2 Samuel 7:11-17 – The King Is God’s Son
Another big development is that the king is now described as God’s son. This is language that wasn’t used of Saul. V14: ‘I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’. That’s a verse that would be easy just to read without really grasping the significance of, but this is huge. It’s the same sort of language as Psalm 2: ‘The LORD said to me, You are my Son; today I have begotten you’. The true king of Israel is God’s son, and this really paves the way for a key part of our understanding of who Jesus is. He would be both the son of David and the son of God. All these promises to David would ultimately be fulfilled in him. Prophets like Isaiah speak of a child who will be born, who will sit on David’s throne, and be called ‘Mighty God’. The Psalms speak of God’s anointed king and say: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever’. This covenant with David does point back to Abraham and others, but it also very much points forward to the Lord Jesus.
By the end of the Old Testament, one of the key questions God’s people faced was – had God’s promises failed? David’s descendants did reign on the throne for a long time, but not forever. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel kept talking about a future son of David who would come to the throne. They kept singing about it. Psalms like Psalm 132 v.11: ‘The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne’. The 150 psalms were put together at a time when God’s people were hoping and praying that the king they described would come. God’s promises to David in this chapter are only properly fulfilled in Jesus.
Questions
- How is the king described in verse 14?
- Who are the promises in this chapter about?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for our eternal King.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.