant it will be useful to discuss the connecting links between the Sinai Covenant and The Davidic. As we have said over and over earlier, the various covenants recorded in the Old Testament are the way God chose to unveil the principal stages of His plan of mercy toward His created race.
The laws given for the regulation of Israel, God’s chosen people, took on a definite form sometime before the death of Moses, who, because of his sin, was not allowed to lead his people into the Promised Land. Because of his removal, he was instructed by God to choose Joshua as his successor.
Under Joshua there were many events that we recall from the scriptures:
· There was the experience of the spies and Rahab.
· The crossing of the Jordan River
· The fall of Jericho,
· The sun standing still
· The division of land among the tribes,
· The creation of the cities of refuge
· Finally the burial of Joshua in the Promised Land
Under Joshua, the conquest of Canaan was largely successful and the land was divided between the several tribes of Israel but the conquest of Canaan was not complete nor was the inheritance fully secured. By the way, the English equivalent of “Joshua” is “Jesus”. And it is difficult not to notice the type we see here that it was Joshua who led his chosen people into the Promised Land.
Joshua had no successor. Thinking typically, isn’t that interesting? If you are missing the point, then I ask you, Who is Jesus’ successor?
One of the reasons that there was no successor to Joshua is that each of the tribes had its own rulers that for a time was sufficient for orderly self-government. But then the people fell into idol worship and, of course, this displeased God, so divine punishment followed.
· Judg 2:10-15, After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
The book of Judges is a narration of the disasters and sins of the people and of the means God used to deliver them. God raised up judges to rule and by and large this was successful. It is interesting that most of the judges were military officers. Do you know that since 1948 when Israel was once again constituted as a nation, most of their prime ministers have been military officers and leaders?
So the book of Judges is mainly a summary of the official acts of these judges. During the periods when information is not available, it is assumed that these were periods of peace and prosperity and the worship of God was common. It was during such a time that the Book of Ruth speaks.
During this period Israel supplied a striking type of the kingdom of God as it now exists under the Gospel. They were a people under the government of God, under His authority and enjoying access to His mercy-seat (through their high priest). It is much the same today where we as believers enjoy fellowship with God through our Great High Priest. But Israel did not understand their position and did not appreciate the privileges they had, so they became discontented and stiff-necked. This deprived them of the blessings that were within their reach.
Samuel was the last of the Judges and even from birth he was consecrated to God and God was with him even from birth.
· 1 Sam 3:19-21, 19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
Since Moses, no one exercised greater influence than did Samuel. He was able and his administration was prosperous. As he got older he prepared his sons to succeed him. But his sons were quite different.
· 1 Sam 8:2-3, But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
And the people were dissatisfied with the sons.
· 1 Sam 8:4-5, So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."
The people also became anxious for more military conquests and they wanted a king like their neighbors had. This turned out to be a renunciation of the plan of God, and in fact of God Himself.
· 1 Sam 8:6-8, 6 But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
This demand that was presented to Samuel was fully anticipated as we see in Deut 17:14-20.
· Deut 17:14-20 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to go back that way again." He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.
God gave them their own desire. Presumably so that they would learn how well off they were under God as their King.
So Saul became their first secular king. His reign was a disastrous one. He was lacking both morally and spiritually. He was rash, self-willed, jealous and he disobeyed the command of God. He finally took his own life. Now notice the words in Hosea 13:11.
· Hosea 13:11 So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away.
We are here looking at an illustration of how the Israelites expressed their discontent with having God as their King, their demand for a human king, and how God takes this evil desire and attempts to have the Israelites learn a lesson from it. So God chastens them by appointing Saul as their king.
This disastrous experience became the means of unfolding, by new types, the future reign of the Messiah, His kingdom, and the beneficial effects of His administration. The first of these types was the selection of a successor to Saul as king. God chose a man after His own heart; none other than David himself.
But first let’s take a look at what gave rise to the Israelites seeking a king like other nations. The leadership of Samuel’s sons had been corrupt in their judging and as a result the people demanded a king. This was a sinful move on the part of the people because it was a rejection of God as their King. Yet God allowed this and the underlying principle here is that God accomplishes His holy purposes even by the free actions of sinful men. But you may ask, “Why did God not give them a king who would not have resulted in the people rejecting God as King?” Well, God’s purpose was to show that rebellion was in their hearts, and to remind them that He is sovereign.
