davidic covenant

Davidic Covenant and Calling

I thought the Davidic Covenant was a major covenant throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. It is a promise between God and David and his descendants. Samuel anoints David in the first book of Samuel from chapter 16 but Nathan is the prophet who really tells him about the covenant. It’s an unconditional covenant that promises David and all his descendants the rightful kings of Israel. “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2Sam. 8:12-13). This shows that God is promising the throne of Israel to David and his family forever. It has been given even more evidence that this is an unconditional covenant when David doesn’t go to battle with his own army. He decides to stay at home and not only has sexual relations with a married woman, but gets her pregnant. After doing this, he attempts to hide that the baby is his by trying to get the husband to have relations with the wife but that ends up not working. David finally has the husband go on a suicide mission as a last resort. After all the bad things David does, God still must forgive him and let him keep his throne. The Davidic Covenant doesn’t have a specific covenant, however, if there were any sort of symbol for it, it would be the throne. An example of this might come from when Solomon, son of David, king a second time. Chronicles 29, verse 22 says “and they anointed him as ruler for the Lord and Zadok as priest. Then, Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord.” This shows the possibility of the throne being a potential sign.

The words of God for this covenant also went through the prophet Nathan. Nathan spoke for God numerous times about the everlasting covenant.
“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies” (2Sam. 7:8-11).
This shows an example of what God has told Nathan to tell David the covenant.

Kings was another part of the bible where the Davidic covenant was mentioned. This passage really shows how David’s brothers will always be in control over Israel.
“Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.” Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”” (1Kings 1:28-31)
It shows the covenant as being unconditional. In (1Kings 11:1-11) it talks about the sins king Solomon has done throughout part of his reign and how he was severely punished. Even with the harsh punishments Solomon committed, God didn’t let go of his loving kindness for Solomon because of his relation to David. This is where God continues to fulfill his covenant by continuing David’s bloodline as the king of the territory God has given them. He has no choice because David and his family have nothing required to do to keep the throne. This also fulfills the calling of the covenant because technically David and his disciples did not have anything required to do for this covenant. "In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory” (Amos 9:11) Along with; “My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees” (Ezek. 37:24) show ways of how God and David can and will keep fulfilling the Davidic covenant.
The Davidic Covenant portrays Jesus as being related to David in a way and therefor the continuation of the covenant and the rightful heir to the throne. He then has takes over all the promises God gave David including his house, the throne, and the kingdom, The New Testament also fulfills the Davidic Covenant when the angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary, “And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33). If we take this literally, some scholars think that Christ fulfills the promise by His return and righteous reign on earth during the millennium. This is God fulfilling His duty by making Jesus the heir of the throne of David.