The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

The Davidic Covenant - Its Purpose and Effect

The ark entering Jerusalem

There is nothing so comforting to us than knowing that we can lie down at night in security and peace, and then rise in the morning knowing that we will safe to occupy ourselves with those activities in which we take pleasure. One of the great accomplishments of the reign of David was to bring about conditions that allowed that to happen in Israel. Solomon is known as the king of peace, but it is David, with God’s help, that laid the foundation for it. The Psalmist captured the essence of this exactly. “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.” (Ps. 121:1-8)

If the kingdom of Israel, in the purposes of God, was to be a model, albeit a very limited model, of the future millennial kingdom, then there would be three areas in the domain of the king, which would need to function at a hundred percent efficiency – warfare, welfare and worship.

1.            In Israel it was the king that had the responsibility of providing a blanket of security for his subjects.  This could only be done with faith in God.

2.            Furthermore, it would be he that would be required to look after the welfare of his people – that they had a comfortable existence living in a righteous and just society.

3.            Moreover, he would have to ensure that the God of Abraham had His rightful place in their nation. Obedience to the law of Moses, and a functioning priesthood under the protection of the throne was essential.

These areas of responsibility are seen most clearly in the commissioning of the first three kings of Israel, the only kings that reigned over a united kingdom. However, the emphasis for each was different being dictated by the prevailing circumstances when they came to the throne. Saul was commissioned for warfare (to overcome the Philistines). “I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.” (1 Sam. 9:16) Although he had some initial success, ultimately he failed due to disobedience. The Spirit of the Lord left him and the Philistines killed him.

David’s fame in Israel was initially because of his success against their Philistine neighbors.  He came to the public’s attention when he slew Goliath. His victories as king included securing and fortifying the borders of Israel and maintaining a standing army. In this respect he laid the foundation for the halcyon days of peace that were enjoyed by Israel.  He succeeded where Saul had failed; no doubt because his relationship with the Lord was stronger. But David was trained as a shepherd and as the shepherd king he was also required to look after the welfare of his people. A Psalm describes this aspect of his duties. “He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;  from following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance” (Ps.78.70-72).  In addition, David, with a heart more in tune with God than any other king that would rise, gave due respect to the worship of the Lord. He reordered the priesthood into twenty-four courses; he composed Psalms, not only for his personal devotions but also for large Levitical choirs to sing; he brought the Ark to Jerusalem, and protected the Zadokian priesthood. In other words, David’s claim to be Israel’s greatest king is supported by his fulfilling his responsibility to care for the welfare and worship of his subjects after securing peace by successful warfare. Alas, there is no king that is without sin and even Israel’s greatest earthly king, David, succumbed and the welfare of Israel was compromised. Adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah, led to civil war, and when he numbered Israel, 70,000 of his flock died.

Nevertheless, Solomon inherited a kingdom that was wealthy and secure. With the gift of wisdom from above, he entered on a reign of peace. His greatest contribution was in the area of worship. He fulfilled the commission passed to him by his father David[1] and replaced the tent-shrine of the Lord with a magnificent Temple that was graced by the divine presence at its dedication. But he too had feet of clay. Although he built the Temple, he failed to protect the worship of the God of Israel. He multiplied wives and with them idolatry.  His activities led to the division the kingdom and therefore were the root cause of the northern kingdom setting up calf worship in Dan and Bethel. But he was the son of David and, because of that, a recipient of the ‘chesed’ (loving-kindness) of God and secure in his position as king.

So the Davidic covenant is an acknowledgement that David was a man approved of God, who understood what was required of a king of Israel, and who sought to do it. He not only trusted God but was fully committed to Him. Consequently, he was God’s choice to be the model for any who should reign over Israel. It is true that he sinned but when he did his repentance was full and sincere. God rewarded him with the promise of a dynasty and a name. But it would need a greater than David to provide for Israel real peace and security, guidance and sustenance, forgiveness and salvation. It would need great David’s greater Son.

Summary

Saul was commissioned for warfare. He failed to do that for which he was chosen. Because of sin, the Spirit of the Lord left him and the Philistines killed him.

David came to the fore after the Spirit of the Lord came upon him at his anointing. He drove out the Philistines and succeeded in his military enterprises. He fulfilled a king’s responsibility for warfare.

