Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt to Mount Sinai. There, the people agreed to God’s Covenant, only to break it in a disastrous way (can you say, “golden calf”?). Later, the people rejected God’s call to enter the Promised Land and so they wandered the desert for 40 years, long enough for that generation to die off.
After Moses had died, Joshua led the people into the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). Joshua led the Israelites in a series of battles to take back the land occupied during their time of slavery in Egypt (Joshua 6, 8-12). After they had reclaimed the land, Joshua allotted portions to each tribe (Joshua 13-21).
Joshua was the first judge to rule Israel. During the rule of the judges, Israel had a repetitive cycle in keeping their covenant with God. First, they disobeyed, becoming complacent about being faithful to God’s Covenant. Second, the Israelites suffered defeat, where God allowed an enemy to humble them. Third, they experienced deliverance, where God would send another judge to deliver and govern them.
Israel had a succession of 12 judges. But the rule of the judges ended because the people wanted a king. They recognized the failings of some of the judges (like Samson) and the corruption that had become all-too common among the priestly tribe, the Levites (Judges 17-19). So, the last judge Samuel anointed Saul as their first king.
And did Saul ever look the part! He was a head taller than most other Israelites. Being physically impressive back then was a key advantage, for one of the king’s main duties was to lead the army in battle. And Saul’s reign started off well!
Yet, after a couple of military victories, Saul’s kingly rule began to falter. Saul had too many character flaws, and he let fear guide too many of his choices. He was hasty and acted impulsively. He was insecure and envious, threatened by the successes of those under him. Even more, he was careless about the worship of God.
So, Samuel realized that Israel needed a different king. At this point in the story, the bible text introduces us to the most-significant man in the Old Testament: David.
David Captures Jerusalem
So far, we have seen God’s family expand from a marriage (Adam), to a household (Noah), to a tribe (Abraham), and to a nation (Moses). Today, with David, we see God’s family expand into a kingdom. For the kingdom God set up through David (the Davidic kingdom) was more than a political entity–it was also God’s way of extending His covenant.
One of David’s first and most strategic moves was to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel (2 Samuel 5). Jerusalem had been a city that none of the tribes of Israel could capture or hold. Down to David’s day, a people known as the Jebusites controlled Jerusalem. But David was to change all that.
Scripture never explains why David decided to make Jerusalem his capital. However, the political and military advantages of the city are enough to explain David’s reasoning (it was ideally and centrally located).
Yet, David may have sensed a deeper, sacred purpose for choosing Jerusalem. There, Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek, priest-king of Salem, who blessed Abram and fed him with bread and wine (Genesis 14). There, Abraham offered Isaac, and then heard God’s oath to bless all the nations (Genesis 22). Moses also had commanded a central sanctuary to be built there after Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land and its surrounding enemies. So, David had good historical precedent for making Jerusalem the city of Israel(Deuteronomy 12:10-14).
David and the Ark of the Covenant
The second significant point in David’s life was his decision to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The Ark had been left in the house of Abinadab at its recapture from the Philistines (that’s another story). The Ark was the place of God’s presence, forming the hub around which Israel gathered and offered its sacrifices. That made it the center of Israel’s religious life. When David brought the Ark into his capital, it helped unite the religious and civil life of the kingdom, so all of Israel would come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice.
David as Priest-King
Yes, David was the king of Israel. But he also aspired to priestly service. Instead of only wearing royal clothing, he, at times, wore priestly linens (2 Samuel 6:5). He led the Ark of the Covenant’s procession from the house of Obed Edom into the tabernable in Jerusalem. He offered sacrifices. He blessed the people in the name of the Lord. He served the people bread, meat, and wine (2 Samuel 6:14-19). He also wrote many songs for use in Israel’s worship, many of which the Psalms include. In David, we see David coming to Jerusalem as a priest-king, blessing the people and giving them bread and wine. In David, we see shadows of Melchizidek (we will look into the significance of this later in this lesson).
God made David a king and a priest. Not only did David conquer the land and rule as king, but he also received instructions on the design of the Temple and its worship (1 Chronicles 28:19). As the son of David and later king, Solomon would built the Temple. David organized the liturgical practices of Israel, including the duties of the Levites, and those who served and sang in the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 15:16-24).
The Davidic Covenant
The Davidic covenant is the final covenant between God and Israel. From a covenant perspective, it is the climax of the Old Testament.
Read 2 Samuel 7:8-16 (also in 1 Chronicles 17:7-14)
– In verse 9, what does God promise to David?
– In verse 14, what does God promise?
– In verse 16, what does God say will be established?
– How long is that throne to last?
The Fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant
2 Samuel 7:12: When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
So, who is this “offspring” or son of David referred to here? Most immediately, it refers to Solomon, who will be David’s successor and will build a stone temple for God in Jerusalem. However, the “offspring” of David also refers to each of David’s “sons” or descendants, who will follow Solomon on the throne for hundreds of years. And finally, the “offspring” of David points to one supreme Son of David who is eternal, reign on an eternal throne, and build a temple for God that will last forever.
|
2 Samuel 8-16 |
Luke 1:32-33 |
| a great name (vs. 9) | “He will be great” |
| He will be my son (vs. 14) | “will be called the Son of the Most High” |
| You throne will be established (vs. 16) | “God will give to him the throne of his father David” |
| forever | reign … forever |
David Foreshadowing Jesus
It’s hard to overestimate David’s importance in the history of salvation. It’s true that Moses is also important and a dominant figure. The Old Testament mentions Moses about 800 times. About 90% of those references are in the first six books: Genesis through Joshua. After that, Scripture only mentions Moses occasionally in the remaining books of the Old Testament.
By contrast, the first seven books of the Old Testament (Genesis through Judges) don’t mention David once. We hear of him for the first time at the end of the Book of Ruth, a love story about David’s great-grandparents, Boaz and Ruth of Bethlehem. After the Book of Ruth, we don’t hear of him again until 1 Samuel 16. But after that, it’s no contest: The rest of the Old Testament mentions David well over a thousand times.
So, the question is why. David foreshadows the Messiah in some significant ways.
Jesus is our king. King David was a king.
Jesus is our priest. It’s less well known that David was also a priest. Psalm 110:4 says of David and his successors, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” Who was Melchizedek? He was a priest-king who ruled over Jerusalem during the time of Abraham. He shows up in Genesis 14:18-20. Then,Jerusalem was known simply as “Salem.”
How did David wind up as a priest like Melchizedek? It seems that David became Melchizedek’s heir and successor when he took over as king of Jerusalem, Melchizedek’s old royal city. All the rights and privileges of Melchizedek fell to David–including Melchizedek’s priestly role. That’s why we see David doing priestly acts like wearing a priestly robe, offering sacrifice, and blessing the people (2 Samuel 6), and why it says that “David’s sons were priests” (2 Samuel 8:18).
Jesus is our prophet. David also had the gift of prophecy, of which he was aware. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his word is on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). This prophetic gift was part what he received when he was given the Holy Spirit as a young boy. That’s why many of the Psalms of David are not only worship songs but also prophecies. One of the most famous is Psalm 22, which is easily recognized as a prophecy of the crucifixion.
Conclusion
Almost 1,000 years before Jesus was born, God made a covenant with a desert shepherd-become-king called David. God chose to make an undying covenant with him, one that would be the vehicle for His eternal Kingdom.
… to be continued
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