Covenants of the Bible. Covenants of God. Chasing the Seed.

Podcast Program Transcript
Episode 9: The Davidic Covenant. Covenants of the Bible. Covenants of God. Chasing the Seed.
Heather M R Olsen

Welcome back to our Covenant’s series.  We will unpack our 5^th of 6 covenants, the Davidic Covenant.

We completed our study of the Mosaic Covenant, with a reviewal of the covenant in the book of Deuteronomy. The Israelites were essentially on the banks of the Jordan River which is now modern-day Jordan. Moses left this next generation of Israelites after a rereading the Covenant and reminding them to, “⁹Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.” Deuteronomy 29:9. The Israelites re-committed themselves to the LORD and His covenant, prior to entering the Promised Land. Then Moses died after passing his leadership torch to Joshua.

The nation crossed over the Jordan and short story, divided up the land between the tribes of Israel as God commanded to Moses, and claimed the land. 

Further into the story, the Israelites asked for a king so that they could be like the other nations, even though that role had been claimed by God. Israel had been set up as a theocracy, God being their only ruler. Yet, they wanted a human; someone tall, dark and handsome.  So, they chose a man who physically fit the bill, King Saul. The problem was, he was not God’s choice, nor did Saul fit God’s covenantal prophecy. Yet as often happens in the Israelites lives, and honestly, in our lives, God gives us over to our desires.

Saul did a poor job as king, and eventually was killed. He reigned for 40 years, but uniquely, David was anointed King by Prophet Samuel 20 years into Saul’s reign. Yet, David did not take the throne until after Saul’s death.

But rewind 20 years, to young David’s anointing. This was a powerful God moment. The prophet Samuel was sent to Jesse, David’s father’s house, in Bethlehem. Jesse paraded David’s 7 older brothers past Samuel and each of them were declined by the LORD. With each brother, Samuel kept thinking, he’s the one (based on their height or looks).

God had to remind Samuel: “The LORD does not look at the things people look at.  People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Sam 16:7. This is a great verse for us all to remember.

Only God knew the heart of each brother. He would ultimately choose. Samuel had to ask if there were more brothers. “Oh yeah, (my editorial), the youngest son is out tending the sheep,” said Jesse.

That poor baby of the family.  Seemingly always left out. Samuel said they wouldn’t sit down (& eat) until the youngest was sent for. David arrived, “glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.”1 Sam 16:12

God immediately told Samuel, “Rise and anoint him.  This is the one.” From that day, the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. 1 Sam 16:13

David was thirty years old at his coronation and reigned for 40 years total. (Aside, both thirty and forty are significant numbers in the Bible, but we’ll wait to unpack them for another podcast).

Let’s pause for a moment and remember God’s unconventional choices in the Bible. Remember, culturally, the eldest son was the elevated and chosen one. And yet, for the line of the Messiah, God chose:

• Adam and Eve’s third son, Seth
• Noah’s middle son, Shem
• Abraham, was chosen seemingly out of the blue from Mesopotamia, most likely not the eldest, but either middle or youngest (the Bible doesn’t say)
• Sarah, who was barren her entire life, finally birthed Isaac at 99 years old
• Isaac was chosen over his older half-brother, Ishmael
• Jacob was chosen over his older twin brother Esau
• Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, and saved the family from famine as he brought them to Egypt
• Moses, the prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt, was the baby of the family
• Then we have David, the 8^th son of Jesse, also baby of the family
• Further, David’s grandmother was Ruth, from the pagan, gentile, enemy nation, of Moab

Each of these unconventional choices of God’s elevated these sons to firstborn status, the honored ones to receive the inheritance. David’s even greater son or ancestor, Jesus the Messiah was “firstborn” as well.[i] God makes His unconventional choices despite what we think of people. Keep that in mind when you assume you aren’t qualified to do something you feel God is calling you to!

In fact, God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. God chooses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. If you don’t believe this, go through the Bible and read each character’s story.  But, it’s not just in the Bible. It’s among believers in the contemporary world today as well.

