And the Lord God Will Give to Him the Throne of His Father David
When we consider thrones and kingdoms today we tend to think of the European royalty or of fairytales we heard as children now made popular through Disney movies. These figureheads and fantasies have very little to do with the concept that the Bible teaches about the conquering king and absolute and sovereign ruler over all creation. The hopes and dreams of a nation used to rise and fall with the coronation of a new king. Those who ruled with justice were loved by the multitudes and mourned after their death. King David loved God. God recognized his genuine love and declared that his family would rule forever over Israel (2Samuel 7:16). A problem seems to arise when we consider the division of the kingdom two generations later and the occupation of Assyria and Babylon. How then could this divine promise be true?
Once for All I Have Sworn by My Holiness; I Will Not Lie to David.
Men saw the kingdom of Israel rise to unimaginable heights of power, wealth, and prestige during the reign of King Solomon, David’s son. The first temple was built and the people were united. Peace was known throughout the land. Taxes were too. Rheoboam refused to relieve the tax burden when Solomon died (1 Kings 12:12-13). After this, the kingdom split and Israel spiraled downward to the point that they were conquered, oppressed, and scattered throughout the known world. Was God failing to honor his promise to David? Absolutely not!
Christmas is the Celebration of the Birth of the Eternal King.
God’s promise to David was unique. There are two parts to it. The first part is that Solomon would sit on David’s throne and would build the temple David wanted to build for God (2 Samuel 7:12). God would discipline David’s children in love and never depart from them. However, he conditionally established human kings over Israel (Deuteronomy 17:20; Proverbs 16:12). David’s descendants would be held to God’s standards of righteousness or suffer the consequences. The second part of God’s promise is that he would establish David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7:16). A meditation on these two promises reveals a deeper meaning of Christmas. God is promising an eternal kingdom ruled by a descendant of David (Isaiah 9:7). This king’s eternal rule is based on his ability to meet the conditions of righteousness all kings have been required to meet. Christ Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords is alone righteous in himself (Jeremiah 23:5). He alone is able to meet God’s standard of righteousness for he is just as righteous and holy as the Father. Christmas is the celebration of this eternal king who is absolutely pure and righteous. Jesus Christ is a king who rules with complete justice, mercy, and wisdom. He is a king who can be depended on to meet his promises of salvation. He is a king who will come again to claim what is rightfully his because no power on earth can stand against him. He is a king to whom all people owe their complete allegiance. Humble yourself before the babe born of a virgin. He is Lord of all!
Please trust Jesus Christ, the absolute and eternally righteous King, alone for salvation from sin.
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