INTRODUCTION
- We are in week eight of Core 52.
- This year, we are examining 52 essential verses of scripture that will give you the most bang for your buck.
- These passages are like buying fast passes at an amusement park, so you do not have to waste so much time waiting to get on the rides.
- Core 52 is your fast pass to biblical knowledge.
- A couple of weeks ago, I explained the concept of type and antitype when speaking of Moses and Jesus.
- Moses was the type, and Jesus was the antitype or the fulfillment of Moses.
- Today, our passage will focus on the same concept, except we will focus on Jesus and David.
- You need to remember that Abraham was the father of the nation, and Moses was the nation's founder; however, David was considered the nation's leader.
- David took the nation to some of its greatest heights.
- Future leaders of Israel were compared to David, and the nation had always dreamed that the nation would return to what it was under David.
- As Jerry shared with you last week, this whole King other than God business started when the people wanted a king, and they wanted Saul.
- Saul was the people's choice as King, whereas David was the King of God's choosing!
- David was a man after God's own heart.
- 1 Kings 15:5 sums up the reign of David in this manner.
1 Kings 15:5 (NET 2nd ed.)
5 He did this because David had done what he approved and had not disregarded any of his commandments his entire lifetime, except for the incident involving Uriah the Hittite.
- Of course, that "except" Uriah the Hittite was a BIG except, which we will cover another day.
- David became the standard by which all other kings of Israel were judged.
- About 20 times between 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, the descendants of David who sat on the throne are compared to their father, David.
- You read statements like this in 2 Kings 18:3 about King Hezekiah, "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done."
- Or in 2 Kings 16:2 it says this about King Ahaz: "Unlike David, his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God."
- David then becomes this running thread throughout the rest of the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments.
- This is for a very good reason because David wasn't just Israel's greatest King, but as we saw with Moses, he was a type or a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus.
- This takes us to the context of 2 Samuel 7.
- David was the well-established King, and as King, he had a palace built.
- As he reflected on his life station, David realized that God did not have a nice Temple, so David wanted to build God a Temple.
- Through the Prophet Nathan, God said that David was not the one to build the Temple; rather, a descendant of David's would build it.
- David thought God was referring to Solomon.
- That takes us to our passage today.
› I hope you see today that when God makes a promise, even when it looks like the promise cannot be fulfilled, God is faithful.
- We need to understand this concept because we live this truth every day.
- Let's turn to 2 Samuel 7:12-16
2 Samuel 7:12–16 (NET 2nd ed.)
12 When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent.
14 I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings.
15 But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16 Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’ ”
SERMON
I. A promise made.
- As 2 Samuel 7 begins, David converses with the Prophet Nathan about how he feels led to build God a Temple.
- Nathan tells David he should do what he is led to do since God is with him.
- Later in the evening, God gives Nathan a message that David is not the one to build Him a temple.
- Then God gives Nathan a message to David concerning David's desire.
- God makes a covenant with David.
- In the grand narrative of God's interaction with humanity, the promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7:12 stands as a pivotal moment, marking not just a covenant with a king but the laying of a foundation for the coming Messiah.
- The promise made begins in verse 12 and goes to verse 16.
- David took this to mean that Solomon was to build the Temple.
- This promise, while immediately applicable to Solomon, David's son, who would build the Temple, transcends the immediate and the tangible, pointing forward to something bigger: Jesus.
- This covenant with David is not merely about succession but establishing a kingdom that would have no end.
- It speaks of God's sovereignty and His ultimate plan for redemption.
- When we look at David, we see a man after God's own heart, a king who, despite his flaws, was used by God in mighty ways.
- Yet, even as David achieved great things for Israel, his Kingdom, like all earthly kingdoms, had its limitations.
- This covenant with David establishes a special relationship between God and David's lineage.
- We can't blame David for thinking of his own sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons.
- However, Bible prophecies often work on two levels at once.
- There is an immediate reference and an ultimate reference.
- It's like when you visit a famous place or go to a big event and take a picture.
- Now, there are two things you want in the picture.
- You and your friends or family, and whatever cool thing it is, you're there to see. So, is the picture of you, or is it of the Grand Canyon, the ocean, or the concert you're attending?
- Yes. It's both.
- A prophecy can be like a picture.
- The subject in the foreground is Solomon, but the much bigger thing in the background here is Jesus.
- God simply cannot be talking about Solomon or the earthly throne in Jerusalem here.
- In verse 13, God tells David that He will make David's dynasty permanent, and the same theme is repeated in verse 16.
- It would be long before the Kingdom would be in trouble.
- Solomon became King in about 970 BC and reigned for 40 years.
- The Kingdom was divided when Solomon's son Rehoboam took over after Solomon's death.
- The divided Kingdom left only the tribe of Judah and the tiny tribe of Benjamin under the control of David's royal line.
- Ten tribes (The Northern Kingdom) split from two tribes (The Southern Kingdom in 931 BC.
- The Northern Kingdom began with Rehoboam's political opponent, Jeroboam.
- The Northern Kingdom had 19 kings before the Assyrians ended them in 722 BC.
- All 19 kings were evil.
- The Southern Kingdom had 19 kings, all from the line of David; some were good, and some were evil.
- The Babylonians ended the Southern Kingdom in 568 BC.
- From David's line, there were 20 Kings, including Solomon.
- After 586, the Kingdom ended.
- After the Babylonian exile, there was a shift in the political structure of what was left of the nation.
- The shift was away from a monarch to more religious and community leaders.
