Davidic Covenant

The Eternal Promise: The Davidic Covenant

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Summary: David wanted to build a house for God, God had a different Plan.

Teaching: The “sure mercies of David”

seen in 2 Sa 7:16 as translated “established” (first one) also seen in:

1 Samuel 2:35 “Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.”

Isaiah 55:3 “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.”

Three verses that speak of Jesus as fulfilling this covenant

Acts 13:33–35 “God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm(2:7): ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’ (pp. see Heb 1:5)And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus (Isa 55:3): ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm (16:10): ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’” Psalm 89:33–37 “Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah”

The Davidic Covenant is a promise from God to King David that his kingdom will last forever and that his throne will be established forever as part of His redemptive plan.

See Matthew 1:1 and Luke 1:32-33 for God’s redemptive plan.

1. David’s Desire Meets Divine Will

2 Samuel 7:1-3.

David’s heart describes the human inclination to do something for God (Some works are good, but not necessarily what God has for you), yet one look at God's response to David makes clear God’s plans.

First, we see David finally getting some “rest”. Yes, he is king and has a kingdom to run, but he is at rest. He has a home, and is surrounded by a new kind of security. His life is at peace. He is not “on the run”.

He looks and compares His home to God’s earthy tabernacle (a tent) similar to how God addresses Haggai.

Haggai 1:2–5 ““Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ” Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!” Don’t let God’s house get run down!

This is admirable perhaps a little presumptuous, but for God there will be a time for God’s house to be built, by Solomon. Now is a time to reveal a big part of God’s eternal purpose in His plan of redemption.

A kingdom on earth for His Son.

2. Shift from David’s Plan to God’s Promise

2 Samuel 7:4-9

Verse :7 says, “Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ”

And verse 9, “And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.”

God is acknowledging His own faithfulness explaining that He did not require an extravagant tabernacle in the wilderness. David is the first Israelite to mention, “Hey let’s build a permanent place for God” This comes many years after God had given them the promised land; delivered them; tabernacled among them. God is going to flip the conversation. He is now going to describe the “house” He is going to build for David and His Royal Dynasty. God is going to offer the gift of true “rest” in an Eternal Kingdom.

What follows is the Davidic Covenant, “the Lord tells you that He will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will 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.”(2 Sa 7:11–13)

3. Divine Rest Promised - A Royal House

2 Samuel 7:10-14

Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, (2 Samuel 7:10). Part of the kingdom promise to David was a place. Israel is that land of promise given by grace to the Jews to inhabit. It is there David sets up the capital, Jerusalem. The City of David. "since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house." (2 Sa 7:11) We see God's plan to give His people rest. That rest comes when they occupy the land. At last Jerusalem is freed by David for the Jewish people to live in peace. This is the beginning of the house. The house speaks to me of a home. The one thing David lacked in all his wilderness experience was a home, a save haven to relax in. Wherever our home is, it should be a place to rest. The Lord should by the head over the home and give peace to it's occupants. These things are certain for believers. One, we are not home yet. Two, our home is not this world. Three, we look to this heavenly city with anticipation. But four, as Christians we find our home in Christ and in Christ we find rest.

4. King Jesus

2 Samuel 7:12–14 ““When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will 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 his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.”

Christ fulfills this perfectly.

Seed of Adam, a man Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.””

Genesis 15:1–5 “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.””

Genesis 15:6 “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” Abraham believed Messiah would be his seed.

Matthew 1:1-17 tells of Jesus’ genealogy through his earthy adopted father Joseph and Luke 3:23-38 through His mother Mary. both genealogies trace Jesus through King David.

Gabriel announces God’s plan to Mary

Luke 1:30–33 “Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.””

Seven promises; four done, three left.

The chastening that Nathan is speaking of is punishment of sin of the cross. Jesus fulfilled this part of the Davidic Covenant, He will surely see the rest to completion.

5. House, Kingdom, Throne - 4ever

2 Samuel 7:15–16“But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”

This spells out the Davidic Covenant in a nutshell. A house - a place of peace to dwell with the family He loves.

A kingdom - Every king needs a kingdom and the King of kings deserves the Universe as His kingdom. He will have complete allegiance from us as 1 Peter 2:9 describes, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

A Throne - Thank God that we will be privileged to have a righteous King ruling on a Throne. No more petty politicians lying to us and deceiving us . We will have a kingdom with a King who loves us.

4ever - The beauty of the promise of everlasting life in John 3:16 is that it is eternal, or as they say everlasting in that it will last for ever! Forever with Jesus!!!

6. Prophetic Word is Truth

2 Samuel 7:17

The prophet Nathan's role in delivering God's promise to David was not a small part of this story. A faithful man with an ear towards God delivers a covenant that defines the ages. A prophet is a person who represents God to people. We ought to give special ear to their words. Are the words they speak Scriptural? If yes, then special attention should be our first and only response.

David listens to the man of God.

:17 Nathan spoke all he had recieved.

:18 David’s Response - Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

David was a humble servant in awe of all that God so graciously revealed to him.

:23 “Who is like Your people?” - Similar to Mary many years to come, there is a reckoning with the grace of God. It is a free gift. It is undeserved. It cannot be repaid. Who indeed are we to receive such a gift?

:26 “So let Your Name be magnified forever.”

This is the subject of many of the greatest Psalms. Almost 200 times in Psalms the word praise occurs. David loved to praise the Lord.

Application: We can trust God and His Plan as revealed in His word.