The Everlasting Covenant - 12.5 David and Solomon

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12.5 David and Solomon
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, March 2009

Topics:
The Throne of David
A Failed Prophecy?
Covenant Renewed with Solomon
The Kings of Judah
To Summarize

The promises in the covenant to David and Solomon are given in very positive terms. Many believe that these promises still apply to our day, and are important in the doctrines and politics of our time. Then there are some who look at history and believe that all the promises of God are conditional on the obedience of men.
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The Throne of David

Early in its history, Israel was a theocracy, ruled directly by God, through priests and prophets. In the time of Samuel, the monarchy was established. The first king, Saul, was a disappointment. David, the next king was “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22). David was a military man and a sinner. But he was quick to turn to God, quick to repent, and quick to praise God. It was in David that the line of kings were established, and through David that the Messiah would eventually come.

David, as king and representing God, made a covenant “before the Lord” with the elders who came to make him king in Hebron. These verses, as well as Psalm 89:3-4; 31-37; 132:11-18, indicated his trust in God and are in keeping with the everlasting covenant with Abraham.

    “Even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel in battle. The Lord your God said to you, 'You will be the shepherd for my people Israel. You will be their leader.'"
    “So all the (elders) of Israel came to King David at Hebron. He made an agreement (covenant) with them in Hebron in the presence of the Lord. Then they poured oil on David to make him king over Israel. The Lord had promised through Samuel that this would happen” (1 Chronicles 11:2,3 New Century).
After David was established in Jerusalem as king over all the twelve tribes, God made a covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16; 23:3-5) that he would establish his throne for ever. Obviously there was no man to sit on the throne of David during the captivity, and after the restoration there was no king. See also 1 Chronicles 17:11-14 and 2 Chronicles 6:16.

    “And thine (David’s)house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee. Thy throne shall be established for ever” (2 Samuel 7:16).
    “And I will settle him (Solomon) in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore” (1 Chronicles 17:14).

    "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done’” (2 Chronicles 6:16).

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A Failed Prophecy?

Is this a failed prophecy? One must understand that God does not change. The principles of His government are rock solid and endure for ever. A number of the prophecies in the Bible are “conditional” prophecies. How the prophecy is fulfilled depends on the response of the people. Covenant language is intertwined throughout the book of Deuteronomy. The blessings of the covenant depended on their obedience and are given in Deuteronomy 7:1-26; 8:1-10; 11:10-15; and 28:1-14. The curses for apostasy are given in Deuteronomy 28:15-68; and 29:18-29. Apostasy would lead not only to the curses, but would also break their relation with God.

Some prophecies are “mixed.” The prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament can be read to include His coming the first time to live among men, and to die on the Cross. They also include features of His second coming in power and glory to take the saints home with Him. A willing student of the Bible should have recognized Jesus when He came the first time to establish the kingdom of grace.

Another “mixed prophecy” is in Matthew 24. The conditions of the destruction of Jerusalem were mixed with the time of trouble at the end of the world.

Many prophecies also speak of the coming Messiah. This is true of the throne of David. When Jesus came, He “took the throne of David” and will eventually establish on this earth a Kingdom which will fill the whole earth and will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44).

How than can a person understand prophecy at all? You must understand these prophecies the same as you understand any other Bible passage. Read the context, read other similar passages for more information, and then make appropriate applications as the events unfold. It was in failing to make appropriate application that the Jewish leaders did not recognize their Messiah when He came to live among men. They were not willing to give up their preconceived notions.
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Covenant Renewed with Solomon

When the Davidic Covenant was renewed with Solomon, the conditions were clearly stated. Obviously, the conditions relating to the kingdom would have to relate also to the covenant made with David, his father.

    4 “And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
    5 “Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
    6 “But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
    7 “Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people” (1 Kings 9:4-7).

    "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done’” (2 Chronicles 6:16 NIV).