At the time that David was selected to be the successor to Saul, he was a very young man, the youngest of his father’s sons. This honor was yet seven years in the future but David continued to serve Saul as if he knew nothing of the kingship that awaited him. This was a demonstration of the meekness of David, meekness in the best sense of the word.
In the early years of his reign he was notably successful in defeating the enemies of Israel. Once the land had become peaceful he turned his attention to the need for a permanent place for the ark. Jerusalem had been chosen as the residence of the king and David concluded that the time had come for him to build a permanent place for the worship of God.
But God had other plans and David was not going to be allowed to build the temple and the reason is found in 1 Chron. 22:8-9.
· 1 Chron. 22:8-9 But this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.
It was at this point that we see the covenant that God made with David, though there is no express mention of “covenant”. However, that it was a true covenant is evident from the frequent mention of it as a covenant in other passages.
I want to now look at a portion of 2 Samuel chapter 7 and in a few minutes I want us to look at the full 7th chapter.
· 2 Sam 7:11-16, "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 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. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 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. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
And further evidence is the word of God Himself in 2 Chron 7:17-18,
· 2 Chron 7:17-18, "As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.'
Like all the other covenants that we have examined, the Davidic Covenant has certain typical aspects which picture higher spiritual blessings. For instance, He was assured that the temple would be built by his successor, and that his family was destined to hold a prominent place in the history of Israel, and that the regal dignity conferred on him would be perpetuated. Those temporal promises were the ground on which the covenant rested, and were the elements which foreshadowed the great spiritual blessings of the distant future. It is with these higher aspects of the Davidic Covenant that we are mainly concerned.
The substance of what this covenant conveyed had reference to the kingdom, and the glory of the Messiah. There was a hint of this in Gen. 49:10.
· Gen. 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
Who was Judah? He was one of the sons of Jacob and therefore one of the tribes of Israel. Now the next question is: Who is known as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah?” The answer, of course, is Jesus. Now as we rear the Genesis passage it makes more prophetic sense; “until He comes to whom it (the scepter) belongs and the obedience of the nations is His.”
But this was imperfectly understood, if at all, even by the most spiritual minded people in earlier days. But here there is far greater clarity through the Davidic Covenant.
But when we come to the actual interpretation of the promises made to David we run into some difficulties. As we now read 2 Samuel 7, there are some questions I want you to think about, even though this is a long reading.
· 2 Sam 7:1-29 After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." 3 Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you." 4 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. 18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD? 20 "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. 22 "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel-the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? 24 You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God. 25 "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. 28 O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."
Looking back over our study so far we see that the matter of the appearance of the Messiah and the ancestry from which He would come has been constantly narrowed. The first prediction was in the Garden of Eden where the defeater of the serpent would assume human form was hinted at.
Next, at the destruction of the old world, the promise was renewed to Noah, and the intimation that it would be through Seth, one of Noah’s sons, that the promise would be fulfilled.
A further identification of the line came when Abraham was chosen as the one through whom the whole world would be blessed. His descendants through Isaac were so numerous that no definite conclusion could be drawn at that point. So then the tribe of Judah was suggested, but again this was one of the biggest tribes of the Israelites and therefore the indefiniteness, though to a lesser degree, still left some uncertainty.
Time went on and now the family of David was selected as the line through whom the promise would be fulfilled. So through a succession of steps God has revealed the course through which His gracious promise would come about.
Now I want us to look carefully at 2 Samuel 7, and as we do that, be aware that in this passage we must make some distinctions as to types. On some occasions the passage will be speaking of one person, David. On other occasions it will be speaking of another person, Jesus. And throughout the passage we must be alert to the intent of the Holy Spirit to be requiring us to see a double interpretation, that is speaking of David and Jesus at the same time.
Notice here that God speaks to Nathan and He has a message for Nathan to deliver to David. God starts by mentioning that He has traveled with the Israelites since leaving Egypt and has dwelt in a tent all that time. God says that during all this time He has cut off the enemies of the Israelites and He will make David’s name great.
Now let’s interpret verse 10. First, we have said earlier in this study that in many instances in the Bible, the reference to Israel is broader that just the nation Israel. Or to say it another way, sometimes the reference is to the literal nation Israel and at other times it is a reference to those who are believing descendants of Abraham, the true Israel. Here in the 10th verse logic requires that we interpret “Israel” as the body of true believers because of the wording itself. If God’s people “Israel” are to have a home where they are no longer disturbed and that wicked people do not oppress them, then clearly this cannot be a reference to the literal nation Israel because history, past and present, denies such an interpretation. Therefore, this must be a reference to our eternal home where the promise will be literally true.
