History of Human Government (12) - David's Line

God made a promise to David through Nathan the prophet that has been widely misunderstood.

The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you…..Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me your throne will be established forever. (2 Sam 7:11,16).

This passage was misunderstood by David. He thought that God’s promise would be fulfilled through Solomon and his descendants. He assumed that he was starting a dynasty like the kings in other nations.

This misunderstanding has been copied by most commentators. Christians tend to assume that God was giving the big tick to kingship, by establishing David’s descendents as kings over Israel.

God promised to love one of David’s sons and that his kingdom would last forever. This promise cannot have been fulfilled through Solomon, because his kingdom did not last forever. He turned to foreign women, so he lost the blessing of God. Half of the kingdom was wrested away by Jeroboam soon after Solomon died and his dynasty was totally broken when the Babylonians invaded Israel.

God did not establish a kingly dynasty through Solomon. This is confirmed in God’s answer to his prayer.

And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life (1 Kings 3:14).

God did not promise that his family line would continue as kings of Israel. He only promised long life to Solomon.

A Davidic dynasty was not God’s will for Israel. God actually promised that one of David’s descendents would establish his kingdom.

When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body (2 Sam 7:12).

The descendent would be raised up after he had died. Solomon came to power while David was still alive, so this rules him out. The reason is that Nathan’s promise is to Jesus, not Solomon.