Christ in 2 Samuel: Son of David

The book of 2 Samuel tells us about the reign of King David over God’s people, Israel.  It covers a time period of 40 years, beginning when David was only 30 years old.  Those years were filled with all the ups and downs we would see in anyone’s life today – times of obedience and faithfulness, times of sin and doubt, times of weakness, times of strength, times of pride, and times of humility.  As a matter of fact, I can imagine a movie based upon the life of David:  Its main character would be a strong, handsome, wealthy man, and his escapades would run the gambit from slaying giants, to conquering nations, to adultery, to murder, to great pride and self-sufficiency.  It would probably be rated R for violence and sex.  If the names and costumes were changed, it could be placed in the year 2014.  

I think one of the things I appreciate about the Bible, and one of the things that testifies to its authenticity is its complete honesty.  If I were to write a story about a hero or a person that I wanted to show as an example to others, I think I would probably gloss over all the bad stuff and focus only on the positive.  But God’s word doesn’t do that.  The book of 2 Samuel shows us what David was really like, warts and all.  In it, God teaches us about obedience and the blessings that obedience brings.  He teaches us about wretched, filthy sin and the punishment and consequences that sin brings.  He teaches us about repentance, mercy, and grace.  And in this book, written by Samuel, Nathan, and Gad beginning in about 930 B.C., are many references to the coming Son of David, Jesus our King.  It teaches us about our need for a savior, the work of our Lord to redeem us and bring us into sweet fellowship with Him.

The area that I want to focus on today is found in 2 Samuel, chapter 7, verses 12 through 16.  This passage is known as The Davidic Covenant.  This is a contract that God made with David.  This contract and all of God’s covenants teach us about the nature and attributes of God.  They give us the total, complete assurance that God loves us, wants the best for us, and works through everything and everyone in our lives to bring us, through grace, into a deeper fellowship with Him.  And when we see His covenants fulfilled, we realize the awesome, infinite knowledge and power of Almighty God.

The first part of the contract God made to David referred to David’s son, Solomon.  When David died Solomon became King in his place.  God did not allow David to build a temple for Him, but He promised David that his son would build the temple.

When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.  I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.  But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. (2 Samuel 7:12-15, New King James Version)

In the passage above we see that God also told David that Solomon would have the same sin problems that David had had.  Notice that a part of the covenant stated that Solomon would be punished and suffer the consequences if he was disobedient to God and that the promised blessings were to be expected only if he was obedient.  We know that Solomon had many wives, some of them were from foreign tribes which was strictly forbidden.  He even worshipped foreign gods.  Read what David told Solomon just before his death in 1 Kings 2:2-3 (New King James Version):

I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.

David warned Solomon to remain faithful to God, to be obedient in all things, and to serve Him with all his heart and soul.  But Solomon was weak, just like we are weak.  This disobedience made the kingdom vulnerable, and we know that eventually God’s people were taken into captivity and the kingdom fell because of the disobedience of the people and the failure of their kings to remain faithful to God.

   

Now look at the second part of the covenant God made with David in 2 Samuel 7:16 (Common English Bible):

Your dynasty and your kingdom will be secured forever before me. Your throne will be established forever.

Now look at Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8:25-26 (Common English Bible):

So now, Lord, Israel’s God, keep what you promised my father David, your servant, when you said to him, “You will never fail to have a successor sitting on Israel’s throne as long as your descendants carefully walk before me just as you walked before me.” So now, God of Israel, may your promise to your servant David, my father, come true.