The same is true of verse 11 and notice that the message from God to David shifts from David providing a house for God, to God providing a house for Israel. Verse 12 is one of those cases where there is to be a double fulfillment of the promise. Here we are told that after David dies one of his children will be king and that he is the one who will build a house for God, the temple. Further, God will establish his (Solomon’s) kingdom. But a much higher interpretation, and type is that one of David’s descendants, Jesus, will succeed him and that He is the One who will build a house for My name. This house is the church and the throne of the kingdom that will last forever is the kingdom of Jesus. It cannot be an earthly kingdom because no earthly kingdom lasts forever! This promise is repeated in the 16th verse. We can be reasonably sure that David understood the the depth of what he was being told here. Verse 19 seems to clearly tell us that he understands that God is speaking of the future “House of David”.
And what was God’s purpose in revealing these things to David? It was a further revealing of God’s Everlasting Covenant and notice that David understands it was “for the sake of your Word and according to your will! Here is the clearest, though still not explicit, revealing of the One referred to in Genesis as the one who would defeat the serpent.
Finally in verse 25 and 29 we see David speaking of his “house” and in both cases he uses the word “forever”. We must conclude that this house is the house built by the Lord Jesus that will house His true believers forever!
Now I would like for us to look at the song of Hannah which certainly was an inspired revelation. Hannah was a married woman who had not been able to have children. She was one of two wives of Elkanah. The other wife Peninnah already had children. Her nature was to deride Hannah because of her childless condition. So Hannah prayed that God would give her a son. God heard her prayer and she had a son that she named Samuel. Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2, was the result of the birth of her son Samuel and spoke to the present time and the future. The spiritual life of Israel at this time was at a very low ebb. The barrenness of Hannah hinted at the spiritual condition of Israel. The provocation of Peninnah was a picture of the contempt that Israel faced from its enemies. A careful reading of Hannah’s song reveals a strong hint of the coming Messiah.
· 1 Sam 2:1-10 Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. 2 "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. 4 "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. 5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away. 6 "The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. 7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world. 9 He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. "It is not by strength that one prevails; 10 those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed."
Notice the last line of her song which speaks of the anointing of God’s king. “His anointed” or literally “His Messiah” or “Christ”. This is the first time in the Bible that this title is found. Also notice in verse 10 that God’s enemies will be shattered and that the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. This shows that it was the Messiah’s kingdom that Hannah spoke of.
It is of interest to compare Hannah’s song with the “Magnificat” of Mary in announcing the birth of Jesus in Luke 1:46-55.
· Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
Mary and Hannah seem to speak the same sentiment and in some cases even use the same words. This can only be because the Holy Spirit wanted us to see a connection between the two. The Spirit clearly wants us to see that there is an intimation of the future advent of the Messiah.
Until the time of Samuel, Israel was strictly a theocracy and had no recognized head but God Himself. This was a distinguishing feature of the nation that stood in this close relation to God. But, Israel was far too carnal to appreciate the favor that had been shown them. This was evident with their insistence on having a human king. Therefore it is not surprising that God showed His displeasure with Israel when He declared to Samuel in 1 Sam 8:7-8.
· 1 Sam 8:7-8 And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
So it is natural for us to ask, “Why did God yield to this evil desire of the people?” Interestingly enough there was a hint of things to come in this situation. It was the eternal purpose of God that He would later entrust rule of the universe to the Man of His own choosing. What an example of the overruling providence of God! The great feature of the Messianic kingdom was the Son of God assuming human nature.
The first person to occupy the throne of Israel as king was one that was not inclined to submit to God’s authority. His name was Saul. But it is the second king that we are now concerned with. He was the foundation of the earthly kingdom in which the divine and the human were officially united. His name was David. The various trials through which David passed before he reached the throne were typical of the future sufferings, work, and kingdom of the Messiah. (We are told that a whole volume could be written for a full consideration of the similarities of David as a type of Jesus. Likewise, many of the Psalms were predictions of what was to be realized by Jesus, but obviously on a much higher plane).
An illustration of the combination of typical history with prophecy is Psalm 2.
· Psalm 2 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." 7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." 10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. This has been called the “inaugural hymn” designed to celebrate the appointment of God’s King.