Back to David. As he took the throne, he was recognized both as a fierce warrior and a talented musical artist. He brilliantly commanded a mighty army and set up strong fortresses. He wrote many m any Psalms. He sang, played instruments and danced.  At this point in his reign, the people settled, and peace was in the land.

In Jewish history, David is considered to be the greatest king, the highest of all on earth, and is still venerated today. If David were considered the King of Kings in Israel’s history, he had one more thing in common with the Messiah, the ultimate king of kings. David’s throne and dynasty, “bayit”, was to be established forever.[ii]

Here are several things we know about King David:

Much of this information can be found in 1 Sam 16-17.

• His Father was Jesse.  He was of the tribe of Judah, lived in the little town of Bethlehem, he was a Shepherd (even as a boy), and a powerful shot with a slingshot.
• David had 7 brothers, yet he was specifically chosen by God and after he was anointed king, “the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.”
• David spoke well.
• The LORD was with David.
• He was “glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.”
• He was a fine artist:  a musician who played the lyre, sang, & danced.
• He was a poet, who wrote at least 73 Psalms.
• David was armor bearer for King Saul.
• He had killed both the lion and the bear as a young shepherd.
• His fearless words to the giant, Goliath were, “I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
• His best friend was King Saul’s son, Jonathon.
• David was continually successful in what he did.
• He killed a giant Philistine as a young boy, with a simple sling and rock.
• He was initially financially poor.
• David was a military genius with great success in battle.
• In 1 Sam 20, David acted like a crazy person, to save his life, so let’s say he also had great acting skills.
• Unfortunately, David loved women – he had 4 named wives in the Bible. Yet, we can read in 2 Sam 5:13, “After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem.” This love of women caused sin and chaos in his life.
• He was crowned King at 30 years old.
• He reigned for 40 years (7 ½ years in Hebron, & 33 in Jerusalem).
• David was extremely serious about being the “LORD’S anointed.”

Interestingly and biblically, both Priests and Kings were anointed.

• The Hebrew word for Messiah is משׁיח  Mashiach meaning, “anointed one.”
• Technically, then, we can refer to kings or priests as messiahs, with a lower case “m.”

This may be pre-emptive, but let’s compare similarities of Jesus and David – as Jesus is often referred to as the Son of David in the New Testament.

• The Greek word, Christ, is the Hebrew word, Messiah, which means Anointed One.  Both were messiahs – one a messiah, One, The Messiah.
• Both were born in Bethlehem, Hebrew for “House of Bread.”
• Both shepherds, one of sheep and one of people. 

David wrote Psalm 23 and announced that the LORD is his Shepherd in verse 1.  This all-caps LORD, we know from podcast three, is God’s proper name, יהוה.  Consequently, when Jesus declared Himself a Shepherd in the Gospels, for example in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” He was also calling Himself God. 

• Both were from the kingly tribe of Judah.
• Both were chosen by God and God was mightily with and in them.

Back to David’s story. Since King Saul, though not of God’s choosing, was still God’s anointed, because often God gives us over to our desires- hairbrained desires, I might editorialize, David refused to kill the LORD’s anointed. In fact, those who killed anointed ones, even though Saul was a bad king, were to be put to death.

That was a lot of background.

Let’s begin our covenant with David.

At this point in his life, he had conquered Jerusalem, his palace was built, and there was eventually peace in the land. It was now that God Made a Promise to David, known as the Davidic Covenant:

Bible readers, please open your Bibles to 2 Samuel 7:4-29.

Also, pay special attention to phrases that will indicate parts of the covenant as I read to you. 

⁴ But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, [the prophet] saying:

⁵ “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house (the Hebrew word is בית “bayit”) to dwell in? ⁶ I have not dwelt in a house (בית “bayit”) from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. ⁷ Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

⁸ “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. ¹⁰ And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning ¹¹ and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house (בית “bayit”)) for you: ¹² When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house (בית “bayit”) for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he will be my son. (God/Son verbiage) When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. ¹⁵ But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ Your house (בית “bayit”) and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”

¹⁷ Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

Let’s take section this apart. God was speaking prophetically to David through the Prophet Nathan. So, first, the translation of the word house, which in Hebrew is בית “bayit.” We find this word repeatedly in this passage. House, or “bayit” can be a literal house or a dynasty.

