David Chosen to be King

Because of Saul’s failure to follow the instructions Samuel gave him, God told Samuel that He would find someone more suitable to be king over Israel. Samuel told Saul: “The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people” (1 Samuel 13:13–14). David the son of Jesse, a shepherd boy of Bethlehem, was the one whom God chose. Paul speaks of God’s estimation of David in this way: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will” (Acts 13:22).

Some Facts About David

• When he finally came to the throne, David reigned for seven and a half years at Hebron over the tribe of Judah, and then for 33 years over all Israel from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:4–5).

• He wrote many of the Psalms which give us an insight into his love for his God. The following examples illustrate this:

  “Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end” (Psalm 119:33).

  “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).

  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

• He had been a diligent shepherd in his youth, and so could write with rich feeling and understanding: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

• The Lord Jesus Christ is specifically identified as “the son of David” (Matthew 1:1; 22:41–46; Romans 1:1–3).

• God made a remarkable promise to David, which is recorded in 2 Samuel 7. This promise foretells the coming of Jesus, who would be both son of David and Son of God.

There are many other important and interesting facts that you will note as you read through the life of David.

God’s Promise to David

The promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12–16)

This promise is one of the most important in the Bible concerning the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In reading through 2 Samuel 7 we see that David wished to build a house for God. Although God was pleased with David’s intention, He had other plans in mind. It was God who would build David a ‘house’, not a house of wood and stone, but a family whose foundation was to be the Lord Jesus Christ, who would be both the son of David and the Son of God. Let us look at verses 12–16.

Verse 12 “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers” This promise was to be fulfilled after David was dead and buried.

“I will set up thy seed after thee” God would superintend the exact fulfilment of this promise.

“which shall proceed out of thy bowels” The one spoken of in this promise would be a direct lineal descendant of David. Jesus Christ is this one spoken of.

Consider Luke 1:30–33 and the words that the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary:

• Mary would have a son who would be called Jesus (v31)

• This son would also be “the Son of the Highest”, that is, of God (v32)

• He would sit on the throne of his father David (v32)

• He would reign over the house of Jacob (that is, Israel) for ever (v33).

This promise is yet to be fulfilled. At his first coming the Jews rejected Jesus of Nazareth as their King and crucified him (John 19:13–16). But God has told us that he will return to the earth (Acts 1:11) and establish the Kingdom of God, which will last for ever (Daniel 2:44; Psalm 72:17).

The prophet Isaiah also identified Jesus as the one who would ultimately reign on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6–7; Luke 2:11).

Jesus himself said that he was this promised Son of David (Revelation 22:16), and the apostle Peter confirmed it to the Jews after his resurrection (Acts 2:34–36).

Verse 13 “He shall build an house for my name” This has a spiritual as well as a literal application. Jesus will supervise the building of a house of worship in the Kingdom Age—a “house of prayer” for all nations (Isaiah 56:7; Zechariah 6:12). He is also the foundation stone of the spiritual house of God, made up of men and women of faith (Ephesians 2:20–22; Hebrews 3:6).

“I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” God will establish His Kingdom and set the Lord Jesus Christ as king over it, as David was before him (Jeremiah 23:5–8; 33:15–16; Amos 9:11; Isaiah 9:6–7; Psalm 132:11 cp Acts 2:30). The capital of this worldwide Kingdom will be Jerusalem (Jeremiah 3:17), as it was in David’s day.

Verse 14 “I will be his father, and he shall be my son” David’s son (descendant) will also be Son of God. This definitely refers to Jesus Christ, as the New Testament makes clear (Hebrews 1:5).

The Promise Fulfilled in Jesus Christ

This remarkable prophecy foretells that Jesus Christ will reign on earth over the re-established Kingdom of God. We can understand Mary’s excitement when Gabriel told her that she was the one in the line of David to bear the child who would be both “Son of David” and “Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

David in the Psalms also spoke of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter quotes psalms of David which foretell these things (Acts 2:22–36; see Psalm 16:8–11; 132:11; 110:1). He foretold that Christ would ascend to heaven but would certainly return to the earth again (Psalm 110:1; cp Acts 2:34). Since he is now immortal (Romans 6:9), Jesus Christ will be king over an everlasting kingdom. Assisting him will be the faithful of all ages who, sharing his glorious immortal nature, will live and reign with him (Revelation 5:10).

Isaiah tells us of the remarkable changes to world government that will take place at this time. The Kingdom will be based on principles of truth and righteousness, in order to bring about a state of peace throughout the whole world (Isaiah 2:2–4; 32:17). David in Psalm 72 has given a beautiful picture of this Kingdom and the social changes which the Lord Jesus Christ will bring about because he is both just and very merciful.

We can now understand why Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Adapted from “The Exploring the Bible Course” by David Evans