So does the fact that the children of Israel were eventually taken into captivity by the Babylonians mean that God broke His promise?  Absolutely not!  He kept His promise, but His people reaped the consequences of their disobedience.  But God’s love for them remained.  Although they suffered at the hands of their captives for a long, long time, God never forgot His promise.  Because, you see, God’s vision for His people included a Son of David who would be totally faithful, who would be without sin, who would fulfill the conditions of the covenant completely, and who would sit on the throne of David and rule for eternity:

The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous descendant from David’s line, and he will rule as a wise king. He will do what is just and right in the land.  During his lifetime, Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And his name will be The Lord Is Our Righteousness. .  (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Common English Bible)

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.  (Isaiah 9:6-7, New King James Version)

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:31-33, New King James Version)

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness to all of you about these things for the churches. I’m the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star. (Revelation 22:16, Common English Bible)

So you see!  God’s promise is still being fulfilled today!  God’s promise to David is also His promise to us.  We have a King who is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.  He rules at the right hand of God, and His kingdom will never end!  God is still merciful to us, just as He was to David.

I hope you will join me as I thank God for all he has done for me and my family and as I trust Him with our future, just as David did in this prayer found in 2 Samuel, 7:18-21, 28-29, (The Message):

“Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming, for you’ve also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow, my Master God! What can I possibly say in the face of all this? You know me, Master God, just as I am. You’ve done all this not because of who I am but because of who you are—out of your very heart!—but you’ve let me in on it . . . And now, Master God, being the God you are, speaking sure words as you do, and having just said this wonderful thing to me, please, just one more thing: Bless my family; keep your eye on them always. You’ve already as much as said that you would, Master God! Oh, may your blessing be on my family permanently!”

Christ in 1 Samuel: Son of God

The book of 1 Samuel is one that is very near and dear to me, because it begins with the story of Hannah and the birth of her son, Samuel.  If you have read my book, you will know that Hannah was an example to me when I wondered if I would ever have a child.  Just as God heard Hannah’s prayer, He also heard mine and gave me my son, Jason.

But Samuel was not given only to Hannah.  He was given to all of us as a picture, a foreshadowing, of Christ:

• Samuel’s birth was a miracle.  Hannah was old, and she was barren.
  "Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah didn’t.” (1 Samuel 1:2, Common English Bible)
  Mary was young, and she was a virgin.
  “When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. When the angel came to her, he said, ‘Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!’ She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.’ (Luke 1:26-31, Common English Bible)
• The people ridiculed Hannah because she had no children.
  "And because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving, her rival would make fun of her mercilessly, just to bother her. So that is what took place year after year. Whenever Hannah went to the Lord’s house, Peninnah would make fun of her.” (1 Samuel 1:6-7, Common English Bible)
  Although the Bible does not say so, I would imagine that Mary was ridiculed because she became pregnant before she and Joseph were married.
• Hannah’s husband loved her, even though she was barren.
  "And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.  But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb.” (1 Samuel 1:4-5)
  Joseph loved Mary so much that he went ahead with the planned marriage, even though he could have publicly divorced her (Engagement was almost as binding as marriage, and infidelity during betrothal made divorce almost obligatory*), but that would have brought disgrace to Mary.
  “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:18-21, Common English Bible) 
•  Hannah gave birth to a son and called him Samuel, which means “Son of God.” “So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked for him from the Lord.’” (1 Samuel 1:20, New King James Version)
  Mary gave birth to a son who was and is the Son of God.
  “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:34-35, English Standard Version) 
• Hannah dedicated her son to God, and once he was weaned she took him to the temple and left him there with the priest, Eli, to be raised and trained to serve God.
  “When he had been weaned and was still very young, Hannah … brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh. ‘I prayed for this boy, and the Lord gave me what I asked from him. So now I give this boy back to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.’” (1 Samuel 1:24, 27-28, Common English Bible)
  Mary dedicated her son to God and named him Jesus, which means “Yahweh [The Lord] is Salvation.”  And Jesus spent his entire life in obedience to and serving God, The Father.
  “When the time came for their ritual cleansing, in accordance with the Law from Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. (It’s written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord.’) (Luke 2:22-23, Common English Bible)
  “The child grew up and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.” (Luke 2:40, Common English Bible) 
• Both Hannah and Mary sang to God after the births of their sons.  Their songs were very similar in that they both praised God for His strength, His justice, and His eventual salvation of all the earth.
  “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.” (1 Samuel 8b-10, New King James Version)
  “With all my heart I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant. Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored because the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name. He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations. He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.” (Luke 1:46-55, Common English Bible) 
•  Samuel was a man of prayer.  He listened for God’s voice.
  “Then the Lord came and stood there, calling just as before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’ Samuel said, ‘Speak. Your servant is listening.’” (1 Samuel 3:10, Common English Bible)
  Jesus was a man of prayer.  He taught us how to pray, and He listened to the voice of His Father.
  “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to the disciples, ‘Stay here while I go and pray over there.’  Then he went a short distance farther and fell on his face and prayed, ‘My Father, if it’s possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. However—not what I want but what you want.’” (Matthew 26:36, 39, Common English Bible) 
•  Samuel became an obedient prophet of God.  A prophet of God is someone who reveals God, speaks for God, and communicates to people the truths that God wants them to know. **
  “And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Jehovah.” (1 Samuel 3:20, American Standard Version)
  Jesus was also called Emmanuel, which means “God With Us,” so He most definitely revealed God to us.  He spoke with the authority of God because he was and is God.  And He explained to the people of His day the truths that God wanted them and us to know, revealing to us how the old law that was given to Moses was pointing to Him and the salvation that only He could provide.  The Prophet, Jesus, was obedient, even to death.
  “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. (John 12:49, New American Standard Bible) 
•  Samuel was the last judge of Israel.  The age of the judges ended when the people insisted on having a king like all the other nations.  Jesus will be our final judge, and He will reign in eternity in heaven as King of Kings.
  “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:16, English Standard Version) 

