Davidic Covenant and God’s Promises in Abrahamic Covenant Essay

Story of Israel and Judah

Pre-Exilic Israel and Judah in Joshua

Judah’s tribe and its numerous conquests feature prominently in Deuteronomic history, including the books of Deuteronomy through 2 Kings. According to the account in the book of Nun, after the partial conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes (Cleath 3). The God-appointed portion of Judah is described as covering most of the southern portion of the Land of Israel, including Jerusalem, the desert of Zin, and the Negev. Given such a large territory, the kingdom of Israel in the pre-expulsion period was prosperous, despite constant threats from outside. The division into tribes was a factor that explained the fragmentation of the lands into rival parts, but Judas was one of the recognized rulers.

According to the biblical story, during its heyday, Judah’s tribe was the leading tribe of the kingdom and occupied its most part, with the exception of a small region in the northeast, occupied by Benjamin. The enclave to the southwest was occupied by Simeon, another tribe’s leader. Originally, Bethlehem and Hebron were the main cities in the tribal territory. Being part of the Kingdom of Judah, Judah’s tribe survived the attack by the Assyrians who destroyed Israel and was instead subjected to the Babylonian captivity (Cleath 3). When the captivity ended, the differences between the tribes were lost in favor of a common identity. Since Simeon and Benjamin were junior partners in the Kingdom of Judah, it was Judah who gave the name to the identity – Jewish. These events reflecting on Judah’s and Israeli history are described in Joshua through 2 Kings.

Post-Exilic Israel and Judah in Ezra and Nehemiah

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah may be considered historical narratives and describe the history of Judah and Israel. During that time, critical changes took place in the fate of the exiled Jews. Firstly, the territory of Judah was of great interest to the Persians due to the strategically important location for Persia near the restless borders of Egypt (Cleath 215). Undoubtedly, maintaining the loyalty of the population to the empire in this region was a particular concern of the Persians. Secondly, when it was in their interests, to gain the trust of the peoples under their control, the Persians practiced granting them the status of local autonomy, both religious and legal (Cleath 231). If necessary, they could be no less decisive and cruel than the Assyrians or Babylonians, but with regard to repatriation, their policies were more liberal, as evidenced by the narratives of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Persian rule was relatively soft, except when there was an immediate threat to their interests. Jerusalem priests were allowed to mint their own coins and collect temple taxes (Cleath 254). Under the influence of the Persian empire, the Hebrew language was gradually withdrawn from everyday circulation, supplanted by Aramaic (Cleath 255). As the international influence of Greece increased, Hellenistic impacts began to be felt in Judea. Despite the fact that the Jews managed to maintain their identity, their land lost much of its former greatness, although they escaped the fate of many other lands conquered by the Persians. As a result, based on the historical records of Ezra and Nehemiah, after the exile, Judah’s legacy declined under the influence of external feuds and disagreements with stronger kingdoms.

Davidic Covenant

In the history of God’s Covenant relationship with humanity, or with a certain group of people, or an individual person, an important role is played by the Covenant given by God to David, the second king of Israel. After the end of the long-term persecution of David by Saul, due to Saul’s, David had to become a direct participant in the prolonged civil war in Israel between the supporters of both houses (Budha 39). As a result, David was recognized as king over all Israel. The consequence of his universal acceptance was the arrival in Hebron of all Israel’s elders and tribes and the conclusion of a Covenant with them, which was confirmed by the crowning of David.

God made a Covenant with David that contained a promise. In accordance with this Covenant, God gave a ruler, Jesus, by setting him on the throne of David to rule over God’s people. The biblical text (2 Samuel 7) states as follows: “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom” (God’s Covenant with David). The condition for the eternity of King David’s dynasty is the loyalty of his descendants to the son of God, who can turn away from the king from his dynasty. The Covenant theme is clearly conveyed in Psalm 2: “I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee” (Bible). These lines confirm the direct message of God about the coming of Christ.

