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II. The Rise of David

A. Israel in the Era Before Kings

The idea of the monarchy is sown throughout the Old Testament. In one of his promises to Abraham, God tells him: "Kings shall stem from you" (see Genesis 17:6).

In his deathbed blessing upon his sons, Israel says that nations will pay homage to Judah and that "the scepter shall never depart from" him (see Genesis 49:9-12). The line of Judah becomes the royal line from which David and Solomon stem (see 2 Samuel 8:1-14; 1 Kings 4:20-21).

Nevertheless, when the Bible is read canonically – that is, as a single book with a certain unity of content, edited for use in the worship and reflection of the Christian community – we see tension and ambivalence about the idea of a monarchy for God’s people.

We see this ambivalence already in Deuteronomy. There, Moses reluctantly predicts the people will desire a king. He even writes legislation to govern the king’s conduct and policies (see Deuteronomy 17:14-20).

On the one hand, the moral and political chaos of the pre-monarchial period is attributed to Israel’s lack of a king - "in those days there was no king in Israel - everyone did what he thought best" (see Judges 17:6; 18:1; 21:25).

But there is also a strong sense in the Old Testament that an earthly monarch contradicts God’s sovereignty over Israel (see Deuteronomy 33:5; Judges 8:22-23).

These tensions come to a head in the people’s request for a king in the time of Samuel.
In seeking a king "as the other nations have," the people are seen as rejecting the kingship of God (see 1 Samuel 8:7; 12:12,17,19-20).

Though their ends are earthly - the people want a king to fight battles and conquer territories for them - God consents to their request and "uses" it to fulfill His own covenant plan for Israel and the world.

He gives Israel a king "for the sake of His own great name" because He has made Israel "His people" (see 1 Samuel 12:19).

B. Restoring the Ark

The ideal of Israel’s monarchy was articulated at that point in the Scripture. The king is to be an earthly manifestation of God’s rule over the world, to obey God’s commands and to worship Him alone - in remembrance of His covenant and the great things He has done in making Israel His special possession.

David, especially as portrayed in the early days of his reign, is presented as the ideal king.

His capital at Jerusalem is both the "the city of David" (see 2 Samuel 5:7,9) and at the same time seat of the "kingdom of the Lord" (see 2 Chronicles 13:8), and "the throne of the Lord" (see 1 Chronicles 28:5).

David’s first act as king is to restore the Ark of the Covenant, the defining symbol of God’s election of Israel and the site of His real and living presence among the people during the wilderness period (see Exodus 25:8-22; Joshua 3:8-11).

The Ark contained signs of God’s covenant with Moses (see Hebrews 9:4) - the tablets of the 10 commandments (see Exodus 40:22), Aaron’s priestly staff (see Numbers 17:25) and some of the manna upon which the Israelites fed in the desert (see Exodus 16:32-33).

The Ark became crucial to the identity and character of David’s new priestly kingdom. David’s great concern for the Ark is central to the early drama of his reign, and the installation of the Ark in the Temple built by David’s son, Solomon, marks the high point of the history told in the books of Chronicles.

The Ark’s restoration to Jerusalem is depicted as a noble and grand religious pilgrimage. It is preceded by David’s mandate for the ritual purification of the Levites (see 1 Chronicles 15:11), who alone are permitted to touch the Ark under the Mosaic law that David reinstitutes (see Deuteronomy 10:8; 1 Chronicles 15:2).

The procession to the tent pitched by David is a joyous religious feast, complete with liturgical dancing and songs of exultation and much rejoicing, led by David and the priests (see 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:3; 2 Sam. 6:11-19).

David is garbed in priestly robes of fine linen and wears a priest’s ephod (see Judges 8:28;1 Samuel 14:3; 21:9; 22:18; 23:9). As the Ark is installed, David leads the priests in offering holocausts and peace offerings. Then he blesses the people in the name of the Lord and shares bread, meat and cake with every Israelite.

What we witness here is Israel’s king performing high priestly acts - leading worship, offering sacrifices, imparting the Lord’s blessings.

David’s actions reestablish the presence of God among the people (see 1 Chronicles 23:25). To ensure the purity of Israel’s worship in God’s presence, he restores the Mosaic liturgical code, making the descendants of Aaron to be "officers of the holy place and officers of the divine presence" (see 1 Chronicles 24:3,5,19).

He also, reestablishes the Levitical priests "to minister before the Ark of the Lord - to celebrate, thank and praise the Lord, the God of Israel" every morning and evening, and also on feast days (see 1 Chronicles 16:4; 23:25-32).

At the culmination of his monarchy, David, like Moses, is given a divine "pattern" or "plan" for the Temple that will house the Ark of His covenant permanently (see 1 Chronicles 28:19; Exodus 25:9).

The Temple is built as a replica of a Lord’s heavenly throne and temple (see Psalm 11:4). As Jerusalem is not only a political capital, but also a spiritual and moral one, the Temple is both a religious sanctuary and the palace of the divine dominion - the seat from which Israel’s king rules as the son of God over all the nations (see Psalm 2).

C. The Oracle of Nathan

Only after the Ark is established, does God renew His covenant with Israel through an oracle delivered by the prophet, Nathan (see 2 Samuel 7:8-16; 1 Chronicles 17:7-14)

Nathan’s original oracle does not include the word "covenant." But David describes it as an "eternal covenant" (see 2 Samuel 23:5) and this "covenant" is celebrated in the Psalms (see Psalm 89:4-29; 132:12).

God’s promises in Nathan oracle - the themes of divine sonship, temple building, and everlasting dynasty - will resound throughout the remainder of the Old Testament and, as we will see, converge in the Gospel of Jesus.

Let us look in detail at the divine promises that Nathan delivers:

First, he tells David that "the Lord will establish a house for you." In biblical terms, "house" means royal dynasty. This means that David’s kingdom will be a dynasty, one that endures for generations.

Next God promises that David’s son will assume his throne: "I will raise up your heir…and make his kingdom firm." The "firmness" of his kingdom is another indicator that the kingdom will remain.

David’s son will also, according to the promise, "build a house for My name." In other words, David’s son will build a temple as a permanent home for God’s presence in the Ark of the Covenant.

Of this royal son of David, God further promises: "I will be a Father to him and he shall be a son to Me." This is the language of "covenant-adoption." The son of David will be adopted as God’s own son. This marks the first time in Scripture that the idea of divine sonship is applied to one individual. While God had referred to Israel as His first-born son, no one as yet in the Bible has been called, in effect, a "son of God."

God’s promise is unconditional, according to Nathan. The royal son is expected to keep God’s Law and will be punished for transgressions against the Law. But God will never disown David’s heir or dissolve his kingdom. Nathan conveys this message: "If he does wrong, I will correct him…with human chastisements, but I will not withdraw my favor from him."

Finally, God states the conclusion that all of these promises point to: "Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever." This means that David’s dynasty will never end; there will always be an heir of David seated upon his throne.

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