These are but a few of the ways that Jesus is foreshadowed in 1 Samuel.  As a matter of fact, all the similarities that I have listed here are found in the first 8 chapters of this book of history.  The next 16 chapters tell us about the reign of King Saul, and the final six chapters tell us about the end of Saul's life.  I hope you will take the time this week to read the entire book of 1 Samuel.  Look for other ways that we are given glimpses of Christ in this book (hints - Jonathan is a friend who sticks closer than a brother; Bethlehem is the birthplace of King David; David is the Shepherd King).

My prayer this week is taken from Hannah’s song, 1 Samuel 2:1-2 (New King James Version).  I hope you will join me in this prayer of praise to God:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn [strength] is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock [safety/security] like our God.”

* Ligonier Ministries
**Definition of a prophet of God, courtesy of Matt Slick, http://carm.org/prophet-priest-king

Christ in Ruth: Our Kinsman Redeemer

Once upon a time in the little town of Bethlehem, there lived a woman named Naomi...

Many people see the book of Ruth as a romantic fairy tale, a story of the love between a poor widow and a prince who comes to save her.  The story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz is all that, and it is so much more.  It is not a fairy tale, but it is completely and perfectly true.  And the story of Naomi’s and Ruth’s redemption by Boaz is a beautiful illustration of our redemption by Jesus Christ.

I will not try to re-tell the story here – well, actually I DID try, but it got way too long, so I hit the delete key after working all day, trying to explain the details of the story.  So I would encourage you to read it for yourself.  It is only four chapters, and you can read it in just a few minutes.  Instead, I will try to show you here some of the many, many parallels between us and Naomi and Ruth, and also between Boaz and Jesus Christ, Our Kinsman Redeemer.

·   Naomi and her husband, Elimelech, were disobedient when they left Bethlehem during a famine, and went to the land of Moab.  As a result, their sons married women who worshipped idols, and they died at a young age without having had any children (at least there are no children mentioned in the Biblical text).  Elimelech also died in Moab.

When we are deliberately and continually disobedient, and when we do not train our children to worship the one true God, they are not likely to grow in obedience to Him and are likely to marry someone who does not worship Him.  We and our children will be punished for disobedience.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6, King James Version)

·   Ruth was a Gentile, and she did not have the protection of the Jewish law or the provision that God had promised His people, Israel.