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The Kings of Judah

When Solomon became king, God fulfilled his request for a “wise and understanding heart” (1 Kings 3:12-15). In addition Solomon was given riches, fame, and national security. Subsequently, as other good kings came onto the throne, the covenant was renewed from time to time.

After Rehoboam and Abijah, Asa began as a good king. He put away idolatry and reinstituted worship of the true God. Large numbers of people from the northern kingdom came into Judah, because “God was with him.” In his fifteenth year, at a great gathering in Jerusalem, they renewed the covenant with God. “And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;.... He was found of them, and the Lord gave them rest round about” (2 Chronicles 15:12, 15).

Jehoshaphat was a good king, but not perfect. When threatened by Moab, Ammon, and Edom he proclaimed a fast “to ask help of the Lord." God promised Jehoshaphat that “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 20:17); Jehoshaphat set singers before the army and stood still and watched while their enemies in sudden fear slaughtered each other.

Jehoshaphat was followed by wicked rulers, Jehoram, Ahaziah and the wicked queen Athaliah who killed all the kings sons except for Joash. After six years, Jehoida organized the temple guard and staged a coup against Athaliah. “And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people; between the king also and the people” (2 Kings 11:17). However, this revival lasted only until Jehoiada himself died.

Judah went downhill with Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham and Ahaz. These were followed by Hezekiah who immediately repaired the temple and reestablished temple worship. "Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us“ (2 Chronicles 29:10).

Hezekiah restored the worship of the true God. He removed the altars, idols, and the priests of heathenism. He called for all those in Judah and the remnant in the northern kingdom to come to Jerusalem for the passover. They were also called to repentance and cleansing. It had been years since they had been to a passover, but Hezekiah prayed for them and arranged for priests and Levites to help them. Idolatry was overthrown and sanctuary services reinstituted. “And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people” (2 Chronicles 30:20).

Under Manasseh and Amon apostasy grew worse and idolatry deepened. Then Josiah, in his 18th year repaired the temple and again established temple services. The book of the law was found, and Josiah called the people and read it to them.

    “And the king (Josiah) stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant” (2 Kings 23:3).

Following Josiah, there came in close succession Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. All were wicked and all refused to listen to the prophets. Judah’s time had run out. The everlasting covenant was forgotten, broken, and abandoned by the people and their kings.

    “But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16).

Jeremiah desperately tried to influence Zedekiah, king of Judah, to repent. Jeremiah also advised him to cooperate with the king of Babylon. If he should do these things the throne of David would be preserved. If not, the throne of David would become a desolation (Jeremiah 22:4,5), and the name of God would be dishonored.

    “And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?
    “Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshiped other gods, and served them” (Jeremiah 22:8-9).

In this history we see God patiently working with Israel at every opportunity. He was always trying to bring the people back to him, back into the everlasting covenant. But when it reaches the point where there is no response to the efforts of love and grace, God can do nothing more. Judah was beset in turn by the armies of Egypt, and then by two campaigns by Nebuchadnezzar and his armies from Babylon. The captivity had begun.
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To Summarize:

A covenant promise was given that the throne of David was to be established for ever (2 Samuel 7).
• The Lord promised David an eternal house, throne and Kingdom through his descendants, for ever and ever (2 Samuel 7:11,16).
• David’s son (Solomon) would build God’s “house”: The first temple (2 Samuel 7:4-7, 13).
• The descendants of David (1 Kings 2:1-4) and the temple itself (1 Kings 9:3-7) would last forever, dependant on their obedience.

The human descendants of David mostly failed to obey God and they reaped the curses of the broken covenant. They eventually lost all their rights to an earthly throne.

David's son Solomon built a magnificent house for the Lord. But the Old and New Testaments tell of a much greater fulfillment with the coming of Christ (Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33, Hebrews 1:5-9). The unconditional promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ and His Church (Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke.1:32-33, Hebrews 1:5-9). As the seed of David Christ will establish a kingdom that will fill the earth and will last for ever.
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