Covenants 11

Chapter 11
The Davidic Covenant
Readings 1 Chr. 17:1-14
Luke 1:26-33


Introductory Thoughts

· We are looking at the covenants of God, especially those covenants that have to do with the promise.
· The Covenants of Promise


1. The Davidic Covenant—that the Messiah, the King, would come from David’s line, and that there would be an eternal throne with this Seed of David ruling upon it.

a. Characteristics
(1) A Covenant of Grace
(2) An unconditional Covenant
(3) A covenant made with David and his descendants
(4) A covenant to be fulfilled in Christ

b. In the Covenant of David, God promised that a Son of David would inherit the throne of David and would establish that throne forever. Christ Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise.

2. Development

a. God began by narrowing the promise to the children of Abraham, then to the descendents of Issac, then to the descendents of Jacob.

b. Judah Selected from the sons of Jacob—Gen 49:8-10

c. David Selected from the sons of Judah—1 Sam 16:1-13

d. The Covenant made (1 Chr. 17:1-15)

(1) The Covenant was God’s idea
(2) The Covenant will be established
(3) As it worked out, the place of individual kings in the Covenant was conditional, but the totality of the Covenant is not conditional.
(4) The eternal nature of the throne promised tells us that the immediate physical descendents of David are not in view, but a future King, descended from David who will establish an eternal throne.

b. The Bible’s interpretation of the Davidic covenant—

(1) 2 Sam 23:1-5 "Now these be the last words of David. …. 5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: …”
(2) Psa 89:3-4 “…3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah."
(3) Psa 132:11-18 " The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne… 17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. 18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish."

b. Some of the Prophecies about Christ being Davidic

(1) Is 9:6-7
(2) Is 11:1-12
(3) Jer 23:5-6
(4) Micah 5:2

3. The Annunciation to Mary

a. O, Thou Son of David— “…and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:"

(1) The Giver of the Throne—this makes the fulfillment of the Covenant a certainty.
(2) The Davidic Covenant— “…the throne of his father David:"

b. The Identification of Christ as David’s Son.

(1) The New Testament begins by tying both Covenants of promise to Christ Jesus—Mat 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

(2) Many people so recognized Him as the Son of David, and Jesus never contradicted that identification.

Mat 9:27 "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us."

Mat 12:23 "And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?"

Mat 15:22 "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."

Mat 20:30-31, Mat 21:9, 15-16

(3) Peter, in his Pentecost sermon, establishes Christ as David’s Son—Acts 2:22-31


4. The Final Fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant— Luke 1:33 "And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

a. He Shall Reign

(1) The house of Jacob—the continuation of the Abrahamic Covenant—Eph 2:11-20, Rom 2:28-29
(2) His future Reign is a certainty
(3) A Day has been appointed for His Reign to begin

b. The characteristics of the reign

(1) Israel will be converted in the last days

Zec 12:10 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

Rom 11:25-26 "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:"

(2) Jacob will turn to the Messiah!

c. He Shall Reign forever, with an endless kingdom.

Rev 19:6 "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."

Rev 19:11-16 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."