Bible Study Notes 6/24/2025

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At this time, David is made King over all I.

Jerusalem becomes the Holy city.

The Lord God is with David; he captures the stronghold of Jerusalem – David fights against the Jebusites, a Canaanite people who had remained in Jerusalem.

• This victory completes the conquest of the land promised to Abraham.

David then takes control of Jerusalem – also called Zion – and moves into the city.

• Now Jerusalem is the capital…but will not become the Holy city until the ark of the Lord has been brought into Jerusalem; David instructs the men to bring the ark to the city.

A man is struck down for recklessly taking hold of the ark while it is being moved – David is afraid and waits three months before bringing it into the city.

• The ark arrives…David rejoices…sacrifices are offered…the people give thanks to the Lord.

• Jerusalem is now the Holy city, for the ark represents Ø’s presence.

• Jerusalem is “the city of God, the holy habitation of the most high,” for Ø is now dwelling in the city.

The city of Jerusalem is central to the redemptive story of the Bible…

…and it is the capital of the southern kingdom until it is destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians, yet hope for Jerusalem continues, even after destruction, because Ø’s redemptive plan through history includes its restoration—

Eventually, Jerusalem is rebuilt after the exile according to God’s purpose and remains in an important role, even in its destruction in 70 AD by the Romans.

• At this point of destruction, the prophetic hope concerning Jerusalem as the city of Ø will ultimately be realized when the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven, as depicted in Rev 21-22.

• On that day the boundaries of the New Jerusalem will be the same as the new creation itself – the Lord’s prayer that, “your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” will be fully answered at last.

• The New Jerusalem will be the holy city because of Ø’s presence; “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God, and they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them,” (Rev 21:3).

But for now, we will focus on the earthly Jerusalem, the holy city, the location of the ark of the Lord.

The Davidic Covenant

David tells Nathan, the prophet, his plan to build a temple for Ø – Ø appears to Nathan, telling him that David is not to build the temple, but David’s son will accomplish the task.

At this time, Ø makes several promises to David which become known as the Davidic Covenant.

• Since the Davidic Covenant provides the framework for understanding the entire Bible, Ø’s promises to David form the background for the period of kings.

  • The reign of the Messiah will come about in direct fulfillment of the covenant.

These promises to David closely recall the Abrahamic promises, many of which focus on his seed, a physical descendant from the line of David who will be a king forever.

• Ø calls David out of his father’s house and exalts him.

• Ø promises his covenantal presence.

• Ø will appoint a place (land) for his people.

• Ø will give his people rest from their enemies.

• Øther promises concerning David’s royal descendant will focus on the nature of his rule and kingdom.

Let’s look at them:

1. David will have an everlasting kingdom.

   1. David speaks of his plan to build God’s “house” (temple) and Ø in turn promises that he will build David’s “house” meaning his dynasty.

      1. God promises David that his descendant will have an eternal throne and kingdom.

   2. Solomon, David’s son, will build the temple in Jerusalem.

      1. When Solomon dedicates the temple, he recalls the promise that Ø made to his father: “You shall not lock a man to sit before me on the throne of Isreal” (1 Kings 8:25).

      2. Solomon asks Ø to keep his promise.

      3. Although Solomon was wise early in his reign, toward the end of his life he marries foreign women and worships their gods.

      4. Ø announces that his kingdom will be torn away from him.

      5. This means Solomon is not the promises descendant of David, whose throne will be everlasting.

As we move along the Davidic kings whole rule in Jerusalem, we will see that a few kings seek to follow Ø’s laws (Asa, Jehoshaphat, Heze Kiah and Josiah) many do not.

Øne of the worst kings, Manasseh, worships idols, is a murder, consults spiritists and mediums, and commits abominations worse than the nations.

• As a result, Ø’s judgment finally comes upon the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 BC.

• The temple and the city are destroyed, and the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, brings the last king of Judah into exile, after murdering his sons and blinding him.

• The period of kings, which begins in 1050 BC, comes to an end in 586 BC and from that time onward, there is no Davidic king ruling on the throne in Jerusalem.

• But Ø’s promises to David have not failed.

Even in the midst of the tragic events of 586 BC, the prophets announce that Ø will raise up a righteous king who will rule on the throne of David.

His kingdom will be everlasting in fulfillment of Ø’s promise to David.

Jeremiah, the prophet, sees the destruction of Jerusalem firsthand, but is an example of one of the prophets who proclaims that Ø’s promises will be fulfilled.

• Jeremiah says that the days are coming when Ø will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely.

• According to Jeremiah, this hope is based on the sure promise of Ø: “For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Isreal” (Jer 33:19).

Also in Ps 89:36-37 David’s offspring shall endure forever his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it will be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.”

Ezekial and Zechariah also speak of a Davidic king that will rule over his people

• But when the story comes to a close it is approximately 430 BC and there is still no king seated on the throne of David – Ø’s people will have to wait approximately another 400 years for the coming Davidic king just as they waited 400 years in Egypt…

• …and he will come humble and mounted on a donkey, just as Zechariah has prophesized.

• The crowd’s will one day shout, “Hosanna to the son of David” but this king will be mocked.

  • This Davidic king is put to death but this is not the tragic end of the Davidic reign.

  • Ø raises up Jesus at the resurrection, thereby vindicating him as the righteous Davidic king – over 1,000 years earlier, David had remarkably looked forward to the resurrection of the Messiah when he proclaimed that Ø would not let his “Holy One see corruption”.