In verses 1 and 2 the heathen nations are pictured as opposing the appointment of God’s King and in verse 3 vowing together that they would defy the appointment. In verse 4 God laughs at His adversaries and in verses 5-9 proceeds to speak of His Son who shall rule with complete authority. The psalm closes with a call to earth’s rulers to submit to the authority of the King of kings and warning them of their doom if they fail to be obedient.
There is an obvious connection of this psalm with the life and history of David, but first let’s notice a few things. In his elevation to the throne of Israel, David was not opposed by the heathen nations and their rulers. They probably knew little of it and cared less. The “appointment” of David as king was not coincident with him taking the throne in Jerusalem because there was a period of some years between.
When he was established as king, there is no record of him claiming that other kings were required to submit to him. Now if David is a type of Jesus, why would we mention such items as these? Well, there is no failure of the type, but it is important to keep in mind that there is a danger in an effort to be too literal in interpretation of the Scriptures. However, we can say with certainty that the Messianic Psalm 2 definitely is intended as picture on a higher plane of what was to be accomplished by the Son and Lord of David. In David and the Psalm we see the sovereign determination on the part of God to the royal office.
Secondly, in each case there is violent opposition against the appointment of each. (Saul’s opposition)
Thirdly, in each case we see the slow removal of obstacles raised against God’s purpose. The lines of history are parallel and the agreement between the type and antitype is unmistakable.
As we move further into the study of the Davidic Covenant we will be faced with a matter that tends to divide those who attempt to interpret prophecy more than anything else, and that is the matter of whether to take the various prophecies literally or figuratively. The only safe answer that I can give you is that some prophecy is to be taken literally and some is to be taken figuratively.
Now I know that that really settles the matter for you. However, there are two other bits of advice that I would give: attempt to determine the answer by looking elsewhere in scripture, and secondly, and this is important, depend on the teaching power of the Holy Spirit. Even so, you will find yourself in debate with others on some interpretations that you will come up with.
Let me give you an example. Regarding the Lord’s Supper, the Roman Catholic Church insists that the bread of the table is literally “the body” of Jesus. The Protestant interpretation insists that the bread is a “symbol” of the body of Jesus.
So we need to be aware that the promises contained in the Davidic Covenant recorded in 2 Samuel 7:11-16 have both a “letter” and a “spirit” significance. I want to begin at the beginning of the 7th chapter of 2 Samuel because I think it will make more sense to you.
· 2 Sam 7:1-16, 1 After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." 3 Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you." 4 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.'"
Now what I want to suggest to you is that in this passage you look for the “primary and inferior” aspects of the promises as they regard Solomon and his successors, but in the ultimate and higher meaning as they looked forward to Jesus and His kingdom.
Now look at 1 Chron. 28:4-7.
· 1 Chron. 28:4-7 "Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 Of all my sons-and the LORD has given me many-he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6 He said to me: 'Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.'
Look specifically at verse 6, the words God had for David.
Now look at Heb. 1:5.
· Heb. 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?
Do you sense a deeper spiritual meaning in the Hebrew passage? Notice that the same thing is said in both passages? The passages have both a literal and a spiritual interpretation.
Now back to the 7th chapter of 2 Samuel: The three times that “forever” is used in verses 13 and 16 obligates us to look beyond the natural descendants of David for the ultimate accomplishments of those promises. God did indeed put the carnal seed of David on the throne of Israel and established his kingdom, though certainly not for all generations. There are those who contend that the covenant of royalty guaranteed to David the occupancy of his throne by one of his descendants until the coming of the Messiah. This is a position that is impossible to defend. History itself denies it. After David came Solomon, David’s son; then Rehoboam, David’s grandson. But there the family reign ends.
Rehoboam was a cruel king and ten of the tribes of Israel revolted against him. So the reign of David’s family over all of Israel lasted approximately one century. Over Judah alone, his descendants continued to rule for another two centuries until Nebuchadnezzar invaded and conquered the nation, destroying Jerusalem, burning the temple, carrying away the people into captivity and desolating the whole land. This ended the reign of David even over Judah. This was six centuries before the birth of Jesus! David’s literal throne exists no more! So history refutes the interpretation of the Davidic Covenant that it was promised to David that his natural descendants would reign on his literal throne until Jesus came. So we have to look for another interpretation.
