Focal Passage: Psalm 132:1-14, 17-18
Mary Poppins taught us that promises can be like pie crusts — easily made and easily broken. Mankind has become so cynical about the value of promises, that we learn as children to cross our fingers to create a loophole that frees us from fulfilling them. Yet promises are not taken lightly by most people. The outcome of the 1992 U. S. presidential election was greatly impacted by the phrase, “Read my lips: no new taxes,” because many people viewed it as a broken campaign promise.
Sinners are good promise makers, and even better promise breakers. On the contrary, God is a perfect promise maker and promise keeper. Sometimes we try to promise things outside of God’s will. David vowed that he would not rest until he had built a house for the Lord (Psalm 132:3-5), but God spoke through the prophet Nathan (who had previously affirmed David’s desire to build a temple) to tell him that He had not asked for a house (II Samuel 7:7). Conversely, as God explained His plan to plant His people in a designated area, He declared, “The Lord Himself will make a house for you” (II Samuel 7:11). God also explained that He would raise up David’s descendent (Solomon) as king and that he would build the temple and have a throne permanently established as David did. Solomon, unlike Saul, would always experience the faithful love of Yahweh (II Samuel 7:12-15).
The most significant promise declared in this Psalm recalled the Davidic Covenant: “Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever and your throne will be established forever” (II Samuel 7:16). The psalmist clarified that the Davidic covenant did not cancel the conditions of the Mosaic covenant. He noted, “If your sons keep my covenant and my decrees that I will teach them, their sons will also sit on your throne forever” (Psalm 132:12).
The sons of David, although given the throne by God, would not escape the pattern of sin, judgment, repentance, and restoration woven throughout Israel’s history. Even as Solomon dedicated the temple, God reminded him that spiritual infidelity would cause him to be ousted from the land and the temple destroyed (II Chronicles 7:19-22).
The contrast between God’s blessing and judgment would be seen in every Davidic king from the successes of Hezekiah and Josiah to the abysmal failures of Manasseh and Jehoiakim. The final king, Zedekiah, saws his sons slaughtered, had his eyes blinded, and died as a prisoner in Babylon (Jeremiah 52:10-11).
Did God’s plan fail? No, the Davidic dynasty proved that rebellious sinners will not consistently follow God. The back and forth of successes and failures and the ultimate collapse of the monarchy left God’s people longing for someone who would faithfully shepherd them. What the sons of David would not do, the Son of God did perfectly. Unlike the unfaithful shepherds who scattered and destroyed the sheep of Israel, Jesus came as God’s “Righteous Branch for David” (Jeremiah 23:5) who would lay down His life for the sheep (John 10:14-18), a promise made and kept.
Jesus has inaugurated a kingdom from the throne of David where justice and righteousness will dwell forever (Isaiah 9:7). Let us pray for that kingdom to come in its fullness (Matthew 6:10)! B&R