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Week 12 Genesis to Jesus – Covenant with David

Part 1 – Moses – Nation of Israel Becomes “King” dom

As we move from the covenant with Moses to the covenant with David we move from Mt. Sinai to Mt. Zion, and we move from the nation of Israel to the Kingdom of David. Israel is no longer a nation among many nations, but instead a kingdom, ruling over many nations. The covenant enacted at Mt. Sinai was exclusive, intended only for the Israelites, but now the Davidic covenant will be inclusive, inviting the Gentiles to enter into this covenant as younger brothers to the first-born son, Israel.

The Tabernacle was the dwelling place of God as Israel wandered in the wilderness as nomads constantly on the move, but now the Temple becomes the center of worship in Jerusalem for all the nations, including the Gentiles. In fact, when the Temple was built it included an outer court called the Court of the Gentiles, welcoming the whole earth to come and worship the One True God.

All of this took a very long time to come into being. It started all the way back to the modified covenant in Deuteronomy, God prophesizes of a time of triumphant peace that was coming. Deuteronomy 12:10–11 (RSV2CE) 10 But when you go over the Jordan, and live in the land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you live in

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safety, 11 then to the place which the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the offering that you present, and all your votive offerings which you vow to the LORD.

Just the tone of that prophesy sounds like it could take many, many, years, but it was even worse than that, it took many generations. The Book of Judges documents the painfully slow progress of Israel defeating its enemies one by one, sadly also of the compromising going on as Israel assimilated into their worship of the One True God, many of the foreign gods of their defeated enemies.

1st and 2nd Samuel tell us about the last Judge named Samuel, and how he anointed the first King of Israel Saul, David’s father-in-law, and then later the rise of David and his line of kings that would follow.

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We read in 2 Samuel when that time of that triumphant peace God foretold finally becomes a reality. 2 Samuel 7:1–2 (RSV2CE) 1 Now when the king dwelt in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies roundabout, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

King David recognizes that the requirements of the Deuteronomic covenant have now been met, first God’s people crossing the Jordan River, entering the promise land and one by one defeating their enemies. They also had to live in the land long enough, many generations, for David to be born and eventually be anointed King and establish his Kingdom. Those requirements should have met long ago by the second generation of Israelites still wandering in the wilderness, but the second generation was worse than the first. Finally many years later, David has fulfilled the covenant requirements, he has crossed the Jordan with his army and has now defeated the last stronghold of his enemies living in the City of Jerusalem. Now he asks God for permission to build a magnificent temple, that will stun the world and make God’s name dwell and be great among the nations. Nathan the prophet gives the King a big thumbs-up to build the temple, but later that night God tells Nathan, that David would not build His Temple. In fact, David’s son Solomon would be the one to build the magnificent Temple, and the

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plan of God for David was that his kingly dynasty would produce a king that would sit on David’s throne forever.

The entire 7th chapter of 2nd Samuel is the written record of God’s blood covenant with David, the 5th covenant, if you are counting. 2 Samuel 7:4–11 (RSV2CE) 4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ 8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I

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took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel; 9 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. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 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. I find it so interesting that God tells the King that he will not be allowed to build God a house, instead God will build Himself a house, through David’s family.

The Book of Genesis alone covers thousands of years, and in contrast Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy along with the historical books, 12 books in all leading up to David, cover around 200 years. But the big surprise is the whole second half of the Old Testament basically covers one event in Biblical history, the rise and the fall of the Davidic Kingdom. Just based on the volume of written material alone, the last half of the Old Testament gives us the clearest, most detailed picture and pre-figuring of the Messiah to come. We need to pay close attention to these historical and prophetical writings that give us amazing detail of Jesus Christ of Nazareth long before He took His first breaths on the earth.

This blood covenant with David differs is several ways from the ones that have come before. God makes vows not only to David but to his line of kings that would follow, in particular David’s son Solomon. 2 Samuel 7:12–14 (RSV2CE) 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son.

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This is the first human being, Solomon son of David, in our salvation history to be declared a son of God, which happens only by the grace of God. And that key event happens through his anointing with sacred oil as the succeeding king in the line of David, performed by the priest Zadok. King Solomon is called in Hebrew mashiak, which means “the anointed” and in English it is the word messiah. In Greek that same word is translated khristos, or in English Christ. The fog is beginning to lift now as the plan of God is coming into crystal clear focus and unfolding right before their eyes. We can’t miss the fact that all of this is taking place in the great City of Jerusalem, the new ground zero for life in God, the spiritual center for all to come and worship God, Jews and Gentiles from all the nations of the world. And the magnificent Temple that Solomon would build in Jerusalem is on Mt. Moriah. This was God’s intention from the very beginning. Ever since the scattering of the Gentiles at the Tower of Babel, God’s plan was always to have His people, the Hebrews, become a great family, and a great nation, and finally a great Kingdom under God among all the nations, to draw the Gentiles back to Him, Our Father and Our God.

And now all these generations later, all of this is taking place in Jeru-salem, Remember the King of Salem, Melchizedek the mysterious priest and king, who came out to Abraham to bless him after his victory with bread and wine. And…this

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the exact same mountain that Abraham and Isaac climbed together for a gut wrenching sacrifice that never took place. This is the same Mountain where God provided the ram in the thicket as a sacrifice taking Isaac’s place. All of these amazing pictures of the coming Messiah, from all the previous blood covenants, are now coming together, as God Himself is connecting all the dots.

And don’t forget God declared that David’s throne would last forever. 2 Samuel 7:16 & 17 (RSV2CE) 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

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But that prophesy ended up being a prefiguring of what was to come, just like all the others. The Davidic dynasty did last almost 400 years, the longest kingly line in the history of all kingly dynasties. But it didn’t last forever, or did it? Now you are beginning to see how God was going to make His prophetic words come true, and why Jesus Christ (khristos, the anointed one) was proclaimed by His followers, Son of David, Son of God. Now I am really getting excited.

Does any of this ring some bells?1. Solomon, son of David, and by grace proclaimed son of God2. Solomon is anointed king by Zadok the priest, and then the new king bows down to his queen mother, Bathsheba…what Is that a picture of?3. Solomon is declared mashiach, the anointed, messiah, khristos, christ (small c)4. Jerusalem becomes the center of God worship for all the nations5. Solomon’s Temple is built on Mt. Moriah (Abraham and Isaac 1000 years before – a picture of the cross) prefigures Jesus as the new Temple of God

This Biblical era also introduces to the Kingdom of Israel under King David, and then King Solomon, the wisdom literature including Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Sirach.

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Solomon’s prayer to YAWEH was the beginning, the young king knew to be a good and effective king, he would need the very wisdom of God to sit on his father David’s throne, and so, he asked God for wisdom. Wisdom literature was at this time already popular among the pagan nations, but they had never heard of the wisdom of God, a wisdom not just for Jews anymore, but poured out and written down for all the nations as Solomon began to rule and reign, and serve the people.