What we are to see here is the Messianic prophecy in the Davidic Covenant being presented pretty much in the mold of the typical history of Israel. So we should understand that any prediction that Jesus was to sit on the throne of David was to be taken figuratively and symbolically. The throne He sits on and the kingdom over which He reigns is infinitely higher than any that David or Solomon ever occupied. We need to be careful to avoid degrading the King of kings to the level of human kings.
As we have said earlier, we need to keep in mind that the Davidic Covenant has both a “letter” and “spirit” significance. To miss this would cause us to miss the very significance of these Old Testament stories. In the 2 Samuel passage of the 7th chapter we find a primary and inferior aspect of the promises with regard to Solomon and his successors, but in their higher and ultimate meaning, they looked forward to Jesus and His kingdom.
· 2 Sam 7:18-25 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD? 20 "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. 22 "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel-the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? 24 You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God. 25 "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised.
It does seem clear from this passage that David understood the higher meaning of the promises that had been spoken to him by Nathan in the preceding verses. Notice how David just poured his heart out to “his sovereign Lord”. Notice too that much of his prayer is by way of questions. The essence of this is “how is it that you have chosen me and my house to be the one through which this great future event will come?”
Frederick W. Krummacher, in his book “David and the Godman”, interprets David’s mind this way: “He beheld in spirit another Son than Solomon, another temple than one built of stones and cedar, another Kingdom than the earthly one, on whose throne he sat. He perceived a scepter and a crown of which his own on mount Zion were only feeble types.”
Will you notice verse 21 “For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. He seems to understand that God is talking about something grander than the earthly throne. He speaks of “your word”, and “this great thing” and he seems overpowered that God has made His plans known to David. David was not referring to the spoken or written word, because nothing of this kind had been spoken to him before and certainly not the written word because no scriptures then existed regarding the “Word”. Many believe that later scripture references to the “Word” have their origin in this verse. (See John 1:1)
· John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
God certainly dealt with David in a special way. Listen to Psalm 89:1-4.
· Psalm 89:1-4 I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. 2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. 3 You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 4'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.'"
And Peter on the day of Pentecost spoke the following by the leading of the Holy Spirit:
· Acts 2:29-31 29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
This would seem to indicate clearly that not David’s son Solomon but Jesus was in view here and that it was Jesus that was alluded to in 2 Samuel 7:11-16. David fully understood this.
The 11th chapter of Hebrews is the “faith” chapter in the Bible where many people are listed and remembered for their faith.
· Heb 11:13, All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. These holy people of old and the faithful in all generations before the coming of Jesus, all lived in the assurances of the promises made by God to them regarding the future Mediator. Their faith gave them as great an assurance of the reality of God’s promises as though they lived in the days when God’s Son became incarnate and lived among them.
Charles Spurgeon called the 2nd Psalm “The Psalm of Messiah the Prince”. It is divided into four sections of three verses each. The first three tell of the widespread opposition to the kingdom and government of Jesus; the second section refers to God’s contempt of those who would try to thwart His purpose; the third declares the Son’s sovereign rights; and the fourth section warns all leaders to be wise and worship the Son.
· Ps 2:1-12, Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 "Let us break their chains," they say, “and throw off their fetters." 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." 7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." 10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
We see in this Psalm the vision of the purpose of God to exalt His Son and the ultimate reign of that Son. And finally, the ultimate triumph of Jesus over His enemies.
As we have pointed out on several earlier occasions, the various covenants which God entered into with men hinted at the different features of the Everlasting Covenant He made with Jesus, the Mediator, before time began. The Davidic Covenant is somewhat more difficult because the terms of the covenant are not as readily apparent as in the other covenants. This is especially true of the understanding of the “letter” of the covenant. Here in the last of the Old Testament covenants the type merges with the antitype in such a way that we are required to think carefully about what is before us. To do that we will look at other passages that bear on the subject.
The 89th psalm is one example, a few verses of which we have already used.
· Ps 89:38-52, 38 But you have rejected, you have spurned, you have been very angry with your anointed one. 39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant and have defiled his crown in the dust. 40 You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins. 41 All who pass by have plundered him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. 42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. 43 You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not supported him in battle. 44 You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground. 45 You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame. Selah · 46 How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? 47 Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men! 48 What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave? Selah 49 O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? 50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, 51 the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O LORD, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one. 52 Praise be to the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.
