The Davidic Covenant
Suggested Readings: 2 Samuel 7, Jeremiah 23:5, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33
Have you ever read the Old Testament and thought to yourself, “I really just don’t see the point. Why am I reading this?” I know for sure that I have felt that way before, especially when reading about the covenants. However, reading and studying these stories for this series has opened my eyes as to why they actually do matter and I hope that you will be able to see this too by the end of this series!
So, this week we pick up with King David. This is the final covenant within the Old Testament. In 2 Samuel 7, this is the context in which God establishes His covenant. If you read closely, you will see that once again it is God who is doing the establishing, never the human. God calls to David and promises several elements throughout 2 Samuel 7, and they consist of a place for Israel to dwell, rest from their enemies, offspring from David, whose kingdom shall be established and will build the new temple, He promises that God’s steadfast love will not depart from him, and that his kingdom shall be established for eternity.
Something that always strikes me as interesting when seeing these covenants and the promises that the Lord gives people, is that God is faithful to His promise, and all His promises are unconditional. God is not stupid either; He makes these promises with the full-knowledge that the human side of it will not ever be held up. If that doesn’t show you just how amazing and gracious our God is, I’m not sure what anything else will. We even see this mirrored in our lives today. God knew then and knows now that we are sinful and we are going to sin continuously till the day we die, yet He still offered his Son as a sacrifice so that we might be with the God in heaven. I just think that is the coolest thing!
Finally, let’s continue in the story of the Davidic Covenant. Flip on over in the Bible to Jeremiah 23:5 where it says, “‘Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.’” If you recall back to one of the promises God made with David when establishing His covenant, was that His kingdom would be established forever. David obviously dies, so does Solomon, and so on and so forth. Could it be that this promise was pointing to something bigger? Something as big as the Savior of the world, someone who will rule for eternity? Yes, it is absolutely possible. In fact, that is exactly what God meant, and Jesus would soon enter the scene, born from the line of David, The Messiah to rule for eternity. Jesus would be the righteous branch mentioned in Jeremiah 35! Jesus as the everlasting King is not just mentioned in Jeremiah but also in Isaiah 9:6-7,
“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
How incredible is that! This one covenant was established, prophesied about, and fulfilled over hundreds and hundreds of years! Next flip to Luke 1:32-33, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” The context in which this takes place is an angel of the Lord telling Mary, the future mother of Jesus, the nature of the Son she was carrying. Jesus was born in chapter 2 of Luke, from the very line of David. Yes, He would die, but He would also rise from the dead, and He is alive even as I write this today. He is the true and better David, the King of the everlasting throne!
The greatest thing to me while studying these covenants is getting the chance to see how Jesus is really the center of it all. Each covenant is fulfilled and everytime, each promise points back to Jesus and the Gospel. What an incredible reassurance of my faith this truth is. I hope that anyone who reads these passages will be as awe-struck as I have been. God is so good, and truly the definition and inspiration for what it means to be always faithful.
Resources:
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gods-covenant-with-david