  • God brings life out of which is dead.

1. David’s descendant will be Ø’s son.

   1. Another promise included in the Davidic Covenant is Ø’s promise to be a “father” to David’s descendant, and thus his descendant will be identified as Ø’s “son”.

   2. In the book of Exodus, the I’s were called Ø’s son, his first-born son and thus it was Ø’s son who had been brought out of Egypt…

   3. …Remember also that this describes Jesus’ flight from Egypt in the days of Herod.

   4. The prophet Hosea describes the Exodus from Egypt this way: “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1).

      1. The Davidic king is also described this way – Ø’s son.

      2. The psalmist depicts the enthronement of Ø’s king, and refers to him using sonship language: “As for me I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill. I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have begotten you,’” (Ps 2:6-7).

2. David’s son will build the temple.

   1. Ø says of David’s descendant, “he shall build a house for my name” (Sam 7:13).

   2. This son will be Solomon, David’s son, who will have the temple built in Jerusalem during 966-959 BC.

   3. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon affirms that Ø has fulfilled his promise to David and he blesses the Lord, the Ø of Isreal, “who with His hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father,” (1 Kings 8:15).

   4. But there were warnings to Solomon before and after the temple was made:

      1. Before: Ø warns Solomon that he will fulfill his promise to David through Solomon, but only if he walks in Ø’s ways and keeps Ø’s commandments.

      2. After: Ø promises Solomon that if he walks with him in uprightness and integrity, doing all that he has commanded him, then he will establish his throne over Isreal forever as he had promised his father, David.

      3. However, if Solomon or his sons do not keep Ø’s commandments, Isreal will be cut off, and the temple will become a heap of ruins.

   5. Eventually, Solomon worships idols and marries women belonging to other nations—

      1. Many so. Kingdom kings disobeyed Ø’s laws and Ø’s wrath will finally be unleashed against the so. Kingdom in 586 BC when the people will be sent into exile and the temple will be destroyed by the Babylonians.

   6. Hope for the rebuilt temple is fulfilled, at least in part, when the I’s return to Jerusalem after the exile.

      1. The temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt in 516 BC under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua, although it pales in comparison to the temple built by Solomon.

      2. The hope of Ø’s glory filling the temple is far from being realized at this time – in fact, there is no evidence of the return of Ø’s presence to the rebuilt temple.

      3. Yet, hope remains alive that Ø will one day dwell in the midst of his people.

   7. The NT reveals that Ø’s desire to dwell with his people is ultimately fulfilled not within four walls of a temple built by human hands but in human beings who are being built up into a spiritual house through the indwelling of Ø’s spirit.

      1. Jesus testifies that he, himself, will build the temple.

      2. This points to the truth that believers become the dwelling place of Ø through the presence of the holy spirit.

      3. The temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem is, therefore, a shadow of the good things to come.

3. The Davidic Covenant cannot be broken.

   1. Jeremiah tells us that David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Isreal; This means that Ø will not violate his covenant with David, although we are reminded that the descendant of David will be disciplined or punished for sin – kings will be punished for their sin, but the line of Judah will prevail because of Ø’s promises to David.

   2. Backing up to the story of David, he is overwhelmed with his own unworthiness.

God’s Grace Regardless of Sin

God gives his promises to David and David achieves a number of military victories over surrounding nations.

During the battle with the Ammonites, David remains in Jerusalem at which time he commits adultery with Bathsheba, whose husband, Uriah, is away fighting with Joab (2 Sam 11).

• Bath gets pregnant and David tries to cover up his actions, but his plans fail on two occasions.

• So, he writes a letter to Joab, his military officer, instructing him to place Uriah in the frontline so that he will be killed in battle.

Uriah is killed, but Ø speaks to Nathan, the prophet, to expose David’s sin.

• Nathan tells David a story about a rich man who takes a poor man’s only ewe lamb (2 Sam 12).

• David is angry and tells Nathan that the man deserves to die.

• Nathan explains that David is that man.

Nathan tells David that because he killed Uriah, the sword will not depart from his house.

• Ø will take his wives, and they will be given to someone else because he took Uriah’s wife.

• David’s immediate response is to confess his sin.

• Nathan lets David know that his son will die, because he has dishonored Ø’s name, but in Ø’s grace, Nathan announces that Ø has taken away David’s sin.

David was worthy of death on two accounts:

• Mosaic law tells us that a person who commits adultery was to be stoned to death.

• A murderer was to be killed.

David praised Ø for his grace.

David and Bath’s baby dies but she conceives again and Solomon, also called Jedidiah, is born.

David’s remaining years are plagued with family troubles:

• His daughter, Tamar, is raped by her half-brother Amnon.

• David’s son Absalom tries to take the throne, forcing David to flee Jerusalem.

  • This conflict leads to a civil war, at which time Absalom is killed.

  • David is restored to the throne.

• There is further conflict, but David acknowledges that Ø has given him victory and that the Lord alone is Ø.

Toward the end of his life, David instructs his commander, Joab, to number the people in order to ascertain the size of his army.

Joab reports that “in Isreal there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword and men of Judah were 500,000” (2 Sam 29:9).

• David should have known that trusting in the strength of the army was not relevant in whether a war would be won – trusting in Ø was relevant to winning.