In Psalm 72, God promises David authority over all the earth and determines what an ideal ruler should be. The following lines are noteworthy: “May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth;” “He will take pity on the poor and needy and save the lives of the oppressed” (Bible). Moreover, in Psalm 89, God confirms that originally, David had the status of the divine firstborn: “He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock of my salvation’” (Bible). Such a message means that God personally promises David to continue the dynasty, which, in turn, is the highest degree of blessing and sets his kingdom apart from others by making it big.

Finally, in Psalm 132 that reveals the detailed oath of God, the main point of the Covenant is given. It states as follows: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne. If your sons keep My Covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever” (Bible). This perspective proves that God’s choice is not accidental, and he wants to continue David’s kingdom to ensure the eternal reign of the benefactor on earth. The reign that began with David is supposed to last forever in case the provisions of the Covenant are followed. Thus, one can assume that the messages transmitted to David by God were part of a global plan and reflected the path of human development for the next centuries. The death of Jesus on the cross interrupted the dynasty of David; the Covenant was not fulfilled, and people could no longer count on eternal grace.

Davidic Covenant’s Connection to God’s Promises in the Abrahamic Covenant

In the Abrahamic Covenant, God makes promises specifically to Abraham. He promises that he will magnify the name of Abraham, make his posterity numerous, and that Abraham will become the progenitor of many nations. In this Covenant, God also makes promises regarding the people of Israel. Another provision is that the lineage of Abraham will be a blessing to all the peoples of the world. This refers to the Messiah, who is to come out of the family of Abraham. In Psalm 105, this Covenant is mentioned more than once: “For He remembered His holy promise to Abraham His servant” (Bible). Thus, the Covenant has much in common with that of David and also presupposes the blessing of Abraham’s dynasty for many years to come.

The Davidic Covenant enhances the seed aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant. The promises to David in this Covenant are significant. God promises that the dynasty of David will last forever and his kingdom will never be shaken. The context implied that David’s generation did not always take the throne. Nevertheless, he was given a promise that the time would come when a descendant of David’s dynasty would again be a king, and that king would be Jesus.

In his plan, God intended to use the Davidic kings as the progenitors of his son, who was to come to earth as a savior. Both Covenants reflect a commitment to ensuring a bright future not only for Abraham and David but for all humanity. Subsequent generations were to ensure equality and brotherhood on earth and create a world in which everything is subject to God’s laws.

Isaiah 11

In Isaiah 11, the scenario is presented of how the Spirit of the Lord will appear on earth. This text says as follows: “He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips” (Bible). The key emphasis is placed on the establishment of peace when neither people nor animals are at enmity and do not hurt one another, and pagans accept the Word of God. Particular attention is also paid to the descendants of Judah: “the adversaries of Judah will be cut off” (Bible). The Davidic king is shown as the one who brings truth and fair judgment to those who are not worthy of living in harmony. God’s overarching plan involves the establishment of equality and brotherhood on earth, and the scenario in Isaiah 11 represents the ultimate goal for which God is preparing the Davidic king.

Matthew 1:1 and 3:13-17

In Matthew 1: 1, the genealogy of the Son of God, Jesus, is presented. It originates from Abraham, to whom, according to the Abrahamic Covenant, God bequeathed a long and glorious lineage of the righteous. David is also mentioned in Matthew 1:1: “Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah” (Bible). In Matthew 3:13-17, the logical outcome of Messiah’s coming to earth is presented when John baptizes him. According to the aforementioned Covenants, Jesus is to establish peace, and when he came out of the water, “he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him” (Bible). These events testify to the fact that both the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants came true and confirmed God’s prophecy.

Works Cited

“Bible.”Bible Hub.

Budha, Victor Lonu. “The Davidic Covenant in Ezekiel 37: 15–28 and 2 Samuel 7: 11–16: An Intertextual Reading.” European Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics Studies, vol. 4, no. 4, 2021, pp. 21-45.

Cleath, Lisa Joann. Reading Ceremonies in the Hebrew Bible: Ideologies of Textual Authority in Joshua 8, 2 Kings 22-23, and Nehemiah 8. 2016. PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

“God’s Covenant with David.”Bible Gateway.