THE PROMISES TO DAVID

Very few people, and indeed, even deeply religious Bible students, are aware of the wonderful relationship there is between the Biblical Promises to David, and the future of the Lord Jesus Christ in the coming Kingdom of God on the earth.

Long before King David came on the scene, Israel was administered for God, by Judges who communed with God on all matters relating to the welfare of the nation. The people of Israel eventually wanted a King and thus Saul, the ‘mighty man of power’ (1 Samuel 9:1) was the choice of the people, but a choice which failed to meet the stringent demands of the Lord God. The Prophet Samuel rebuked him, "thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord they God". (1 Samuel 13:13)

As a result, God’s choice, David, the 8 th son of Jesse, who was the son of Obed of the tribe of Judah, was called away from tending his father’s flock , to be anointed as King over the Kingdom of God. (2 Chronicles 29:23.. "Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as King instead of David".)

WHY DAVID WAS CHOSEN:

Since creation the Father has been selecting people through whom His purpose to fill the earth with His glory, (Habukkuk 2:14) might be fulfilled. For this purpose He created Adam, selected Noah and Abraham. (Genesis 6:9; Galatians 3:6) and selected David from 7 others (1 Samuel 16:12-13). David, the shepherd of the sheep, was described as no other man had previously been described, "a man after MINE OWN HEART which shall fulfill all my will". (Acts 13:22)

Amongst the final words of David, "the anointed of the God of Jacob", (2 Samuel 23:1) are the following, "Although my house be not so with God; yet HE HATH MADE WITH ME AN EVERLASTING COVENANT; ordered in all things and sure". (2 Samuel 23:5) Thus we have David’s assurance, spoken 3,000 years ago, that the Father had made a sure covenant with Him, promising certain things to him which will eventually come to pass

WHAT DID GOD PROMISE DAVID ?

Came the day when…….. "the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies", (2 Samuel 7:1), that David was meditating in his house on a plan to build God a house to dwell in, even though He had not requested this to be done. At this time, God sent Nathan the Prophet to David to tell him that He, God, "will make THEE AN HOUSE"; Then followed the wonderful words of the Covenant, or promises, which God made with David…..

"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be HIS FATHER, and he shall be MY SON. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever". (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

THE PROMISES DEPENDED ON A SEED:

God in His wisdom promised that His purpose would continue through a ‘seed’ promised to David and once we identify that seed, the whole purpose of God to fill the earth with His glory, becomes clear.

Millions of people have read the first verse of the New Testament, Matthew 1-1, and probably thought nothing of it, but it says clearly… "JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF DAVID, the son of Abraham". To confirm the simple truth of God’s word, we read in Luke 1:31-33 the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, chosen to be the mother of the Lord Jesus…..

"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in they womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the SON OF THE HIGHEST; and the Lord God shall give unto him the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob FOR EVER; and of his And he shall reign over the house of Jacob FOR EVER; and of his KINGDOM THERE SHALL BE NO END. "

The Apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, (Acts 2:4) told Jews from across the known world , that David, "…being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would RAISE UP CHRIST TO SIT ON HIS THRONE…..spake of the resurrection of Christ….this Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. ."(Acts 2:30-32)

The Lord Jesus, in His closing message to the world, caused the Apostle John to write in Revelation 22:16… :I am the root and THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID.." Such then are the simple proofs that the SEED to come, which would be necessary to fulfill the promises to David, was and is, the Lord Jesus Christ. WHAT THEN DO THE REST OF THE PROMISES MEAN?

THE PROMISES….WHAT THEY ARE :

1. THE HOUSE: While David was considering building the Father an actual house or Temple to dwell in, God was more interested in building from David a spiritual house, in which He would dwell, a spiritual Temple made up of true believers in His promises, (1 Peter 2:4-9). However, the prophet Ezekiel (Chs. 40-48) describes another temple, or HOUSE, to be built in Jerusalem, which will be a House of prayer for all nations

2. THE THRONE: The throne which was to be established FOR EVER, was the throne of David. Therefore, to fulfill the promises to David, it becomes essential for the Lord Jesus to rule on that throne, in Jerusalem, which means of course, that the kingdom of God will be an actual kingdom on the earth, ruled over by the Lord Jesus.

THE KINGDOM:

The "Kingdom of God" is spoken of 69 times in the New Testament and we can clearly see that the Scriptures carefully relates it not only to the Kingdom of the throne of Israel, but also to the Kingdom ruled over by the Lord Jesus Christ . That true believers can be made a part of this Kingdom and throne is well demonstrated by the words of the Lord Jesus.. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in MY THRONE., even as I also overcame.