2 Samuel 7/1 Chronicles 17: Jesus, the Son of Abraham, the Son of David

"For to which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are my Son, today I have begotten you'? Or again, 'I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son'?" Hebrews 1:5

Well, the title of this devotional shows you that the text we'll be looking at today comes from both 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17. However, the title also tells you that we're going to be talking about Abraham, who only appears in Genesis. Yet above all of that, I've quoted a verse from Hebrews just to confuse you some more. What's going on? Well, stick around, and you'll find out.

This morning, the subject of our discussion is the Davidic Covenant. The institution of this covenant is stated in scripture twice (which means it's important), both in 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17. However, before we understand the Davidic Covenant, we have to understand the Abrahamic Covenant...

In Genesis 12, God came to Abraham out of nowhere and gave him an unconditional (meaning that nothing could break it), unilateral (meaning that Abraham's obedience had nothing to do with it), binding (meaning that it could not go away) promise, also known as the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God promised Abraham four things: an offspring, land, a nation, and blessing (see Gen. 12:1-3). This promise was the beginning of the people of Israel. In Genesis 1-11, God created people failed God's created plan for them to glorify him forever. However, God sought to redeem his people and his plan for them through the line of Abraham. Thus, God comes to Abraham in Genesis 12 and gracefully promises him many things he does not deserve. God's redemption plan was set in motion through the Abrahamic Covenant, but how would it play out?

Well, a few hundred years later, God showed up to David's doorstep as well. We read of the story in both 2 Samuel 7 as well as 1 Chronicles 17, where God establishes his covenant with David, who is a descendant of Abraham. In the first part of this covenant, God promises David three things: permanent land, a great name, and rest from his enemies. Hhmmm. I don't know about you, but that sounds familiar. Permanent land? Well, that sounds just like what God promised Abraham in Genesis 12. A great name? Hey! That sounds like that "nation" that Abraham was promised in Genesis 12 as well! Rest from his enemies? Gee! That sounds a lot like what God told Abraham when God said he would "bless those who bless" Abraham and curse those who dishonor him. Thus we find that the Davidic Covenant flows directly out of the Abrahamic Covenant.

But what about that last part of the Abrahamic Covenant? God also promised Abraham an "offspring," where does that come in in 2 Samuel 7? Well, I'm glad you asked, because that's where Jesus and Hebrews 1:5 come in. In the second part of the Davidic Covenant, God promises David two more things: a disciplined heir and an eternal kingdom through that heir. Rather than just promising David that he would have offspring, as he did for Abraham, God has come to David revealing that the son of David would not only be an offspring, but also be a king. Thus we find that, as one of my professors described, the Davidic Covenant is a narrowing of the Abrahamic Covenant. In Abraham's time, we found that there would be an offspring of Abraham (which, by the way, tied back to the offspring of the woman stated in Genesis 3:15) would be one through whom all the nations would be blessed. Yet through the Davidic Covenant, we find out that this offspring would come through the line of David, and that not only would he be an offspring, but he would be a king who reigned forever.

So, who is this king? Or rather, who is this King? Well, if you travel down the storyline of the Bible, we find that the kings in the Old Testament didn't "last forever," and thus they didn't fulfill the requirements of this "Davidic king" whom God promised in 2 Samuel 7 (and of course, 1 Chronicles 17). Although this covenant certainly pointed to Solomon and all of the other sons of David in part, this covenant found it's full fulfillment in the one who is referred to in the New Testament as "the Son of David." In Matthew 1:1, we find this phenomenal statement: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." Of all of the words that Matthew could have opened up the New Testament with, he starts with a genealogy. Why? Because he desires to show how Jesus is the offspring of both Abraham and David and thus has come to fulfill both of these great covenants! Thus, Jesus is not some random guy who enters the scene and dies for the sins of mankind. He is the offspring of Abraham, who would bless all the nations through his opportunity of salvation, and the offspring of David, who is coming back again to rule and reign forever. He is the one who would redeem the plan of God's created people on their behalf, enabling them to glorify God forever through his death, resurrection, and eternal reign.

Well, I surely hope after today's discussion that you better understand Jesus' words in Mark 1:15 when he proclaimed, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Jesus heralds in the coming of the kingdom. As we have seen form Matthew 1:1, he is the promised offspring of Abraham and David. And if that verse isn't convincing enough in itself, Hebrews 1:5 directly applies the Davidic Covenant to Jesus Christ. Surely the Lord has worked wonderful things through Abraham, David, and most importantly, Jesus Christ. Thus, we can proclaim as David proclaimed,

"Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears." 2 Samuel 7:22