THE CONSEQUENCES OF JESUS BEING
SON OF DAVID
By ROBERT GOVETT.
1. GREAT PROMISES WERE ATTACHED
BY THE MOST HIGH TO A SON OF DAVID.
The
occasion of the promises was David’s design to build a house for the God who
had exalted him from the sheepcot to the throne. The prophet Nathan at first encouraged his
idea, but was afterwards sent with a message of grace, refusing his purpose,
but promising to do great things for himself and his family: 1 Chron. 17. The Most High had purposes of kindness towards
2. THESE PROMISES WERE NOT
FULFILLED IN SOLOMON.
Solomon
did indeed build the temple, and his kingdom was a time of prosperity and
splendour, such as had never been enjoyed in
But
his reign lasted not for ever, but for forty years only: 1 Chron. 22: 9, 10. Why was it cut short? Because of sin. He
transgressed the laws of Moses relating to the royal authority. He multiplied wives to himself, and horses,
and silver, and gold. He sent his
subjects back to
This Son of David, then, was not in spirit and life, the Son of God, as
promised. Solomon brought in only a
partial fulfilment. The complete
accomplishment of it was yet to come.
This
counsel of Jehovah was established under oath: 2
Sam. 3: 9; Psa. 89: 11. It cannot therefore be set aside. An attempt was made in the days of Ahaz to defeat it.
The King of Israel and the King of Syria were confederated together to
remove the line of David from the throne, and to set up another family. On this occasion the Lord offered to the
representative of David’s house, though he were a sinful man and an idolater,
to work any miracle in heaven or earth which he might name, in pledge, that the
plans of his foes should in this matter be defeated. Ahaz refused, in
his wilfulness, to demand any sign. Then
the Most High promised that a virgin should bear a Son, whose name should be ‘God with us.’
3. THESE THINGS POINTED ONWARD
TO THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
None
was ever so born, but our Lord Jesus Christ.
His birth in that way confirms all the promises made to David and to
Moreover
the Saviour’s history again and again touches upon these promises. The Gospels
of Matthew and Luke trace our Lord’s genealogy up to Abraham and David the king : Matt. i, 1 ; Luke iii.
The
angel promised to Mary, that the Lord God would give to her Son that should be
born the throne of David his father, and that he should reign
over the house of Jacob for ever, while of his kingdom there should be no end: Luke 1: 32, 33.
Now
David’s throne is not in heaven. We
are carefully taught that David himself has never gone to heaven: Acts 2.
We are instructed, that he reigned in
The
comfort addressed to Joseph in his perplexity concerning Mary turned upon the
Lord’s promise of the miracle to Ahaz. While the evil king refused it, God gave
beside signs in the height and in the depth.
He gave a sign in the height, by the darkening of the sun, and in the
depth, by the earthquake at the Saviour’s death. He gave a sign also in the height, by Jesus
visibly ascending to the heaven; while His disciples looked on; and in the descent
of the Holy Ghost in wind and fire.
Zechariah
the inspired father of the Baptist, in his song celebrated the mercy of the God
of Israel, who had visited his people; raising up to them out of the
house of David a mighty Saviour, in fulfilment of the prophet’s words. These
promises bore, that
In
pursuance of this mind of God Caesar’s decree of taxation takes effect, to lead
Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, so that David’s Son should be born,
as foretold, in David’s native town.
They both went there, as being both of the family of David.
And
while there was no room for the lowly pair in the inn, nevertheless the birth
of Jesus was celebrated by angelic hosts with joy. To the shepherds guarding their flocks by
night, an angelic messenger declared, that to them was born a Saviour who was
Christ the Lord, in the city of David that day: Luke 2: 8-10. These were tidings of great joy, designed for
all the people of
Soon
thereafter come the Magi from the east, inquiring
about the Sceptre given to
The
Magi worship. This Son of
David is also the Son of God. So it was
foretold. And this appears more fully,
with the Father’s own attestation, at the baptism of Jesus. God is seeking a man after His own heart to
anoint Him King of all. Jesus is
immersed in the
The
Saviour pointed again to His claims and His hopes in His residence at
But
the passage of Isaiah indicated, bears
witness to other scenes yet to come.
Let
us look at another passage. The eighty-ninth Psalm is one of the most copious on
this point.
It
is in general a rehearsing of the engagements entered into by Jehovah to
glorify the throne of David and of his Son.
