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Davidic Covenant (God’s Promise to Israel)
Meaning
God made several covenants within the Bible. We can read about them in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. A covenant was an agreement or an oath between two parties. These were promises and agreements God made with certain individuals and their descendents. And in several cases like the Davidic Covenant these were one sided. In other words, God promised that He alone would fulfill the covenant regardless of the actions of the people. And the Davidic Covenant was one such promise made by God. God promised that He would establish the “throne of David” forever in the land of Israel. God also promised that Israel (David’s descendants) would inherit the land forever.
It’s important when learning about the covenants of God, that we understand the attributes of God. This is because God’s attributes play a role in His covenants. In this case we have to remember two of God’s attributes. One is His immutability. Immutability means that God never changes. God never changes His mind and God will never promise one thing and do another. The second attribute is God’s omniscience. This means God knows the beginning and the end of all things. God knows everything, there is nothing mankind can think of or do that God doesn’t already know. We have to remember God sits outside of time. Time is part of God’s creation, therefore the concept of past, present and future does not apply to God and His knowledge. Knowing these two attributes we can now better understand that God does not make a covenant and later revoke it. Therefore, God’s promise to David is just as valid today as it was when God first made it.
The Davidic Covenant was an unconditional covenant made between God and David. And in this covenant God promises David and his descendents the nation of Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah. And that God would establish His kingdom. Moreover, that Jesus kingdom would endure forever. This covenant made with David by God is unconditional because God did not place any conditions on David. God did not require the obedience of David for its fulfillment. This covenant is based completely on the faithfulness of God and does not depend on David or Israel’s obedience.
“Now the Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all the young men here?’ Then he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.’ So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is the one’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.” (Book of 1st Samuel 16:1, 11-14)
“‘And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.'” According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. (Book of 1st Chronicles 16:11-17)