 

His added commission was to look after the welfare of his people, to lead them and to feed them. This he did and is known as the shepherd/king. But his record in respect of caring for the people is not without blemish. Because he committed adultery and murder, the displeasure of the Lord was incurred. The resultant civil war put Israelite against Israelite and when he numbered Israel 70,000 of his people died. While his record on welfare is reasonably good, it does have some serious blemishes.

In respect of worship, he cannot be surpassed. His prophetic and musical gifts come to the fore in the Psalms, and when he had a vision of Jerusalem being a Temple city, he was clearly expressing the mind of God. His was the vision, and his the preparations that made Solomon’s Temple possible.

Solomon was a peaceful king. Because of David’s success and legacy, he had no need to be a military king. But his record on welfare was not too good. His oppressive regime ultimately led to the division of the kingdom. And although he built the Temple, he failed to protect the worship of the Lord, and Israel was beset with idolatry until they returned from Babylon.

Of these three kings who reigned over a united Israel, it is David who was most able to fulfill the responsibilities of a king under God, and he is the one whose dynasty was established by covenant. 

Next Time: The New Covenant

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[1] 2 Sam.7.13

The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

The Davidic Covenant (Continued)

The Confirmation of the Covenant

Before David died he referred to the Covenant declaring that although he had not lived a blameless life, nevertheless the Covenant stood inviolate. “He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure.” (2 Sam. 23:5) Then again, the writer of Psalm 89 revels in the promises of God, especially those made to David. “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.” “I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: ‘Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.’”  (Ps. 89:1-4)

 Then again in vv. 34-37: “My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” [1]

 Solomon succeeded David and the Temple was built on a sacred site in Jerusalem. By the time we come to the reign of Hezekiah the theology of the Davidic Covenant was well established. The covenant promise to David was then wider, larger and clearly indicated a future occupant of the throne who would own names that, in the Hebrew culture, transcend any that an earthly potentate might possess.  “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name 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, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this”. (Isa. 9:6-7)

 Jeremiah, who prophesied at a particularly difficult time, when the immediate future of Israel was under threat had a further message. The terms of the Land Covenant were soon to be invoked, and Israel would be exiled for disobedience and apostasy. It was at that time that he looked into the farther future and wrote: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jer. 23:5-8)

 Here he combined the two covenants, the Land Covenant and the Davidic Covenant, and while it is clear that the return from the Babylonian captivity is the immediate fulfillment of some of this prophecy, in common with many prophecies, it would need a further fulfillment in the farther future. The essence of this is repeated at 33.14-17. This prophet, much maligned by his contemporaries and facing the future with the knowledge that the power of the Davidic throne was to be broken by the Chaldean invaders, nevertheless had complete confidence in the covenant promise of God. He offered this assurance. “Thus says the Lord: ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne …’ Thus says the Lord: ‘If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.’ ” (Jer. 33:19-26)

 While day and night remain, the Jewish nation is secure and the Covenant with David stands. Amos also gave the same assurance. “On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; (Amos 9:11)

Next Time: The Davidic Covenant - Its Purpose and Effect

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[1] See also Ps.132.11 ff

The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

The Davidic Covenant

The Abrahamic Covenant had promised a specific territory. Even though the victories of Joshua were outstanding, this covenant of grant was never fully realized in his time. The period between the death of Joshua and the rise of the monarchy was a period during which the tribes of Israel often forgot that they were a covenant people. The worship of the Lord frequently lapsed with the result that they were oppressed by the surrounding nations, often losing some of the territory that they had gained under Joshua. It was only after they repented did God raise up a charismatic leader to rally the people to arms and recover that which had been lost. These periods of relapse and recovery continued until a king was anointed to lead them. The occasion for it was a particularly heavy period of oppression. After some two hundred years of life in Canaan, the tribal confederacy was broken by the Philistines. Israel’s army had been utterly defeated. Even the Ark, which they had taken into battle in the hope that it would turn the tide, was lost to the enemy. The priests that cared for it were slain. The Philistines then drove home their advantage by occupying as much of Israel’s territory as they could. Having captured the Ark they then destroyed the Tabernacle at Shiloh. They placed garrisons at strategic locations. It was this particular oppression that led to the demand for a king. Saul, the king the people received, was commissioned to deliver Israel from the Philistine threat. Samuel was instructed, “… you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines” (1 Sam. 9:16). But Saul did not complete his commission and although he had some initial victories he died at the hands of the Philistines. Israel was once again at their mercy.

