Throughout Biblical history God made a series of promises – called covenants – with His people. The first covenant with Adam applied to all of Adam’s descendents; all people for all time (Genesis 1:28). The next covenant, with Abraham, was applied to Abraham’s family and all who would follow His God (Genesis 12:1-3). Specifically, the covenant had promises for a nation of people to come. The covenant with Moses and Israel helped build that nation, but also promised a prophet to come (Exodus 19, Deuteronomy 7). Many years later God made a special covenant with King David (I Chronicles 17:1-27). That covenant was restricted to David’s family and culminated in a single man, Jesus Christ.
As the scope of each covenant became smaller, its effect was actually larger. Eventually Jesus Christ was born, who fulfilled the terms of all of the previous covenants and laid claim to all of their promises. Then Jesus made a new covenant (Matthew 26:26-29; 28:18-20). Its scope was universal. Its power was beyond earth, reaching into Heaven itself.
God’s promise to King David of a descendent who would rule forever over an eternal kingdom is unlike every other promise. It denotes a special relationship between David and God – a relationship that is duplicated for us, through the Son who would fulfill the promises to David.
In this study we will see how the promises made to King David are fulfilled in Jesus Christ – and can transform our lives.
David: A King’s Promised Son
Read: I Chronicles 17:1-27, Psalm 2:7-8
God promised David a son who would build God a house (temple).
(I Chronicles 17:11-12, II Samuel 7:12)
In Biblical times temples were “houses” where an idol of a god would be kept. The god would “live in the temple.” Israel’s God had no temple since no temple, or earth or Heaven could contain Him. Yet God promised David a descendent of his would build God a temple where He would manifest His presence to His people in a special way.
Promising a son to build a temple signified that David had a special relationship with God. Why do you think David merited such a promise from God? What do you think was special about David’s relationship with God?
God promised David a son who would reign as a King forever.
(I Chronicles 17:14)
No human being can hold on to political power forever. Yet God promised one of David’s descendents would reign “forever.” That means that David’s descendent would have to be more than human. It also means that David’s son would have a special kind of Kingdom, unlike any on earth.
Even though David had such a special relationship with God, he was not promised an eternal kingdom – only his descendent. David was still only a man with sin. Put yourself in David’s position, what do you think this revelation revealed to David about the character and nature of his descendent?
God promised David that his son would also be God’s Son.
(I Chronicles 17:13)
David’s descendent would be unique in all of history – he would not only be directly related to David, but also directly related to God. Only one is who born of God has the nature to reign forever. David was brought into God’s family in a unique way – through a promised Son.
If the promised descendent was to be God’s Son as well as David’s, what does that say about David’s relationship or position in comparison to his descendent? Elaborate.
Jesus: A Son, the Promised King
Read: Psalm 110:1-1, Matthew 22:42-46, Hebrews 1:1-14
Jesus is David’s descendent who began building a house of people (church) to worship God.
(Matthew 16:13-17)
The temple of Israel is where the Jews often worshipped God. But Jesus provided that the temple would not be constructed of stone and mortar, rather of the hearts and minds of His followers. In this way, the temple for the worship of God exists wherever God’s people exist.
Temples have sacrifices, special services, and teachings. What do you think Christ meant by God dwelling in the hearts and minds of His followers?
Jesus is David’s descendent and the promised King who will reign forever.
(Matthew 22:42-46, Luke 1:31-33)
Jesus was commonly referred by many people as the “Son of David.” They recognized that he was descended from their ancient king. In Matthew 22:42-46, Jesus makes a direct claim to being the promised King who would reign forever.
Reread the above passages. Was Christ the one to fulfill the promise?
Jesus is the Son of David (descendent), and also the promised Son of God.
(Luke 1:31-33, 22:66-70, Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 1:5)
Jesus clearly claimed to be the one and only Son of God. Jesus was unique among all people in that He was fully a human – being the descendent of David – but He was also fully God – being the Son of God. He was the only person in history who could fulfill the promise made to David – and the promise to us that God’s Son would take away our sins.
Being the Son of Man and the Son of God, Jesus has special experience, and special authority. Christ used His authority as God but humbled Himself to serve and die for us. Because of this God exalted Him to a position that now all must submit to Him as Lord. How do we submit to Jesus as Lord now?
God’s Promises to You
Read: II Corinthians 1:20
When we believe in Jesus Christ, we become God’s house.
(I Corinthians 3:16, II Corinthians 6:16, I Peter 2:4-5)
When a person receives Jesus as their Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in that person – making the person a living temple of the Living God. By receiving Jesus – the promised Son – we become a temple in which God reveals His presence through us.
God reveals His presence in us by changing our character to be more like His. As a living temple of the Living God, what kind of sacrifices and service can your life offer to God?
When we believe in Jesus we become part of His Kingdom forever.
(Colossians 1:13-14, Ephesians 1:3-5, 13-14)
If a person does not believe in Jesus, he is outside of God’s kingdom forever. But if a person chooses to believe in Jesus, he becomes part of God’s kingdom forever, because God promised that Jesus’ kingdom would last forever.
What choice have you made about God’s kingdom? How do we become part of God’s kingdom?
When we believe in Jesus, we are adopted into God’s family as sons.
(John 1:12, Galatians 3:26, Romans 8:15, Ephesians 1:15)
If we think of God’s kingdom and Heaven in terms of a house, then only those who are part of God’s family can live in God’s house. Because of Jesus’ life, death on the cross for our sins, and resurrection from the dead, we can be adopted into God’s family as His children and be brought into God’s family in this most unique way – through the promised Son.
Everyone, from David to each of us, enters into God’s kingdom in the same way – through God’s Son. Look carefully at the passages above. If we are not adopted into God’s family, then what do you suppose is our fate? What decision do you want to make about being in God’s family?