We are born in sin, at enmity with God.  We have a sin nature that rebels against Him and insists that we have a right to live our lives on our own terms.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23, King James Version)

·   Boaz provided for Ruth in ways she could see (by inviting her to harvest grain in his field) and also in ways that she could not see (by instructing his workers to deliberately drop grain for her to pick up).

God also provides for us in ways we can see and in ways we cannot see.

“Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! “(Matthew 7:9-11, Good News Translation)

·   Boaz obeyed every letter of the law.  He left the corners of his field un-cut; he first went to the closer relative before he redeemed Elimelech’s land and married Ruth.

Christ obeyed every letter and the intent of the law.  He was without sin.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  (Hebrews 4:15, English Standard Version)

·   Boaz invited Ruth to eat and drink with him.

Christ is the Living Water and the Bread of Life.

“And Jesus said unto them, ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’” (John 6:35, King James Version)

·   Boaz gave Ruth more than she needed.

Jesus provides more than we could ever need.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10, English Standard Version)

·   Ruth sought rest and refuge in Boaz.

Jesus is our Rest and our Refuge.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, King James Version)

·   Naomi told Ruth to bathe, to anoint herself, put on her best clothes, and to go to Boaz.

What Ruth did is a picture of our salvation – we are cleansed of our sin, anointed with the Holy Spirit, put on Christ (allow Him to be seen through our actions).  We go to Christ in faith, just as Ruth went to Boaz in faith, knowing that he was honorable and righteous.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, King James Version)

·   Boaz was much older than Ruth.

Jesus has always been, is, and always will be.  He is eternal.

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8, King James Version)

·   Boaz loved Ruth.

Jesus loves us so much that He gave His life for us.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, King James Version)

·   In order to legally qualify to redeem the land and the family of Elimelech, Boaz had to be a “kinsman” of Naomi.

Jesus was fully God, while at the same time He was fully man.  Only a sinless man, a “kinsman,” could legally qualify to redeem us from our sin.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (1 John 1:14, New King James Version)

·   The law prevented Ruth from being a part of the family of Israel.  When Boaz became her redeemer it was by his own choice, and because he was able to pay the price for her redemption, she was brought into the family of Israel through her marriage to him.

The law prevents us from fellowship with Holy God.  But when Jesus became our redeemer, it was by his own choice, and because he was able to pay the price for our redemption, we are brought into the family of God, through faith in Him.

“God has done what was impossible for the Law, since it was weak because of selfishness. God condemned sin in the body by sending his own Son to deal with sin in the same body as humans, who are controlled by sin. 4 He did this so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us. Now the way we live is based on the Spirit, not based on selfishness.” (Romans 8:3-4, Common English Bible)

·   Ruth didn’t have to do anything to earn her redemption.  She only had to express her willingness to be redeemed by Boaz.

We cannot do anything to earn our salvation.  Jesus has done all the work of redemption, and we only have to be willing, through faith, to accept his gift of eternal redemption from sin.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, King James Version)

·   Since Boaz not only redeemed Naomi’s land, but he also married Ruth and gave her children who would then be her heirs, then their redemption was eternal.

Our redemption through Christ is eternal.  We did nothing to earn our redemption, and we can do nothing to lose it.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, New King James Version)

The end of the story is like a fairy tale ending.  The last few verses of the book of Ruth tell about the birth of Obed, the son of Ruth and Boaz.  Obed would become the grandfather of King David, and thus be a direct ancestor of Jesus.  What a wonderful ending to a story that began with such a bleak outlook for the poor Gentile woman, Ruth.

…And they lived happily ever after!

My prayer this week is adapted from Ruth 3:9, Amplified Bible.  I hope you will insert your own name into this prayer, and join me as I agree to be God’s servant, ask for His divine protection, and agree that He is my Heavenly Father (my next of kin):

“I am (insert your name here), your servant. Spread your wing of protection over your servant, for you are my next of kin.”