The Promise...Through David
- Dec 9, 2024
- 8 min read
Introduction: The Promise… Through David
Over the next couple of weeks leading into Christmas we are looking at the prophetic scriptures that point us to the coming Messiah, or as you may know him, Jesus Christ. Last week we discussed how the book of Genesis points us to Jesus and the “hints” even from the very beginning in the Garden. This week we are looking at David, who never met Jesus in the flesh, but also points us to Jesus.
Perhaps you have heard of The Davidic covenant, and then maybe you haven't? It is a covenant that God made with David as an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David, the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever.
2 Samuel 7 provides the context. David was a king who brought great victory, power and glory to Israel - but it didn’t last. It was expected that his dynasty would continue forever, however, history proves that didn’t happen. With the kingdom of Israel divided during Solomon’s reign (just one generation from David) and the eventual fall of Jerusalem, Israel began to look for the final fulfillment of the Davidic covenant - A “new David” to rise up and conquer and restore Israel to its place of peace, prosperity and justice.
Thus the anticipation for a Messiah and the emphasis on the Messianic prophecies develops- Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc…which we will talk more about next week. Today I want us to also see some of the parallels between the life of David and the life of Jesus.
Handout - You have on your tables a handout that shows a comparison or typology of David to Jesus. I highly encourage you to take this with you today and check it out over the next week and learn even more.
Today we will be focusing our attention on verses from 1st and 2nd Samuel and Psalm 89.
Now, remember what I said last week? The short and sweet version of the next few weeks is this… It all points to Jesus. Let’s open up our Bibles.
1 Samuel 16: 1-13
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
This is the intro story of David and his humble beginnings. We see that David is a precursor to the Messiah. Let's look at a few of the similarities between David and Jesus…
Humble beginnings (1 Sam 16:11 and John 10:11)...
Shepherd-King: David was a shepherd before he became king, symbolizing leadership and care.
Jesus as the Good Shepherd: Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, highlighting His role as a caretaker of His people.
John 10:11: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
Bethlehem (1 Sam 16:1,4 and Luke 2:4-6).. Same place Jesus was from right?
Anointed/Chosen (1 Sam 16:12-13 and Luke 9:35)...And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!
Although these and other similarities point us to Jesus today, the Israelites missed it. Have you ever had a preconceived notion, or expectation and anticipation of something so strong, or so ingrained that when the “real” thing comes along, you don’t recognize it for what it is? This is what it was like for the Israelites when Jesus was born. They were expecting another David to come as their Messiah and rescue the nation from oppression, and restore them to their “glory days”, but it was a different kind of “david” that showed up when it comes to Jesus.
2 Samuel 7:8-16
Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 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. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
If you look back at verses 9-11 we see the Promise of a name, a place and rest in which God recounts His faithfulness to David and promises a name which points to messianic expectation, a permanent homeland for the Israelites and finally rest from his enemies.
Promise of an Eternal Kingdom- God made a covenant with David, promising that his throne would be established forever… Hmmm, that sounds familiar?
"Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever."
And if you look at verse 14 you see the Promise of adoption into a family, having a Father.
I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.
The parallels keep going and we don't have have time to cover them all, so real quick before we move into some application for us today in comparing David and Jesus…check out what Psalm 89 says…it’s pretty long but let me read a couple of the verses in there to you.
We see the covenant we’ve been speaking of mentioned in vs 3…You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to my servant David”
We see again the anointing in vs 20…I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him
Vs 30-34- God's faithfulness highlighted- It talks about no matter if David’s sons mess up, the seed is still coming through that lineage, just as promised. Same with us today. God loves us unconditionally, just like he did David.
Conclusion
David was known as a man after God’s heart. David, despite all of his failings, he remained faithful always to God. He meditated on God’s word, and always kept his heart tender towards God. He constantly sought forgiveness and honest repentance. He also lived a life of praise and worship to God. We only scratched the surface today. Spend some time in the Psalms this week and you will experience more of David’s heart.
OK Jerry, Cool stuff but how do I apply this to my life?
Lead with a Shepherd's Heart
Application: Lead and serve others with care, compassion, and humility, mirroring David’s role as a shepherd and Jesus' description of Himself as the Good Shepherd. This means looking out for the well-being of others and providing support and guidance.
Volunteer in your community, mentor someone, or take on a leadership role where you can nurture and support others. Or here is one I can practice more! Strive to be patient and understanding in your interactions.
Anticipate the Fulfillment of God’s Promises
Application: Just as the promises made to David were ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, believe that God’s promises to you are trustworthy and will be fulfilled in His time.
Hold onto the promises of God found in Scripture. Meditate, even memorize, verses that speak of His faithfulness and remind yourself of them regularly. This is mine right now....Trust in His faithfulness to complete the good work He has begun in you.
Reflect Christ in Your Actions
Application: David was known as a man after God’s own heart, and Jesus is the ultimate example of God’s love and righteousness. Strive to emulate Jesus’ qualities in your daily life—compassion, integrity, humility, and love.
Engage in regular self-examination and prayer, asking God to help you reflect Christ more fully in your actions. Maybe just look someone in the eyes and smile, letting them know you see them and heck it never hurts to participate in acts of kindness and service, and seek to live a life that honors God, after all that is what we are called to do on a daily basis.
Additional Discussion and Study:
What do you think it really means to be a man/woman after God’s own heart?
The Israelites “missed” Jesus because they were expecting something different. Think about your conversations with God. Is there anything that you are waiting for answers on? How do we not miss His answers?
What does it mean to you that God planned and foretold the birth and life of Jesus so far in advance?
How has God’s faithfulness been seen in your own life and how have you allowed that to influence your relationship with Him?
