Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of kingship being rendered hereditary in the family of David is a significant theme in the biblical narrative, reflecting God's covenantal promises and the unfolding of His divine plan for Israel. This hereditary kingship is rooted in the Davidic Covenant, a pivotal moment in the history of Israel, where God establishes an everlasting dynasty through David and his descendants.
The Davidic CovenantThe promise of a hereditary monarchy is first articulated in
2 Samuel 7:12-16, where God speaks to David through the prophet Nathan: "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (
2 Samuel 7:12-13). This covenant assures David that his lineage will continue to rule over Israel, with the throne being established forever.
Solomon and the Continuation of the LineageDavid's son Solomon is the immediate fulfillment of this promise. Solomon's reign is marked by wisdom, prosperity, and the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, as recorded in
1 Kings 6. Despite Solomon's later apostasy, God's promise to David remains steadfast. In
1 Kings 11:12-13, God declares, "Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not tear away the whole kingdom. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen" .
The Divided Kingdom and the Davidic LineFollowing Solomon's reign, the kingdom is divided, yet the Davidic line continues to rule over Judah. The books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles document the succession of Davidic kings, highlighting both their faithfulness and failures. Despite periods of idolatry and rebellion, God's promise to David remains a central theme, underscoring His faithfulness and the enduring nature of the covenant.
Prophetic Affirmation and Messianic ExpectationThe prophets reaffirm the promise of a Davidic king, often pointing to a future, ideal ruler who will embody the perfect kingship.
Isaiah 9:6-7 speaks of a child born to us, a son given, whose government and peace will have no end, established on the throne of David.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 proclaims, "The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land" .
The New Testament FulfillmentThe New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. The genealogies in
Matthew 1 and
Luke 3 trace Jesus' lineage back to David, affirming His rightful place as the promised King. In
Luke 1:32-33, the angel Gabriel announces to Mary, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end" .
Theological SignificanceThe hereditary kingship in the family of David is not merely a historical or political reality but carries profound theological significance. It underscores God's sovereignty, His faithfulness to His promises, and His redemptive plan for humanity. Through the Davidic line, God prepares the way for the coming of the Messiah, who establishes an eternal kingdom, fulfilling the covenant in its fullest sense.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
2 Samuel 7:12-16And when your days be fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, which shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
Torrey's Topical TextbookPsalm 89:35-37
Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie to David.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Library
The Law Given, not to Retain a People for Itself, but to Keep ...
... the sons of Adams who, from hereditary taint, are ... in vigour among those whose vices
rendered them abominable ... defiled with corruption, be either kings or priests ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 7 the law given.htm
Acts IV
... with his successful assaults upon their hereditary and too ... to his own words by David,
kings and rulers ... The original term paraklesis, rendered consolation in the ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts iv.htm
Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... preferred to live in tents, unless war rendered such a ... The reigning prince was
hereditary commander-in-chief, but ... at the dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 8, 12 ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm
The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
... made all the more afraid, and rendered a parting from ... [510] Cashel, the seat of the
kings of Munster. ... after a long estrangement (Agnew, Hereditary Sheriffs of ...
/.../chapter v the roman pilgrimage .htm
Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
... at the ruin of the Philistines, the hereditary foes of ... feudal constitution of the
Blamite monarchy rendered, as we ... more than a day's notice; the kings of Elam ...
/.../chapter isennacherib 705-681 b c.htm
Letter ix. Meditation.
... Rom.5:12-19. (4.) How hereditary depravity becomes personal. ... John 2:24. Jer.17:10.1
Kings 8:39. ... (5.) How this is rendered available to believers in all ages. ...
/.../a practical directory for young christian females/letter ix meditation.htm
Chapter xlix
... rendered "pre-eminence" could have been rendered equally well ... thinks in terms of
Israel's kings or of ... renders it well Erbbegraebnis, "a hereditary burial plot ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlix.htm
Covenant Duties.
... employed, they are healthfully expanded, and rendered capable of ... 270] If it is an
abomination for kings to commit ... to another, the claims of hereditary or other ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iv covenant duties.htm
The Commandments
... by arts or under some pretext by fraud deprive their kings, their country ... In this
and in no other way is hereditary evil broken and rendered milder in ...
/.../swedenborg/spiritual life and the word of god/part secondthe commandments.htm
Seances Historiques De Geneve --The National Church.
... in new directions, and they are rendered dissatisfied with ... election' and effectual
call' should be hereditary, is, of ... or in the books of Kings and Chronicles ...
/.../seances historiques de genevethe national.htm
Resources
What can we learn from the laws that God gave for the kings of Israel? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Elisha in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that God is the God of the hills and valleys (1 Kings 20:28)? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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