Glimpses 08

Davidic Covenant

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G'day and welcome to Partake! We are now on day 8 of our series "Glimpses", looking at the story of the Bible in 30 days, from the time of creation through to the time of the fullness of redemption! Let's read together

2 Samuel 7:1-17

When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, the king summoned Nathan the prophet. "Look," David said, "I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!" Nathan replied to the king, "Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you." But that same night the Lord said to Nathan, "Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel's tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, "Why haven't you built me a beautiful cedar house?"' "Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won't oppress them as they've done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. "Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you-a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house-a temple-for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.'" So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

This covenant is the seventh covenant and the fourth theocratic covenant (accepting that the Palestinian covenant is indeed a covenant!)  The word covenant is not mentioned in this passage, but other passages of Scripture refer back to it, and explicitly call it a covenant (2 Samuel 23:5 David says, "...For He has made an everlasting covenant with me."  Psalm 89:3-4; 1 Kings 8:23; 2 Chronicles 13:5).

The Shepherd King

The shepherd imagery here is powerful! The Lord reminds David that he was a shepherd boy before he rose to the heights in Israel and became its king.  This shows that God wants David to be a shepherd leader as king.  A king who protects, nourishes, guides and leads his people just as a shepherd does with sheep. .

Covenantal Promises

The Davidic Covenant promises four things:

• A land forever (2 Samuel 7:10);
• A dynasty, name or house without end (2 Samuel 7:11, 16)
• An everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7:13, 16)
• A father-son relationship between God and David's descendent (2 Samuel 7v13-14)

Some of the blessings which God promises to David are also echoes from the Abrahamic, Mosaic and Palestinian Covenants! Some may or may not! Can you tell which ones do echo and which ones don't? The line of continuity runs through the covenants! A land forever - this is the promise of security for the nation of Israel and how important the land promises are to them! Here God promises rest for Israel in this their land of promise! He is reminding David of Israel's history when the judges ruled Israel. Reminding David of the cycle of disobedience, repentance and obedience, when Israel were taken into exile and under siege to the surrounding nations! A name & house without end - the name of David would be great throughout time and throughout the world! Why? Because of his great kingship and the family line that would come from him! Does that echo anything with you regarding Abraham? Not only for eternity, but for their immediate future to come! David wanted to build a temple befitting worship to the living God! But God has other ideas! David would not be allowed to build it, but rather one of David's sons would build a house of worship for God - a temple of magnificence and beauty to reflect a living God of beauty! Wow! An everlasting Kingdom - long after the death of David, his kingdom will continue. This also looks back to Genesis 17:6 where God has said that kings would descend from Abraham! The kingdom of David would last forever, in stark contrast to that of his predecessor Saul, whose reign was cut short. Father and son relationship - This building upon the promise to Moses, of Israel being God's special treasure! God desires intimacy with humanity, through the nation of Israel and now, uniquely to David and his descendents, God has promised they would have a father and son relationship.  This relationship includes personal discipline against sinful and unfaithful behaviour. We know that God and David also had a father and son relationship and that David had the Holy Spirit upon him to enable him to lead the nation.  Frequently in the Psalms David prayed that the Holy Spirit not be taken from him due to his sinful behaviour.

How can it be?

This covenant with David, as we have seen, continues the line of covenants within the Old Testament, and the line of continuity you can easily see.  With each successive covenant, the seed is growing. Much like grass grows out from its root so too is the intimacy between God and humanity.  There are glimpses or hints of a messiah or saviour to come who would indeed make David's kingdom everlasting! Yet these promises of the Davidic covenant give us yet more questions! How can an Israel, who in their relationship with God, were often disobedient, unfaithful and seeking other ‘gods', be the basis for a king who will reign forever? That's up next! Where do you think we will be tomorrow?

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