In these closing verses of the psalm we see that the fortunes of David’s family had sunk to a new low as he pours out his heart to God. He was clearly agitated. It looked as if the Divine promises had failed. But this provided the opportunity for David’s faith to ignore the difficulties and for him to renew his faith, as we see him in verses 1-4 of this 89th psalm:
· Ps 89:1-4, I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. 2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. 3 You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 4 'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.'"
Verses 3 and 4 can only refer to Jesus. God has made a covenant with His Chosen One and with David, and He has sworn to David that He will establish his line forever.
Augustus Toplady, the author of the hymn, “Rock of Ages”, comments that here we have David spoken of as a type and forerunner of Jesus. The whole of this 89th psalm is said to be a “vision”, in which God speaks of His Son. Notice verse 4; David’s line was to be established forever. Well, we know that David’s ‘physical’ line on the throne was broken. So did God lie? Of course not. But the line was and is continuing forever in Jesus as his successor. Jesus is on the throne as the Son of David and as the Son of God.
The great bible commentator Matthew Henry said this about the covenant God made with David:
“The covenant is made with David, the covenant of royalty is made with him, as the father of his family, and all his seed through him, and for his sake, representing the Covenant of Grace made with Jesus as Head of the Church, and with all believers in Him…..The blessings of the covenant were not only secured to David himself, but were entailed on his family. It was promised that his family should continue—‘thy seed will I establish forever so that David shall not want a son to reign’. And that it should continue a royal family: ‘I will build up his throne to all generations’. This has its accomplishment only in Christ”.
David was God’s elect and He made a covenant with him which continued with David’s line until the final fulfillment occurred in Jesus, the Son of David. Verse 4 assures us that David must always have a seed and Jesus was the true fulfillment of that promise.
But what if David’s seed should prove unworthy of the covenant promise? Would God cast them out of His covenant? No way, this is why verses 30 and 31 began with “If”. These two verses are far more important than they might at first appear. They deal with the question of Christian losing their salvation, which is an Armenian position. Notice:
· Ps 89:30-34, 30 "If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, 31 if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, 32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging; 33 but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness. 34 I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. God will punish the Christian for his sins but He does not withhold His love and the salvation which he received as a believer.
The basic question we face in this study of the Davidic Covenant is: ‘Is the seed promised to David in 2 Samuel 7:12 a carnal or a mystical one? Is His kingdom in verse 12 an earthly or a heavenly one? Is His house and throne a material or a spiritual one? If one of these questions can be definitely and finally settled, then the others will be because the passage must be consistently dealt with.
The answer to the first question is clearly answered in:
· Gal.3:7,16 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.
The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.
Now we must understand that “seed” is to be interpreted not only in Jesus personally, but also in Jesus “mystically”. Jesus mystically includes all true believers in Jesus. This may help us understand why we are said to be “in Jesus”. We are members of His body, the Church of which He is the head. Now having said that let’s revisit a curious part of 2 Samuel 7:12-14.
· 2 Samuel 7:12-14 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.
Look at verses14 and 15. This cannot apply to Jesus personally, but it refers to the members of His body. So the seed of David is Jesus and His children. So the Redeemer and the redeemed are inseparably linked because together they form the mystical body. This fact distinguishes the Davidic Covenant from those covenants that had been made earlier. Both Adam in Eden and Israel in Canaan forfeited their inheritance because of disobedience, but the inheritance that Jesus secured for His people was permanent.
· Psalm 89:29 I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.
The New King James Version of the Bible says:
· 29 His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.
Now if His “seed” is the church, the mystical Jesus, then the believers will endure forever. Again affirming that once we have been saved by Jesus we are eternally saved
We have already mentioned the frequency of the scripture’s mention of “forever” which can only apply to Jesus and His eternal kingdom. We see individuals as types of Jesus but the Bible goes beyond this and the Spirit chooses even more permanent objects to impress us with the eternal nature of God’s plans:
· Ps 89:36-37, that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky."
We have said earlier that the “house” referred to in 2 Sam. 7:13 and 16 is no earthly house made of earthly materials, but, like the throne and the kingdom, it is a spiritual, heavenly, and eternal “house”. The kingdom of Jesus and the house of God are one and the same, viewed from different angles. It is the redeemed who constitute the true subjects of the kingdom of God and it is the redeemed who provided God with a satisfying resting place. The true house in which God lives is a spiritual one, composed of living stones, converted souls.