It was at this time that David took hold of the remnant of Israel’s army, and with inspired leadership and strategy, used them to propel Israel to be the dominant power in the area. His success was founded on his relationship with the covenant keeping God. When Saul was finally rejected for usurping the priest’s office, Samuel informed him, “… now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Sam. 13:14) Not yet identified and anointed but described already as a man after God’s own heart - this is some praise for a young man who, at that time, was looking after the family flock.

So David, with faith in the God of Israel, broke the power of the Philistines, drove them back to a narrow strip of land along the coast, and confined them there. They would never be a serious threat to Israel again. Indeed, Philistine soldiers were recruited as mercenaries in David’s army. David also captured the Jebusite city of Jerusalem, and made it his capital, and completed the conquest of Canaan, Every inch of the land was now Israel or under Israelite domination. The influence that Israel exerted in that part of the Middle East was considerable. A new Israel had emerged.

Not only anointed by Samuel, but also anointed by the Spirit of God,[1] David had begun his career as a student in the school of the prophets, which had been established by Samuel at Naioth. Inspired by the Spirit of God, his musical gift was combined with a prophetic anointing to produce a number of Psalms for Israel’s worship, some of which pointed forward to another anointed king who would yet reign over Israel.

At the height of his power he decided to bring the Ark to his capital city, Jerusalem.[2] It had lain neglected at Kirjath-Jearim. Initially, transporting it on a cart and incurring the displeasure of God, it was finally brought up to the city with an enormous military escort and great ceremony. Composing a Psalm for the occasion[3] he organized the Levitical choir to pronounce that the ‘King of Glory’, ‘the Lord of Hosts’ was coming to Jerusalem to dwell. The Ark was His portable throne, and Jerusalem thus became the religious capital of Israel as well as its political centre. This would cement the newly established unity of the tribes around their new capital city and strengthen the throne. The affections of the people of Israel were now bound to Jerusalem in such a way that wherever they would be, and however far they travelled, they would always pray facing Jerusalem.

The establishing of the throne of David was clearly the will of the Lord because this kingdom would be a pointer to the Messianic kingdom which would grace Israel at a future date. The Tabernacle was erected on the Mount of Olives, and the Ark housed there. But David’s heart was still not satisfied. The tent-shrine needed to be replaced with something more permanent; perhaps a Temple where Israel could gather to fulfill their obligations at festival times. David voiced his thoughts to the prophet Nathan. “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.” (2 Sam. 7:2) Initially, Nathan supported David’s idea, but a message from the Lord, revised the program. “Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house. ‘When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.’” (2 Sam. 7:11-16)

The importance of this is evident in that the essence of it is repeated in the history recorded in first Chronicles. “The Lord will build you a house. And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” (1 Chron. 17:10-14) 

Instead of David building a house for God, God would build a house for David, that is, God would establish David’s dynasty. In the Samuel passage it speaks of Solomon inheriting the throne, but the historian who wrote Chronicles uses the word ‘seed’ in a similar fashion as it is used in the Abrahamic Covenant, allowing for the possibility that there will be a future son of David, apart from Solomon, who will build a house for the Lord, and who will hold the title ‘Son of God’, and who will reign eternally. Here is a promise of immense proportions; a promise of the Lord; a promise you can count on; a covenant promise! Any future Israelite who laid claim to the throne of the nation would have to come from the tribe of Judah and the line of David, although the sins of Jeconiah prevented any of his family from qualifying.[4]

Now although David himself was forbidden to build a Temple to house the Ark, this Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, purposed that his son Solomon, should fulfill David’s ambition – “He shall build Me a house” (1 Chron.17.12). It seems the desire of God to “dwell among them” (Exod.25.8) was still in place. Certainly, when the Temple was completed and Solomon transferred the Ark to its new place of residence, the presence of God was evident, “indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God”. (2 Chron. 5:13-14)

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[1] 1 Sam.16.13

[2] 2 Sam. chapter 6

[3] Psalm 24.

[4] Jer. 22.24-30