- A forever throne requires a forever king, and Solomon and David's grandsons just don't cut it.
- After David, 20 of his descendants sat on the throne, each in turn.
- Now, 20 descendants is a long time, but It's a long way from forever.
- The picture in the background is something different.
- Something bigger?
- Something better?
- Remember, a forever throne requires a forever king.
- Once we hit 586 BC, it appears that God lost, and His promise was not kept.
- This moves us to our second thought.
II. A promise kept.
- The Prophet Isaiah wrote:
Isaiah 11:10 (NET 2nd ed.)
10 At that time a root from Jesse will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, and his residence will be majestic.
- Jesse was David's father, and he's comparing David's line to one of those plants that shoots out runners underground.
- Even though you can't see the plant above ground, it's still there, and then, one day, it pops up over here.
- Even though the royal family line has disappeared from view, it will pop up again, and when it does, he will draw from all nations to a glorious kingdom.
- The prophets God sent after the exile (Amos, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah) began speaking about God restoring and rebuilding David's Kingdom, but the Kingdom they talked about was a bigger kingdom, a better kingdom.
Amos 9:11 (NET 2nd ed.)
11 “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut of David. I will seal its gaps, repair its ruins, and restore it to what it was like in days gone by.
Jeremiah 23:5 (NET 2nd ed.)
5 “I, the LORD, promise that a new time will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, a descendant of David. He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right in the land.
Ezekiel 37:25 (NET 2nd ed.)
25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; they will live in it—they and their children and their grandchildren forever. David my servant will be prince over them forever.
- These promises seem like more broken promises, given what happened to the nation of Israel.
- All looks lost.
- One thing you need to know about God, something you can take to the bank, is this: When God makes a promise, God keeps His promise.
- How many times have people dumped God because they did not believe that a promise made is a promise kept?
- From 586 BC until 6 BC, it looked impossible for God to keep His promise to David.
- Then something happened!
- When we get to the New Testament, it opens with the Gospel of Matthew.
- Matthew opens his biography of Jesus with a genealogy that shows Jesus is a rightful heir to the throne of David.
- I encourage you to check out this week's devotional from the Core 52 book because Mark Moore has some great insights about Matthew's genealogy.
Matthew 1:1 (NET 2nd ed.)
1 This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
- This opening verse is more than a simple family tree; it is an affirmation that the promises made to both Abraham and David are reaching their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
- Matthew intentionally reminds us that Jesus is the rightful heir to David's throne.
- The genealogy anchors Jesus in history, connecting Him indisputably to the covenant promises of the Old Testament.
- Jesus Christ, as the Son of David, embodies the fulfillment of God's promises.
- He is the promised King whose reign is without end.
- Unlike David's earthly Kingdom, which rose and fell, Jesus's Kingdom is unshakeable and everlasting.
- Through His death and resurrection, He has established a kingdom that spans all of time and invites every tribe, tongue, and nation to be a part of this eternal inheritance.
- David was the TYPE, Jesus was the fulfillment of David, the ANTITYPE!
- When God spoke to David about his offspring building a house in His Name, it pointed beyond the physical Temple that Solomon would build.
- Jesus, as the greater Son of David, builds a different kind of house—not one made with stones but one made with living stones.
- In Christ, the Church becomes the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:5), where God's presence dwells among His people.
- Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20), this house is a spiritual home for all believers, a place of worship, fellowship, and the manifestation of God's glory on earth.
- Let's finish with a look at verse 16 again.
2 Samuel 7:16 (NET 2nd ed.)
16 Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’ ”
III. A promise that is a blessing.
- David's throne was established in Jerusalem, and his reign was marked by power and the favor of God, yet his Kingdom experienced turmoil, rebellion, and eventual division.
- In contrast, the reign of Christ, though it began humbly in a manger in Bethlehem, transcends all earthly limitations.
- Jesus inaugurated His Kingdom not by force of arms but through love, sacrifice, and resurrection power.
- His rule is characterized by righteousness, justice, and peace.
- Unlike earthly kings, Christ's authority does not wane; He reigns supreme at the right hand of the Father, and His Kingdom will never be destroyed (Daniel 7:14).
- The blessing of the Kingdom of God is that it is eternal, with the throne of David, you were only blessed when you were there, or until the nation was taken into captivity.
- David desired to establish a kingdom that would endure; God promised him an eternal dynasty.
- In Jesus, this eternal Kingdom is realized.
- His resurrection from the dead is the pivotal event that cements His kingship forever, defeating death and offering eternal life to all who believe in Him.
- As believers, we are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), and we share in the promise of an eternal inheritance in the Kingdom that will never fade away.
- This Kingdom is not only a future hope but a present reality, as Jesus rules in the hearts of His followers and extends His reign through the advance of the gospel.
CONCLUSION
- Understanding that Jesus is the culmination of God's covenant with David has profound implications for our lives.
- It means that we serve a King whose promises are sure and whose Kingdom is unshakable.
- Our allegiance to Christ calls us to live in a way that reflects the values of His Kingdom's values- mercy, justice, humility, and love.
- As members of His Kingdom, we are tasked with the mission to invite others into the story of God's redemptive plan.
- We are to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom, demonstrate its reality through our lives, and eagerly await the day when Christ will return to establish His Kingdom fully and finally.
- Until that day, we are encouraged to hold fast to the hope set before us, knowing that in Christ, the best is always yet to come.
- Jesus is the true Son of David, the One who fulfills the covenant made so many centuries ago.
- His eternal Kingdom, inaugurated through His life, death, and resurrection, is the ultimate.