Remember, prophecy can be tricky. It can mean several time periods in one conversation: the immediate now like soon, the near future, the far future, and end times.  It appears in this passage that God is using a play on words with בית “bayit” regarding David’s physical house and David’s future dynasty.

Second thing to note, count how many “I’s” are in the passage.  Phrases such as, “I will, I removed, I will, I brought, I have, I will.” As always, God does the Work. God is the verb, and He does the verb. I counted “I” 20 times in this passage!

Let’s review God’s promise using His personal covenantal language. God said He would:

• Make David’s name great,
• David would be among the greatest men on earth,
• God would provide a place for the people of  Israel,
• He would plant them so they can have a home of their own,
• The wicked would not oppress anymore,
• They would have rest from their enemies,
• God would establish a dynasty,
• God would raise up an offspring/seed/zerah to succeed David,
• This seed would be of David’s own flesh and blood,
• God would establish his kingdom. 
• David would build dynasty for YHVH, יהוה
• God would establish His throne of his kingdom forever,
• God would be the father, he the son,
• God’s love would never be taken away,
• David’s dynasty and kingdom would endure forever, and his throne established forever.

And David, despite his flaws, went down in history as the greatest king of all Israel. God Himself named David, “A man after my own heart.”

David was obedient. David sinned.

David was repentant. He confessed his sin and was restored into fellowship with God.

David had a personal relationship with the Creator, LORD יהוה Almighty.

This is what God wants from each of us. Relationship.

We can read David’s [prophetic] last words as recorded in 2^nd Samuel.

2 Samuel 23:5

⁵ “If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire.”

“My salvation” is יִשְׁעִ֥י yishi in the Hebrew Bible. “Yishi” is derived from the verb “Yasha,” meaning, “he saved” or “to save.”  Jesus’ name, Yeshua, comes from the same verb. Jesus’ name is automatically attached to salvation from the LORD. This is not happenstance nor coincidental!

Later in Israel’s history, the prophet Jeremiah would prophesy in,

Jeremiah 33:15-16

¹⁵ “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;he will do what is just and right in the land.
¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

Spelling out the obvious, this covenant was not only talking about David, and his immediate offspring, but also fast forwarded to the Messiah Jesus. If you reread or relisten to the covenantal promises with Messiah Jesus in mind, it is striking. God made a promise for this “bayit,” this dynasty of David’s that would produce the Messiah.

You can read about this in the Jesus’ lineage as recorded in Matthew 1! 

Exciting stuff!!!

But there was a downside to David. He had many wives, many concubines, and many sons. His love of women and polygamy got him into trouble. Make no mistake, polygamy is nowhere in God’s plan for humanity. The sin and repercussions in David’s life proved this. David was not a perfect man, nor a perfect king. But as a man after God’s own heart, David continually pursued relationship with the LORD. And for this, God used him mightily.

David’s immediate son, Solomon, would take succession and build the temple. He was clearly not the fulfillment of this covenant. There are physical facts that support this truth:  no physical rest in the land, he was clearly not enthroned forever on an eternal throne, Solomon was not messianic in the biblical sense.

This Son or ancestor God prophesied was Jesus.

The prophet Micah said:

Micah 5:2 ² “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah (district in which Bethlehem was situated.[iii] David born, raised and initially anointed as king) though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

2 Chronicles 13:5 ⁵ Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

The phrase “covenant of salt” means a perpetual, eternal, and unchangeable covenant.” (Num. 18:19).[iv]

God goes on to say to the people,

Jer 33:25-26 ²⁵ This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, ²⁶ then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”

Genesis 8:22 ²² “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

In this Genesis passage, the Lord used the faithfulness of His Adamic Covenant & Noahic Covenant to remind us of the dependability of His promises and the continuity of His people. God also reminds us in the passage that He would multiply His people as numerous as the stars of the heavens, which was one of the many promises He had made to Abraham.[v]

Let’s wrap this up with our summary questions.