· Heb 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
Here the kingdom of God is expressly called Mount Zion. And where is the kingdom of God? It resides in the hearts of believers.
If further proof is needed then we should look at:
· 1 Tim 3:14-16 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
So we conclude that the antitypical David, Jesus, has built the house for God’s name. That house is the church of God. And it will remain forever.
· Heb 3:5-6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
And then:
· Rev 21:3-4, And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
We have already seen that David himself was not ignorant of the higher spiritual significance of the covenant promises made to him.
We now want to turn to the Prophets where we will find predictions based on the promises made to David in 2 Samuel 7. We need to understand that in the Old Testament existing things and institutions were used to represent other things of a higher order, so the fulfillment of ancient predictions are generally to be found in a spiritual interpretation. When we read,
· Cor 5:7… For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed...
we understand what is meant by this. And when we are told in Galatians 3 and 4 that Christians are the children of Abraham we see that this is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham’s seed.
Now let’s look at a very familiar passage:
· Isa 9:2-7 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
The purpose of the Holy Spirit here was to intimate the character of Jesus’ kingdom. In the previous chapter Isaiah had spoken of dark and dismal days of troubles, and then he comforted and encouraged the believers by announcing the wonderful things the Messiah would accomplish.
Three New Testament blessings are spoken of in Old Testament terms.
· First, a great light would shine on a lost world. There can be little doubt as to the meaning of this for the Holy Spirit explains it in Matthew 4 that Jesus came and lived in Capernaum as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah did not refer to some far distant millennium but to the Christian era. And as we find further in the New Testament, the prophecy concerned not just Jews but Gentiles as well.
· The second blessing was an enlargement and rejoicing in the Lord. The “enlarged nation” was a spiritual nation of believers.
· The third blessing is spiritual liberty and freedom.
The “For” of verse 6 shows the definite connection with the earlier verses and announces the “who”(Jesus) it is that would secure the blessings. The “us” refers not to the fleshly descendants of Abraham, but to all of the elect. The “government” upon His shoulders is no mere rule over Jerusalem, but is over the entire universe. His reign is not to be temporary but “forever”.
We have just spent some time in the passages from the book of Isaiah. We see the 53rd chapter devoted to Jesus. The 54th chapter is about the church. Now in the 55th it deals with the covenant of grace made with us in Jesus.
· Isa 55:3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
· Isa 55:3 (NKJV) Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- The sure mercies of David.
Notice that the New King James version uses the term “the sure mercies of David”. The sure mercies of David were the things promised to the antitypical David in the 89th Psalm which we have looked at already. This is referring to the sure mercies of Jesus, not the natural David. We know this because when Isaiah prophesied about these mercies David had been dead for centuries.
Clear proof that these mercies referred to Jesus is found in:
· Acts 13:32-37, "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.' The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.' So it is stated elsewhere: "'You will not let your Holy One see decay.' "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
These sure mercies of the true David, Jesus, indicate that God would raise Him from the dead to everlasting life. And Isaiah extends these same sure mercies to all of us who believe. So that which was promised to Jesus is also promised to us as believers.
It was the covenant which assured these mercies to Jesus’ family, and none of them can be eliminated. All of this was dependant on the resurrection of Jesus because He was resurrected to assume the power of the sovereign God. It is this sovereign power that assures us as believers of the promises, the sure mercies of David.
· Matt 1:1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Here we have in the introduction to Matthew a summary of the whole New Testament. Jesus is presented in His sacrificial character as the true Solomon, the true Isaac inasmuch as He has submitted Himself to the sacrificial altar, risen and seated on the divine throne.
As we approach this segment of our study let’s look at:
· Luke 1:30-34 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
First, I think it is interesting that this is taken from the book of Luke which is practically a message for the Gentiles. Second, Jesus will reign forever and not just for a thousand years. Third, the prophecy of verse 32 has already been fulfilled and is now ruling over the spiritual house of David.
It will be helpful to look at Peter’s Pentecostal sermon in Acts 2 where he furnishes proof that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
· Acts 2:22-24 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
This is followed by a quotation from David:
· Psalm 16:8-11 Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Peter followed this quotation from David with this comment from:
· Acts 2:29-33, "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
Here Peter is dealing with questions put to him, one of which was: What was the meaning of this extraordinary experience they were observing of the apostles speaking in tongues? Peter explained that this was evidence that Jesus had risen from the grave and was now in heaven from whence He had loosed the Holy Spirit to distribute the gifts of the Spirit. He concludes his argument by saying that David was still in the grave and had not ascended to heaven. Therefore the prophecy of David in the 16th Psalm had to be referring to the Messiah instead of David himself.
