David’s Reign—Israel’s Glory

MEMORY VERSE: “And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake.” —II Samuel 5:12

II SAMUEL 5:1-5, 9-12; 6:12-15

DAVID became king of Israel following the death of Saul. He was first anointed king in Hebron, and reigned over Judah for seven years and six months. Then his headquarters were moved to Jerusalem, and he ruled over all Israel for thirty-three years. David was blessed by the Lord during the forty years of his reign. Inwardly he was loyal to God, who spoke of him as a man after his own heart.

One of the very noteworthy accomplishments of David’s reign was the recovering of the ark of the covenant, which had been in the hands of Israel’s enemies for many years, and installing it in a “tabernacle” which he had specially built for it in Jerusalem. The ark of the covenant, the only piece of furniture in the most holy of the tabernacle constructed by Moses in the wilderness, symbolized God’s presence with his people, and its return to the nation was therefore a cause for rejoicing.

Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and also cedar trees and carpenters and masons, and built a house for David. David accepted this as an evidence that the Lord had really established him as king, and that his reign was not to be a temporary one. David appreciated the house of cedar which was built for him, but remembered that the ark of the covenant, representing God’s presence in the nation, was dwelling in a tabernacle of curtains, and he decided that he would proceed to build a house for the Lord.—II Sam. 7:2

He told Nathan the prophet of his desire, and Nathan gave him permission to proceed with the undertaking. However, the Lord intervened in the matter, and Nathan was given a special message to David to the effect that he was not to build a house for the Lord, but that this would be done by his son—Solomon, as it turned out. In connection with this, however, the Lord made a special promise to David, which was, “Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.”—II Sam. 7:16

Here we see that David, as the second king of Israel, became the first of a ruling house. Solomon was his first successor, and in his foreknowledge the Lord knew that Solomon was not to be as faithful to him as David, and he explained, “My mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.” (II Sam. 7:15) Frequently the prophecies speak of God’s mercy toward David and his ruling house. And it is in this connection that we have the expression, “the sure mercies of David.”—Isa. 55:3

When this promise was made to David his reply to the Lord was, “Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come.” (II Sam. 7:18,19) David seemed to realize that the Lord’s promise to him went beyond his ability to understand.

Some of the kings in David’s ruling house were loyal to the Lord, and some were not, but God continued to extend his mercy. Zedekiah was the last king in this typical ruling house. He was overthrown and the nation taken captive to Babylon in 606 B.C.—Ezek. 21:25-27

But the prophetic ruling house of David was not then overthrown, for actually, with the coming of Jesus, it merged, so to speak, into the antitypical. When David was promised by God that his ruling house would endure forever, he could not know that the great Messiah and King of Israel and the world would finally inherit this throne, or right to rule.

The angel Gabriel said to Mary concerning Jesus, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.” (Luke 1:32) Jesus was put to death by his enemies, but this did not destroy the antitypical ruling house of David. Later Paul, witnessing in a synagogue, said concerning him, “As concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.” (Acts 13:34) How marvelous are God’s plans!

QUESTIONS

What was one of David’s noteworthy accomplishments?

In what sense did God establish David’s ruling house forever?

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