SermonStudio

There are three decisive times in the Old Testament when God breaks into Israel's history with a new word that motivates and guides all of Israel's subsequent history - at the times of the promise to Abraham, of the promise to David, and when he revealed his word to the prophets. Thus, this passage, detailing the promise to David, recounts a momentous occurrence in Israel's history, and it becomes the primary factor in the biblical history that follows in both Old and New Testaments

The Lord promises to David, in this text, that there will never be lacking a davidic heir to sit upon the throne. "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established forever" (v. 16). There will always be a davidic king.

That word forms the basis of most of the messianic expectations in the Old Testament, because the occupant of the davidic throne is the mashiach, the anointed one, from which we get our word "Messiah." When we say "Messiah" we are referring to God's anointed, davidic king.

Enclosed in this promise, however, is also the promise to the covenant people that as long as there is a davidic heir upon the throne, the people of Israel will dwell secure, in the favor of God (vv. 10--11). If the king is righteous, doing justice and mercy as a proper king should do (cf. Jeremiah 23:5--6), he will be maintained upon his throne by God, and Israel will be granted God's favor also. But if the king is unrighteous and merciless, both he and the people will be punished by God. The davidic king embodies in his person the "corporate personality" of his people. What the king does, the people do, in the eyes of God.

The result is that after the time of David, who reigned from 1000 to 961 B.C., Israel always looked for a good and righteous king who would cause them to be counted righteous in the eyes of the Lord. "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" That was Israel's question, voiced also by John the Baptist in the New Testament (Matthew 11:3).

The davidic kingship has a very checkered history in Old Testament times, however. David himself was no saint, committing adultery and murder in his affair with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11--12), and failing utterly to discipline his wayward sons (2 Samuel 13-1 Kings 2). He has some piety, as shown in our text by his desire to make a temple for the Lord as grand as the cedar house in which David himself lives (2 Samuel 7:2). Up to the time of Sol--omon, the ark of the covenant that represents the base of the throne of God, was always housed in the movable tabernacle. But David's piety is mixed with self--serving, because he wishes to center religious worship in Jerusalem, where political power also lodges, thus consolidating his temporal and spiritual power in one place. His wish to build God a temple is not as pure as it at first appears.

After David, Solomon is a despot, as was foretold by Samuel (1 Samuel 8:10--18). And after him, the kingdom is split into northern Israel and southern Judah. Only in the reigns of Hezekiah of Judah in 727--698 and of Josiah of Judah in 626--609 B.C. do we find any covenant faithfulness on the part of the davidic king, but Josiah is tragically killed in battle with the Egyptians, and Hezekiah finally becomes a faithful vassal of the pagan Assyrian Empire. The last occupant of the davidic throne, Jehoiakim, ends up in Babylonian exile with his faithless people (2 Kings 24:12); and after the return from exile following 538 B.C., Zerubbabel, the grandson of Jehoiachin and rebuilder of the ruined temple, is named as governor over Judean territory by the ruling Persians (Haggai 1:1). But Zerubbabel is not the Messiah, despite some extravagant hopes for him, and in the prophecies of Zechariah, an empty crown hangs in the rebuilt post--exilic temple, awaiting the coming of the one who has the right to wear it (Zechariah 6:14).

"Your throne shall be established forever." That was God's promise to David in the tenth century B.C. But did God keep his promise? Jesus himself warned that "Many will come in my name, saying 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray" (Mark 13:6), a phenomenon not unknown in our time. So was the davidic line that was to produce God's Messiah cut off forever because of the faithlessness of the covenant people? Well, God keeps his promises always, and you all know the answer. It comes to us from that glad announcement of the angels in the Gospel according to Luke, which we shall read for our New Testament lesson on Christmas Eve. "To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Christ, Xristos, "anointed," the Messiah. Every time we say "Jesus Christ," we confess that Jesus, whose birth we celebrate, was and is to this day God's anointed davidic king, God's long--expected Messiah.

Jesus Christ is now the one pure righteous and merciful davidic heir, whose throne is established forever, in fulfillment of the Word of God to David. God has brought his history with his people Israel to its climax. And because you and I have been engrafted into that history as the Gentile members of God's covenant people - as the wild branches engrafted into the root of Israel, Paul would say (Romans 11:17--24) - we are made participants in that history of God with his people. Jesus Christ now rules over all, as the long--awaited davidic Messiah.

And surely, it is Jesus Christ who makes us acceptable and favored in God's eyes. He is pure righteousness, pure mercy, pure love. And because he takes all of our weaknesses and self--servings, our pride and unfaithfulness upon himself on the cross and overcomes them when he is raised on the third day, you and I are counted righteous in the eyes of our God and are the recipients of God's manifold blessings. Our sin is forgiven, our eternal death gone forever, our life with our Lord assured to everlasting. Yes, indeed, that is very good news that we will hear the angels announce to all people on the first Christmas Eve!