The Davidic Covenant

David’s Dynasty

Joey chestnut

Tom Brady

Michael Jordan

Bill Russell

Jack Nicklaus

2 Samuel 7 is largely concerned with a message from the Lord to David given through the prophet Nathan.

One of the key themes that you will discover when you read this prophecy in chapter 7 is that of building a house.

House is used 15 times and tent is used 3 times in this one chapter. Sometimes it’s use is literal and sometimes metaphoric.

House is used to literally describe David’s house in verse 2, to literally describe God’s house in verse 5 and metaphorically used in verse 11 about David’s house.

Tent appears 3 times and both times is refers to the place where the people could experience God’s presence.

2 Samuel 7:11–13 HCSB

ever since the day I ordered judges to be over My people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. “ ‘The Lord declares to you: The Lord Himself will make a house for you. When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Since the exodus, God resided among the people in a temporary structure. David told Nathan that he thought it was time to build a house for the ark of God. David lived in a cedar house, so He thought, why shouldn’t God have a royal dwelling also?

Here’s how it unfolds in chapter 7:

David’s got it backwards. It’s not David who was to build a house. It’s God who builds the house, the kingdom, the throne, the dynasty.

The covenant made between God and David was that of a never-ending Kingdom.

The promise of a never-ending Kingdom is only possible through a never-ending King.

Covenant Connection

The covenant tradition undergoes some changes during the time of King David. The Mosaic Covenant saw God acting through Moses as mediator, as a priest over all Israel. Now, an additional element is added: covenant with a king.

2 Samuel 7:16 HCSB

Your house and kingdom will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’ ”

This covenant is connected to every other covenant.

Edenic covenant promised life and blessing to Adam through obedience. David shows the frailty and brokenness of humanity caused by Adam’s disobedience to God.

Noah - David the mighty warrior taking up arms against Israel’s enemies.

Abraham - the patriarchs would be fathers of kings according to Genesis 17:6.

Of the covenants that God had established, this one speaks so personally of the One who would come in the future. The One everlasting King. The Davidic Covenant set forth an expectation of David’s everlasting Kingdom.

The expectation of David’s everlasting kingdom contributed extensively to the Messianic hope of a king who would defeat Israel’s enemies.

The Perplexed Prayer Warrior

Have you ever been perplexed?

Been perplexed at some quality or characteristic of someone else?

What we understand brings pleasure to our souls, but

What we can’t understand brings pleasure to God .

Ethan, the writer of Psalm 89, is perplexed. So, what does he do?

He prays - God you are faithful and we need your faithfulness NOW!!

Psalm 89:1–2 HCSB

I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever; I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth. For I will declare, “Faithful love is built up forever; You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens.”

How God? How am I supposed to praise you when this disaster is happening? This is not a new problem - the age-old conflict between the promises of a faithful, loving, God and catastrophes happening in our lives.

It seems that the king of Israel has been defeated, and Ethan, this wise Levite, turns to the only hope they’ve ever known!

Friends, do you have to motivate a fish to swim or a bird to fly?

Ethan sought to motivate the Lord to answer his prayer by upholding the Davidic Covenant. And he does so by sharing the divine attributes on which the Davidic Covenant rests.

Lovingkindness - hesed, the strongest expression of love in all the Hebrew language

Faithfulness - noting dependability that the other partner can rest assured that the promise will be fulfilled without regard to personal cost.

Forever - eternal can only come from eternal

Servant - the picture of what is required of the king in God’s economy

God made a promise to David.

This is proven for us by God’s response in verses 3-4:

Psalm 89:3–4 HCSB

The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David My servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah

Further

Psalm 132:11 HCSB

The Lord swore an oath to David, a promise He will not abandon: “I will set one of your descendants on your throne.

This same God is still faithful. He is still working. He is still building His Kingdom.

He’s still calling us, He’s still covenanting and communing with us.

God has called us to be partners to be messengers of this eternal kingdom

Heralds - to call me and God partners is a laughable statement

Law firms being junior partners compared to God

That is presumptuous

God delegates work to human beings so that we do history together.

The greatest work God ever gave to his people was that of sharing His covenantal love that was manifest in the person of Jesus Christ, who tells us Himself in

Revelation 22:16 HCSB

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to attest these things to you for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright Morning Star.”

He’s there on that throne, keeping His promises, to uphold his righteousness and to uphold you by the word, and to respond to your petitions and appeals when the world is falling apart and disaster is mounting daily.

Are you bringing your petitions to the throne?

Are you faithfully appealing to the Lord to keep His promises like Ethan the Levite?