Saturday 24 September 2011

The Davidic covenant


The Davidic covenant was established when the prophet Nathan delivered to David a message form God after David was forbidden to build the Temple. The Davidic Covenant refers to God’s promises to David through Nathan the prophet and is found in 2 Samuel 7 and later summarized in 1 Chronicles 17:11-14 and 2 Chronicles 6:16. This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:10-13). The Davidic Covenant is unconditional because God does not place any conditions of obedience upon its fulfillment. The surety of the promises made rests solely on God’s faithfulness and does not depend at all on David or Israel’s obedience.
The Davidic Covenant centers on several key promises that are made to David. 1) God reaffirms the promise of the land that He made in the first two covenants with Israel (the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants). This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:10, “Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously.” 2) God promises that David’s descendant or “seed” will succeed him as king of Israel and that David’s throne will be established forever. This promise is seen in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, "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.” This is a reference to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Provisions of Davidic covenant
1 David is to have a child , yet to be born who shall succeed him and establish his kingdom.
2 this son (Solomon ) shall build the temple instead of david
3.the throne will not be taken away from him (Solomon)even though his sins justify chastisement
4 david’s house, throne and kingdome shall be established forever

The provisions of the covenant are summarized in 2 Samuel 7:16, “And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” The promise that David’s “house,” “kingdom” and “throne” will be established forever is significant because it shows that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David and that He will establish a kingdom from which He will reign. The covenant is summarized by the words “house,” promising a dynasty in the lineage of David; “kingdom,” referring to a people who are governed by a king; “throne,” emphasizing the authority of the king’s rule; and “forever,” emphasizing the eternal and unconditional nature of this promise to David and Israel.

The Davidic covenant was unconditional because it was established forever.the Davidic covenant is and can only be fulfilled with a literal Israel, the descendents of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob would be citizens of a literal Israel
The throne was over the house of Israel, one of David’s descendents would rule over the physical children of Jacob. Who would have the physical land of Abraham David’s house throne and Kingdome were established forever .
David saw himself as a subject of his future descendent , jesus relates the dilemma to the Pharisees and asks the question

Jesus was a descendent from david thru mary his mother as recoded in luke 321-31. He spoke of his literal reign over the house of lsrael in a future earthly kingdom. Though jesus is rejected as messiah by the descendents of Jacob , he would be accepted as messiah by a future generation of Jacob’s descendents
In Zechariah 12:10 we see the nation of Israel ultimately accept the rejected messiah as their lord, but in order for this to happen their must be a literal Israel in existence
It is important to distinguish between the throne Jesus currently sits on as the throne of the father the future throne he will sit on as the throne of the Israel , The throne of Israel will be completed when Israel accepts Jesus as their Messiah in the future even in the future Kingdome the of David will rule over the whole earth

Saturday 17 September 2011

The Palestinian Covenant


The Palestinian Covenant is recorded in Deuteronomy 29:1-29 and Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and was made between God and Israel right before Moses died and Israel entered the Promised Land. This covenant came after the Mosaic Covenant and after Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years until the generation that had refused to enter the Promised Land had passed away. God made this covenant with Israel while they were in Moab waiting to go into the Promised Land, and the covenant would serve this new generation of Israelites as a reminder of their special covenant relationship with God.

The Palestinian Covenant has many similarities to the Mosaic Covenant made at Mount Sinai but is a separate and distinct covenant as clearly seen in Deuteronomy 29:1. “These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.” Before making this covenant with Israel, God reminded them that if they obeyed the Mosaic Law, He would bless the nation abundantly and warned them that disobedience to the Law would result in His cursing the nation (Deuteronomy 28:1-68).

Provisions of Palestinian covenant
1-The nation will plucked off the land of unfaithfulness (Deut 28:63-68, Deut 30:1-3)
2-There will be a future repentance of Israel (Deut. 28:63-68; 30:1-3)
3 -their messiah will return (Deut 30:3-6)
4- Israel will be restored to the land (Deut. 30:5)
5-Israel will be converted as a nation (Deut 30:4-8; Romans 11:26-27)
6-Israel enemies will be judged (Deut 30:7)
7 -The nation will then receive her full blessing ( Deut 30:9)

The provisions of the covenant are fulfilled in a literal Israel not in a spiritual Israel. Therefore in order for the covenant to be fulfilled Israel would be required to one day take control of the land of promise.
The conditional aspects of this agreement are a result of obedience. Israel is blessed if they obey and curse if they disobey. The promise of blessing and cursing has been fulfilled in the history of Israel twice.
First 722 BC, 605-587 BC they were scattered by the Assyrians and Babylonians .They were then gathered into the land after Cyrus of Persia.
The second time was in the period of 70-135 Ad by the Roman empire and they were gathered and are being gathered back in the land during the last 150 years.

Besides the promises that God would bless them if they obeyed His commandments and curse them if they disobeyed, the Palestinian Covenant also contains some special promises to Israel that many believe will not be completely fulfilled until the millennial reign of Christ.