God's covenant with David

File No. 62

II SAMUEL 7:1–29;

I Chronicles 17:1–14; 22:2–13; 28:1–8; 29:1–24

GOD’S COVENANT WITH DAVID, HIS KINGDOM WILL BE FOREVER

(SBS Bk 2 Story No. 53)

Story Notes

David longed to provide a temple for God—just as other kings provided temples for their gods. However, God told him, through Nathan the prophet, that this was not his plan.

God had looked after David and made him great, and now, God would establish David’s house, meaning that his sons would be kings after him, one after another. The first of these sons would be the one to build a temple for God.

God also said to David, ‘Your son will be my son and he will build a house for me and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever; I will be a father to him and if he sins, I will discipline him but not destroy him. I will not take my steadfast love from him, like I took it from Saul. Your house and kingdom will be established forever.’

The God of grace had more in mind than David could have imagined. God’s goodness to this point had amazed him, but now, he could be assured of it for years to come. What would this mean for the kingdom of Israel and for the glory of God’s name in the earth? God’s rule through David’s throne would now be the law (RSV margin) for mankind.

W. C. Kaiser suggests that this means: ‘this is the charter by which humanity will be directed’ (in Dumbrell’s Covenant and Creation p. 151f.). Someone has suggested that II Samuel 7 is the central chapter of the Old Testament because everything has led up to this moment and everything to come will flow from it.

David worshipped God, probably at the place where the ark was tented. Nowhere else in the Old Testament are we told that someone sat in God’s presence. Did he sense already the truth of Psalm 110:1–2? (This Psalm would be fulfilled when Jesus sat at the right hand of God with all his enemies defeated.) All that he had heard concerning God delivering his people from Egypt (e.g. Deut. 3:24), and perhaps also, the greatness promised to Abraham (Gen. 15:2), was now coming to David personally. Israel had been redeemed from Egypt, and would be secured by the kingship of his successors (or Successor, Jesus Christ). This is how God would be the God of Israel.

Therefore, David prayed: ‘May all this be so!’ The faithful word and promise of God had made him bold in God’s presence. His reign was secured by this promise well before it actually happened. Here, and on many occasions afterwards, he would pray that there would be a performance of what God had promised (e.g. Psalm 69).

David’s son, Solomon, ruled after David died and his dynasty lasted for 400 years. But the promise of an everlasting kingdom remained and has been fulfilled in the coming of the Son of God. David’s Son Jesus has established the kingdom of God in which all nations can find refuge.