God’s Conditional Promise to David’s House
God declared to David, “But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:15,16). The Lord promised David that His house will be established forever but God’s promise was conditional.
The blessings to David’s house were dependent on the descendant’s faithfulness to the Lord. The Lord promised David’s son the following: “Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel’” (1 kings 9:4-5).
And the Lord added, “But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples” (1 kings 9:6,7).
The Apostasy of David’s House
God gave man the freedom of choice, that is to accept the Lord and be blessed or to reject Him and miss out on His blessings (Joshua 24:15). God’s hands are tied by man’s choices; He has no alternative but to reward every man in harmony with his choices.
David’s descendants proved unfaithful, and accordingly lost the glorious calling that might have been theirs, and the promises of the Lord’s covenant (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). Therefore, the Lord had no choice but to respect their freedom of will.
So, the nation was abandoned to the destiny it chose. And it received the curses of the Lord, “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you…” (Deuteronomy 28:47,48).
Consequently, Israel’s enemies conquered them. Their kings were taken into exile with the people (Jeremiah 9:15, 16; 16:13). And even when they returned from exile they again backslid greatly and their apostasy climaxed when they crucified the Son of God – the Savior of the world.
Before His death, Jesus declared, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37,38). Thus, the Jewish probation ended and they were finally utterly destroyed as a nation by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Spiritual Israel Established Forever
Israel failed but God’s promise didn’t fail. When Israel, as a nation, didn’t choose to live up to her high privileges and to carry on her responsibilities, this special position was taken from her and given to the spiritual family of God on earth, the Christian church, which Paul speaks of as “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16).
God’s covenant was transferred to the New Testament believers (Jews and Gentiles), who became spiritual Israel and heirs of God’s promises (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:6, 7). The “kingdom of God” was taken from the Jews and was “given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:43). However, as individuals, the Jews may be saved by accepting Christ (Romans 11:23, 24).
In the future, God’s plan to save the world would no longer be dependent on the literal nation of Israel. In the New Testament, both Jews and Gentiles are brought into the family of God through submission to Christ. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26, 29).
Every one regardless of race can be saved through faith in Christ: “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4 also John 1:12, 13; 3:3). God’s grace makes the believers “sons of God” (1 John 3:1), and so “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17), and receivers of grace and of all the family privileges (Galatians 4:6, 7)
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