• Who is the covenant between?  GOD and David.  This is an extension of the Abrahamic Covenant, with a promise to the world
• Are there stipulations? No
• Is there a sign of the covenant? The continuation of David’s “bayit,” the Messiah-born descendant who will bring salvation is the sign.
• Is the covenant conditional or unconditional? Unconditional
• How long will this covenant last?  Everlasting, Olam

The significance of God’s covenant with David is found in His establishment of an enduring lineage and an everlasting kingdom. In the Abrahamic covenant, we had zerah/seed/offspring for the son Isaac, but also zerah/seed/offspring, The Zerah, a foreshadowing of Jesus the Messiah.  This is the ultimate fulfillment of this Davidic prophecy, and the foundation of our Messianic Hope.

This King, the perfect Shepherd Jesus would one day lay down his life for his sheep, and no one would make him do it. He did it of his own choice, and then he took his life up again, in the resurrection.

Jesus died of his own volition. 

He rose in His own power!

He did all of this before you and I knew we needed it. 

Jesus pre-empted our condemnation and took eternal death from us before we even asked.

King David, though great, and considered a precursor to King Jesus, could never live up to King Jesus. Not His love of God, not His faithfulness, not His beautiful heart for God.

But along with our other covenantal namesakes, David isalso in God’s Faith Hall of Fame, which we find in Hebrews 11, along with:  Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, then in Hebrews 11,verse 32, David.  We can further read,

Hebrews 11:39-40 ³⁹ These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, ⁴⁰ since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

David sealed his humble acceptance of God’s eternal covenant with a prayer:

2 Samuel 7:22-29 ²² “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. ²³ And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? ²⁴ You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

²⁵ “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, ²⁶ so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.

²⁷ “Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸ Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁹ Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

What incredible acknowledgment of our Creator and powerful praise.

Finally, I encourage you to take time to read the entire Psalm 89.  It, too, is a powerful Psalm of praise to the Creator. It also juxtaposes God’s promise to David in his personal covenant plus extends this covenant to the future fulfillment in the Messiah.

Here are a few snippets regarding the Davidic Covenant:
³ You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
⁴ ‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    love and faithfulness go before you.
¹⁸ Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,
    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹ Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
²⁰ I have found David my servant;
    with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
²⁴ My faithful love will be with him,
    and through my name his horn will be exalted.
²⁶ He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
    my God, the Rock my Savior.’
²⁷ And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,
    the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
²⁸ I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.
²⁹ I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.
³⁴ I will not violate my covenant
    or alter what my lips have uttered.
³⁵ Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
    and I will not lie to David—
³⁶ that his line will continue forever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;
³⁷ it will be established forever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.”

⁵² Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

Remember you can find all my Bible references in the transcript on my website, Illuminationhebrewinsights.com. 

Thanks for joining –

See you next time for the covenant we’ve all been waiting for!  And talking about!

The New Covenant.

**Heather!

©2024 Heather M R Olsen, Illumination: Hebrew Insights. All rights reserved.

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[i] Warren W. Wiersbe. Bible Commentary: Old Testament. T. Nelson Publishers, 2000, pg 971.

[ii] Warren W. Wiersbe. Bible Commentary: Old Testament. T. Nelson Publishers, 2000, pg 971.

[iii] Life Application Study Bible: NIV. Zondervan; Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 2021, pg 1509.

[iv] Warren W. Wiersbe. Bible Commentary: Old Testament. T. Nelson Publishers, 2000, pg 651.

[v] Warren W. Wiersbe. Bible Commentary: Old Testament. T. Nelson Publishers, 2000, pg 1248.

Other sources:

BibleGateway.Com, A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages., www.biblegateway.com/. Accessed 5 Sept. 2024.

Bible Hub, Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages, biblehub.com/. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.