But there, side by side, is set forth the opposite state of things in
fact. Thus is the Lord called on to
remember His words, and perform them.
Who
is the Son of David to whom these engagements shall be performed? He is marked out in verse
9. "Thou
rulest the raging of the sea; when the waves thereof
arise, thou stillest them."
So Luke tells us of One, who when the mariners of the lake were
terrified, and cried - ‘Master, master, we perish’
- arouse and rebuked the wind and the raging of the
water, and they ceased, and there was a calm: Luke
8: 24.
Of
this Son of David it is foretold, that He, the Holy One of Israel shall be
King: 18.
God’s mercy toward Him shall be eternal.
"His seed will I make to endure for ever, and His throne as the days of heaven:" 28, 29.
These words shall at length be fulfilled in Jesus the King of Israel.
Let
us take another passage, Psalm 132. This asks God to remember David’s troubles,
and his design to build a house for Jehovah.
It recites God’s oath to David to set one of his family on the throne of
There
must then be a day when the
priests of Aaron’s line shall be clothed with salvation, and when Jewish saints
shall shout aloud for joy. There in
Let
us look again at another prophecy. It shall be Jeremiah
23. That declares God’s
displeasure against the unfaithful shepherds of
But
better times were at hand. The Lord
would raise to David a Righteous Branch, and a King
should reign and judge in earth.
Now
of Him this prophecy testifies, that He shall one day
reign as a King on earth.
And His kingdom shall be so glorious, and His deliverance of Israel so
wonderful, that the eyes of the nation shall no more be directed to the rescue
out of Egypt, but to the deliverance of the nation from their later scattering,
to inhabit without fear or further molestation, their own land.
The
33rd. [chapter] of Jeremiah occupies a like position. It foretells the restoration of
Would
you look at another testimony? Take Isaiah 11.
Here the promise is to a Son of Jesse.
What Son of his it was, that is intended, we know from the Spirit’s
resting on Jesus at His baptism, and the fulness of
wisdom and power then displayed by Him. He judged, not by the sight of His eyes, or by
the words that met His ear, as men in general are obliged to do. For He knew the thoughts of
His foes, and could abash them with His - "Why
tempt ye me? Hypocrites?"
But
while this foretaste has been given, the rest of the prophecy halts, and awaits
its fulfilment. It supposes another day
than this Gospel day of grace. As yet
Jesus is the Lord of mercy, not breaking the bruised reed, or quenching the
smoking flax. But the limit of this time
is distinctly attested, in the same prediction - "Till
He send forth justice unto victory." Thus too this 11th.
chapter announces the day in which Jesus shall judge in righteousness
and make war, (Rev. 19.) when He shall smite
the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips slay ‘the Lawless One, the Man of Sin, the Rival Christ.’ Then shall the innocence of
Jesus’
acceptance of the title ‘Son of David,’ was not
only passive, or enforced on Him by virtue of His parentage and birth; but He
also actively asserted it, specially toward the close
of His life.
At
the opening of His ministry, after the first case of restoration, two blind men
addressed Him as the Son of David, craving His pity. Jesus owns His title, and gives them
sight. But alas!
This
acknowledgment of the title "Son of David"
was not an idle thing, producing a like response from the Saviour by whomsoever uttered.
When one of the cursed nations of
On
His last journey to Jerusalem, as He entered and passed through Jericho two
more blind men address Him as "Son of David"
- receive their sight, and follow Him as trophies of His power to be presented
to the daughter of Zion, to the glory of her King. The Saviour’s entry into
It
was, however, at the Saviour’s judical appearing before the representative of
the king of the Romans, that His title of Son of David,
and king of
Then
Christians, let us not misunderstand the matter. Jesus here and there has fulfilled some
of the promises made to
These
promises are by the resurrection of Jesus, set on assured ground never
presented before. As Jesus lives ever,
and is resurrection and life, He is Master of the "sure mercies" of David.
How can the throne of David be held by any one "for ever," as it is promised? Only in “the power of an endless life."
To
this day, then, Christians, let us look onward to the day of
But
our portion is with the Son of David, the Son of God. "For we became
companions (fellows) of the Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our
confidence firm unto the end."¹ For "Thou
hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore, O God, thy God hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
(Greek.)
The illumined eye of Paul discerned among the companions of Messiah in
that day of His kingdom and glory, ourselves, who hold fast the
good hope of the coming day. Then let
us fix our eyes thereon, and endeavour to attain to the future
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