The Gospel Promises to King David

About King David

  • Israel had been constituted as the Kingdom of God at Mt Sinai during the Exodus. God was their king but the people demanded a human king - Exodus 19:5-6, 1 Samuel 8:6-7, 10:17-19, 12:12-13.

  • Saul was the people’s choice of king, but he was unfaithful to God. David was made king by God instead of Saul because he was a faithful man “after his own heart” - 1 Samuel 13:13-14, 1 Kings 3:6, Acts 13:22, Hosea 13:9-11.

  • David was of the tribe of Judah, from which it had been prophecied that the royal line of kings would descend from, including Jesus Christ who would also be the saviour - Genesis 49:9-12

  • He reigned for 40 and a half years, first as king over Judah and Benjamin for 7 and a half years, then a further 33 years over all of Israel.

  • He had learned how to shepherd and care for God’s people by being a lowly shepherd - 2 Samuel 7:7-8.

  • He was guided by the holy spirit to write many of the Psalms of scripture - 1 Samuel 16:13, 2 Samuel 23:1-2, Matthew 22:43

  • The dynasty of David lasted until Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, when the kingdom was overthrown by the Babylonians.

The Promises God Made to David

  • David wanted to build a temple to God to replace the tent (tabernacle) which was the centre of worship, 2 Samuel 7:1-7, but God made promises to David to build him a house.

    • God does not need a house of cedar to live in. God desires to dwell within the hearts of his people. God moved with his people to dwell in their hearts. The tabernacle tent was only a symbol of his presence - 2 Samuel 7:5-7, 1 Kings 8:27, 2 Chronicles 2:6, 6:18, Isaiah 66:1-2, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, Ephesians 2:19-22, 3:17, 1 Peter 2:4-7.

    • God would build David a house. This house was not a building but a family from his own offspring, 2 Samuel 7:11-12, 16, 18-19.

  • God will cut off David’s enemies and make his name great - 2 Samuel 7:8-9, Psalm 89:19-23

  • God will permanently place his people, the nation of Israel, in their land and not let them be displaced or oppressed by the nations under the rulership of the house of David. Israel had a history of displacement and oppression from slavery in Egypt, the exodus and during the judges and would subsequently be taken into captivity twice before being evicted from their land and scattered throughout the nations by the Romans - 2 Samuel 7:10-11, 12:8-11, Ezekiel 37:21-28.

  • The promised son of David would build a house or family for God. God promised a specific son who would build the house (family) of God, “he (singular) shall build a house for my name”, (family), for God’s name - 2 Samuel 7:13.

    • In the Hebrew language, the words used for building a physical house are the same as building a family household - Ruth 4:11, 1 Peter 2:4-7.

  • The promised son of David would build the family because he would be a sacrifice for sin - 2 Samuel 7:14-15.

  • This promised son of David would also be the Son of God - 2 Samuel 7:14.

  • God will establish the kingdom and throne of David’s promised son forever, “his throne” - 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16.

  • This would involve the resurrection of David from the dead because the promises would be fulfilled “before him” in his presence - 2 Samuel 7:16 (KJV), 2 Samuel 23:5 (KJV).

The Promises to David are the Gospel Fulfilled in Jesus Christ

  • The promises to David are the Gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.

    Luke 2:8-14, Acts 13:32-38, 2 Timothy 2:8, Romans 1:1-4

  • The promises to David are fulfilled in Jesus Christ who is the specific son promised to him - Acts 2:30, Romans 1:3

    • Matthew 1:1 - Jesus is introduced as the son promised to David and Abraham.

    • The genealogy in Luke 2:23-38 is that of Mary who was descended from David. The genealogy in Matthew 1:2-16 is that of Joseph who was descended from David. Joseph was the husband of Mary but not the father of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel Promise of the Kingdom of God

  • Jesus Christ is the heir of David’s throne.

    Luke 1:30-33, Psalm 132:11, Acts 2:30, Revelation 5:5, 22:16.

  • The throne of David will be established forever under the rule of Jesus Christ in the future kingdom of God. As the promised son of David, he will rule in righteousness, justice and peace.

    2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16, 23:1-5, Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1-10, 16:5, Jeremiah 33:14-26, Zechariah 6:12-13, Jeremiah 33:17-26, Psalm 72, 110:1, Matthew 22:44, 27:37, Mark 11:10, 12:36, Luke 20:42-43, John 18:37

  • God David and Solomon ruled over Israel as the Kingdom of God, but this kingdom was overturned because of the wickedness of the nation and its kings until the coming of Jesus whose right the throne is.

    1 Chronicles 28:5, 29:23, 2 Chronicles 9:8, 13:8, Ezekiel 21:25-27, 37:21-28, Hosea 3:4-5

  • Jesus will restore the Kingdom of God to Israel when he returns. This is when Israel will permanently dwell in their own place forever and will no more be disturbed or afflicted.

    2 Samuel 7:10, Luke 1:31-33, 22:29-30, Acts 1:6-11, 3:19-21, Matthew 19:28, Isaiah 11:1-12, Zechariah 12:9

  • Jesus shall rule over all nations in the future kingdom of God.

    Romans 15:12, Isaiah 11:10, 12, Psalm 72:8-11, 17

  • Jesus will be the perfect king ruling forever with righteousness, justice and mercy.

    Psalm 72, Isaiah 111-9

  • Jesus will build the temple for God in this kingdom.

    Zechariah 6:12-13

The Gospel Promise of Salvation Through Jesus Christ

  • The promises God made to David were his personal hope of salvation which involved his resurrection from the dead through the saving work of his promised son Jesus Christ.

    2 Samuel 7:16 (KJV), 2 Samuel 23:5 (KJV), Acts 2:23-36,13:33-36.

  • David’s promised son Jesus would also be the Son of God conceived by the power of the holy spirit so he could save his people from their sins.

    2 Samuel 7:14, Luke 1:31-35, 2:10-11, Romans 1:3-4, Psalm 89:26-29, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:20-23

  • Scholars find the translation of 2 Samuel 7:14-15 (KJV) to be difficult, but the ideas of God’s merciful love through his son's suffering as a sacrifice for our salvation can be found in other passages.

    Psalm 89:29-37, Isaiah 53:2-5, 1 Peter 2:24

  • The promises to David are sometimes referred to as the “sure mercies of David” because of God’s merciful salvation in them. God’s mercy through Jesus, the promised offspring, in 2 Samuel 7:15 is “sure” because God will not take it away. There were occasions when Jesus was implored for mercy as the “son of David”.

    2 Samuel 7:14-15 (KJV), Psalm 89:1-4, 1 Kings 8:23-24, Isaiah 53:1-3, Luke 1:68-75, Acts 13:34, Matthew 15:22, 20:30-31, Mark 10:47-48, Luke 18:38-39

  • The promises to David involve God justifying, or imputing righteousness to believers, by forgiving their sins on the basis of faith.

    Romans 4:1-8

  • Even though Jesus had no children, he shall build a house as a family for the name of God by being their saviour. The people of God are figuratively spoken of as the temple of God.

    2 Samuel 7:13, Isaiah 53:8-12, Acts 15:14, 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, Hebrews 3:3-6, 1 Peter 2:4-7.

Were the Promises to David Fulfilled in Solomon?

  • David’s son Solomon was a great king in Israel, but he was not the fulfilment of the promises to David.

    1 Kings 8:17-20, Psalm 89:3-4, 1 Chronicles 22:6-11, 28:5-10

  • Peter says that David knew the promises made to him would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

    Acts 2:30

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