Want to be a king?

 

The Bible calls David “a man after God’s own heart” a description that many Christians desire for themselves. However, David was special in another way; God made a COVENANT with him and only his descendants. They were given the right to the throne in Jerusalem and that line of kings would culminate in the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

The first promise put an emphasis on Solomon, the repeat below puts the emphasis on the Messiah:

And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’ ” (1 Chronicles 17:10–14)

This dynasty would be eternal beginning with Solomon, not any of David’s other sons, and he would build the temple, not David. Earlier, Saul sinned and the throne was taken from him. Even though Solomon’s sins were more serious, this kingdom remained in David’s line, showing the nature of an unconditional covenant. This throne would later belong to a sinless Son who rules forever.

In the Edenic Covenant, the Messiah would be of the woman’s Seed, then in Abrahamic Covenant, the Messiah would be the Seed of Abraham, then later limited to a member of the tribe of Judah, then the family of David. Many Scripture passages confirm this covenant.

In it, the Davidic king takes the role of God’s vice-regent. In other words, the earthly sovereign’s rule is to be an expression of God’s sovereign will. The Israelite kings did not have absolute authority over anything; their rule must always be subordinate to Yahweh’s will as revealed through the Torah and the prophets.

When Jesus came, He often spoke of doing His Father’s will. He prayed: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) His attitude was that of a servant, not ‘the boss’ because, “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) as He said, “Not my will but thine be done.”

Because of His obedience, the Father gave “all things into His hand” and exalted Him above all yet, “When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:28)

These verses tell me the amazing attitude of Jesus and describe what it means to be like Him. The snake in Eden told Eve if she disobeyed God, she would be like God yet no human can be like God. He is omnipotent, everywhere present, knows the hairs on every head. But the Bible affirms that God’s people, when we see Jesus, we will be like Him, God the Son:

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:2–3)

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. As this verse says, seeing Jesus transforms lives. One day, I will fully see Him and be like Him —without sin (what a glory) which is now impossible for none of us are totally subordinate to the Father’s will. Even though the Davidic Covenant required this of the kings, they also failed. Yet God kept His part of the covenant and finally put a perfect King on the throne, not only for Israel but for His kingdom in this world and in the heavenly realm.

And this is another promise from God: “If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us.” (2 Timothy 2:12) On that day when I and all of His servants see his face, “His name will be on our foreheads. And night will be no more. We will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be our light, and we will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:4–5) The promise was to David’s line leading to the One who now lives in me and makes me an heir to all that is His, even reigning with Him. But all that is for later. For now, He tells me to purify myself, which seems a never-ending task yet His keeps His promises; I will reign with Him!