The premise of Acts 2:30 was that Jesus should sit on David’s throne and the conclusion was that God had made Jesus “both Lord and Christ” in verse 36. Now nobody can fail to see the connection that being “Lord and Christ” can mean nothing except that He is seated on David’s throne. So God’s promise to David had now reached its fulfillment.
A little later on in Acts Peter and John had been before the Sanhedrin where they were commanded to stop teaching about Jesus. They refused to obey that command and when they were released they spoke to God in prayer and quoted David:
· Acts 4:26-27 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.' Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.
In verse 26 they quoted from the 2nd Psalm and what David said in the Psalm was the same thing that was being done to Jesus now. Notice the connection between the Anointed One in verse 26 and the reference in verse 27 to “Jesus whom you anointed”.
What we are doing here is noticing how the Holy Spirit uses “David” and the “throne of David” and the way that it is predictive or a type of Jesus. For example look at:
· Amos 9:11, "In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be,
This Old Testament promise has a New Testament fulfillment. In Acts 15:16 we see Amos being quoted at the Council at Jerusalem. The context of Amos’ statement is made clear in Verse 8 where Amos says:
· Amos 9:8 "Surely the eyes of the Sovereign LORD are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth-yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," declares the LORD.
So “in that day” is speaking of a future day when the sinful kingdom of Israel would be destroyed by God. Very interesting is the phrase “from the face of the earth”, speaking of Israel. We cannot avoid noticing that the dictator of Iran has promised to do the same thing. Then an interesting question arises: Is there to be a second fulfillment of Amos’ prophecy? And does Israel’s rejection of Jesus as the Messiah fit the description in Amos of the “sinful kingdom?
Now back to verse 11. The prophecy stated that God would restore the “fallen tent of David”. What do you suppose this refers to? Well the “tent of David” was the earthly kingdom of God. So there would be a restoration of the place where God would be worshipped, meaning that the Messiah would be on the scene.
But for the last thousands years of the Old Testament God’s kingdom on earth was identified with David’s throne. The kingdom of Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecy “to restore David’s fallen tent”.
It would be safe to say that as David restored the theocracy by delivering Israel from the Philistines and others, so Jesus delivers the kingdom of God from its enemies on a lasting foundation. So the prophecy of Amos received its fulfillment in the incarnation of Jesus out of the ruins of the royal house of Judah, and at His ascension when God gave Jesus the throne of David, the mediatorial throne, and finally due to the preaching of the Gospel, God’s kingdom was greatly enlarged by the calling of the elect among the Gentiles. So in Acts, of the New Testament, we see the proper interpretation of Old Testament prophecy, showing us that the prophecy is to be understood in its spiritual sense.
· Rom 15:12, And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
Now will you notice that Paul, here in the New Testament, is quoting Isaiah’s prophecy from the Old Testament. What could have been Paul’s purpose? Well, his purpose was to demonstrate that the true David was Jesus the Savior and King over the Gentiles.
Now some logic: If the Davidic reign or the Kingdom of Jesus were yet future, this quotation would be irrelevant because when Paul was preaching, the “Root of Jesse” had already come and the future tense of the quote would not be meaningful. Of course Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles.
As we near the end of this study of the Davidic Covenant we should look a:
· Rev.3:7, "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
In Scripture the “key” is commonly known as the symbol for authority, and the key of David signifies that Jesus has been given kingly dignity, position and power. In:
· Isaiah 22:21-22 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
This was said to one who foreshadowed Jesus and they are the words of God Himself.
Now for our Jewish friends and any others who may believe that the Messiah’s assuming the “throne of David” is yet future, that is, that we are still looking for the advent of the true Messiah, we simply must consider the words of Jesus Himself in the 3rd chapter of Revelation above.
· Rev 5:4-5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
Now just a few brief ideas about this passage. First, we believe that the sealed scroll is the title deed to the earth, which was lost by Adam. Second, Jesus as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” was able to open the scroll. He got this right by conquering sin and Satan and death. Third, it is as the “Lamb” that He takes the scroll for He as the Redeemer, purchased that right. Fourth, we see Him here in the midst of the throne, showing that He now has eternal authority.
And with that, we end our study of the Davidic Covenant.