he Messiah is the Son of David. This was the provision in the Davidic Covenant. God entered into a covenant with David to guarantee that his royal dynasty as King of Israel would be an everlasting dynasty. Like the Abrahamic Covenant, David’s sole contribution was his faith and trust in God.
A Man After God’s Own Heart.
David was declared a man after God’s own heart according to Scripture:
1Sa 13:8-14 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. (9) And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. (10) And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. (11) And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; (12) Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. (13) And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. (14) But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
The “man after God’s own Heart” would be a reference to David. David wrote at length about trusting God, and practiced this in his own life. There are many example but here is one example on how David trusted and sought after God in response to finding out his family was kidnapped by the Amalekites at Ziklag. David’s mourning was after godly sorrow which drew him closer to God, trusting Him to provide the answer.
1Sa 30:3-8 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. (4) Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. (5) And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. (6) And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters:but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. (7) And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. (8) And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
An Eternal Dynasty
David’s zeal for God manifested itself throughout his life. On one occasion he became zealous to build a House for the Lord, reasoning that God should be dwelling in a tent while he had a palace of cedar. It is here that God enters into a covenant with David to give him an everlasting dynasty.
2 Sa 7:1-17 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; (2) That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. (3) And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee. (4) And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, (5) Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?…
2 Sa 7:1-17…(6) Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. (7) In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? (8) Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: (9) And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. (10) Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, (11) And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house…
2 Sa 7:1-17(12) And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. (13) He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. (14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: (15) But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. (16) And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. (17) According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
God promised David that his dynasty would never end. If his descendants disobeyed God, He would discipline them as sons using people as the administrators, but God’s love would never be taken away. While David’s dynasty would suffer at the hands of foreign kings as punishment for disobedience to God, the dynasty would never permanently cease, and it would ultimately rule over the land of Israel forever.
Davidic Worship
The Role of Davidic worship in the Davidic Covenant: God also promised David in this covenant that his posterity would build the temple. David was prohibited from erecting the physical house. By making the promise that David’s posterity would build this house part of the covenant, God placed the House of worship as part of the Davidic Covenant. Doing this David authority to do all sorts of other things that are part of a House of Worship. He made provisions for his son Solomon to use to erect the building, as well as giving him the charge to build the Temple (1 Chronicles 22). The remainder of 1 Chronicles documents David organizing the worship regime in which 24/7 worship would occur inside the Temple. It would be this Davidic worship that would be seen in Rev 4-5 with the 24/7 worship.
Key to Davidic worship is the idea that worship brings us into the manifestation of the Presence and glory of God. This is why it is written in Psalm 22:3 that God ”inhabitest the praises of Israel.” fostering this connection with God was why David continuous organized worship in the Temple. 1 Chronicles 25 begins with “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps…” David organized a worship tram of 288 musicians into 24 groups of 12 to foster the gift of prophecy, using language we see again in Rev 4-5 with the 24 elders and four beasts.
The Messiah completely fulfills Davidic dynasty in what will become a global kingdom. Relevant Scriptures can be found in Psalms 110, Isaiah 9:6-7, and Psalm 2. These are early precursors to the teaching of the Hypostatic Union.
Divine Sonship
Isaiah 9:6-7 is a prophecy of the Messiah as the Son of David. This prophecy instructs us that there is coming a particular descendant of David will live eternally and that He possess the Divine nature.
Isa 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
This Messiah is God, being identified as The Mighty God and the Everlasting Father. He is also identified as the Son of David, as He is seated upon the Throne of David. He is the Son of David, but greater than David. We see this tension between the son-ship of the Messiah as son of David and His Lordship as David’s Lord. This tension may not seem much to modern ears, but the ancient world almost unanimously viewed sons as subordinate to the fathers. It would be an awkward moment for a father to call a son or other male descendant lord, yet David does precisely this in Psalm 110. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, exposes this tension in questioning the Pharisees.
Mat 22:41-46 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, (42) Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. (43) He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, (44) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? (45) If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? (46) And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
There is an answer here that resolves this tension without demolishing ancient norms concerning the supremacy of the father: The Hypostatic Union. If the Messiah is the God-Man in Hypostatic Union, then He would be David’s son according to the human nature, but as God He would be David’s Lord. The Pharisees could not answer because they were unwilling to accept the implications. They would have to concede Jesus’ claims and follow Him.
Psalm 110:1-7 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (2) The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. (3) Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (4) The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (5) The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. (6) He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. (7) He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
The God-Man who is the Messiah will attain the global government. We see this in Psalm 2, which prefigures a one world government acquired not through human machination but through the power of the Messiah.
Psalm 2:1-12 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (2) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, (3) Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. (4) He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. (5) Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. (6) Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee…
Psalm 2:1-12…(8) Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. (10) Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. (11) Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (12) Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.