08 3 Jehovah's Faithfulness in His Promises to Abraham and David

3 Jehovah’s Faithfulness in His Promises to Abraham and David

3. Jehovah’s Faithfulness in His Promises to Abraham and David

INTRODUCTION

Much is said in the Bible about the promises of God. That we are "heirs according to promise"; "that the promise may be sure to all the seed"; "that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers"; "his precious and exceeding great promises," through which we become partakers of the divine nature, are a few of God’s references to his promises. In this chapter we wish to emphasize God’s faithfulness in fulfilling his promises to Abraham and David.

GODS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

"And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:3) This promise is repeatedly stated in the old Testament, and in the New Testament we find that it was fulfilled in Christ.

"And the scripture [old Testament Scripture], foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.... Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." (Galatians 3:8-16). This covenant to Abraham was made and confirmed by an oath four hundred thirty years before the law was given, and to this promise the law was added because of transgression that sin might be shown to be exceedingly sinful. Jesus came and redeemed us from the law "that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-17).

ALL NATIONS BECOME ONE NOW

Since God’s promise to Abraham has been fulfilled in Christ, the promised seed, and the old covenant is removed, all nations become one in this promise. "There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:28-29). This culmination of God’s promises to the fathers takes place in the church of our Lord, known as "God’s house" or "family." Of the two, Gentiles and Jews, he has created "one new man," and reconciles both unto God in "one body," which is his church. (Ephesians 2:11-16).

GODS PROMISE TO DAVID

"My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven." (Psalms 89:34-37). This covenant that God made with David, with all of its promises, was comprehended in God’s promise to Abraham and grew out of it. It looked forward to the calling of the Gentiles and blessing all nations through Abraham’s seed and making all the peoples of the earth one in the kingdom of Christ.

"For I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision [fleshly circumcision] for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.... Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.... And again, Isaiah saith, There shall be the root of Jesse, and he that ariseth to rule over the Gentiles; on him shall the Gentiles hope." (Romans 15:8-12).

"And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit." (Isaiah 11:1). This refers to Christ.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this." This prophecy is of Christ, and all of his ruling here is to be core while upon David’s throne.

THE PROMISES REAFFIRMED

These promises were reaffirmed at the conception and birth of Jesus. "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33). Mary expressed this in her song of joy: "He hath given help to Israel his servant, that he might remember mercy (as he spake unto our fathers) toward Abraham and his seed for ever." (Luke 1:54-55). Zacharias also expressed it in his song: "And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old)... to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware unto Abraham our father." (Luke 1:69-73).

Both Jew and Gentile are comprehended in this rejoicing. So sang Simeon when Jesus was presented to him: "Then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, according to thy word, in peace; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." (Luke 2:28-32). These promises were also reaffirmed at his resurrection. "Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins he would set one upon his throne; he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption     Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified." (Acts 2:30-36).

Well does J. W. McGarvey comment here by saying: "He made him Lord by causing him to sit on God’s own throne to rule over angels and men; and he made him Christ by causing him to sit on the throne of David according to promise." Christ has all the all authority that God has now, both in heaven and on earth. "David’s throne" was the delegated authority God gave to him here on earth, but it certainly looked forward, with the promise God made to Abraham, to some day comprehending all the nations and peoples of the earth. David’s throne was cast down because of the unfaithfulness of his successors, and for a time there was no one to reign.

THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID REBUILT THAT GODS PROMISES MIGHT BE FULFILLED

"After these things I will return, and I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up; that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old." (Acts 15:16-18). Note that Amos says: "I will build it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the nations that are called by my name." The rebuilding of David’s tabernacle as in the days of old was done that the Gentiles might be saved. The Gentiles have come in and are being saved; hence, the rebuilding of David’s tabernacle has been accomplished. There was a king on David’s throne in the former tabernacle "in the days of old," and there is a King, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, on David’s throne now, else it would not be as it was "in the days of old." The resurrection of Jesus from the dead fulfilled and accomplished everything that God had promised both to Abraham and David. "Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth. And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers, that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David." (Acts 13:26; Acts 13:32-34).

THESE PROMISES TO DAVID AND ABRAHAM HAD A DOUBLE APPLICATION

THE GOOD OLIVE TREE

Paul calls the descendants of Abraham and David the "natural branches" that have been broken off of the "good olive tree." The Gentiles are spoken of as branches from the "wild olive tree." When the church or kingdom was established in the city of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, as God before declared it should be, remember that only the natural branches of the good olive tree—viz., the Jews, constituted its first members and citizens. Christ, of the seed of David, was crowned in heaven, and set up his rule or authority here on earth in his church and kingdom, beginning in Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-47). The people of the house of Jacob constituted this kingdom in its beginning. It was the little stone cut out of the mountain. (Daniel 2:44-45). Thousands of Jews flocked into it. After thus running for a while, the Gentiles were brought in according to promise, and the kingdom stood complete so far as its national representation was concerned. (Ephesians 2:11-17).

It is denied that Christ is now on David’s throne; that "inseparably connected with David’s throne is David’s people, the nation of Israel, the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the territory the land which God swore to them for an everlasting inheritance." And certainly I agree here, so far as the temporal application of the promise is concerned. But God said: "It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven." (Psalms 89:37). But we are told that David’s throne was never meant to comprehend anybody but Jews, and no territory except from Dan to Beersheba, which would be "a limited, subordinated sphere of rule," and that Jesus is not now on such a throne, but that he will some day come to Jerusalem and reestablish David’s throne because the Jews will return there and be converted. Let us grant, for argument’s sake, that the Jews will return and be converted to Christ. Let me ask: "To what place will they come to be saved?" Let the reader turn to Romans 11:11-24 and read thoughtfully. Note the following in verses 16, 17, 23, 24: "If the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken of and thou, being a wild olive, west grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree; glory not over the branches.... And they [the Jews] also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou west cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and west grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"

If this does not teach that the Gentiles are now exactly where the unbelieving Jew must come if he is ever saved, tell me how language could express it. He must cease his unbelief and be grafted again into the "good olive tree." The theory that Christ is to come back to the earth and save Israel, that they will be converted separate and apart from the saved Gentiles, or in any other manner or place, is wholly false. We have David’s throne now and Christ on it, in heaven. I repeat, let Christ do whatever the fancy of the human mind can conceive for the Jews, we stand where they must come if they are ever saved.

"Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Many passages were placed in the Bible to offset errors which God foresaw would arise. What is the profit of the following Scriptures?

"Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:16).

It puts to death the theory that Jesus is to come to Jerusalem and sit on the throne that David once occupied. This could not be without our knowing him after the flesh. If so, how? "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek." (Romans 10; Romans 12). Bring Christ back to the earth and reestablish David’s throne as he once occupied it without making a distinction, if you can.

Why discuss the regathering of the Jews to Jerusalem and their conversion to Christ? If such should take place in my day, I shall see it and rejoice. But this I know: if this is ever done, they will come to the place where I now am—viz., grafted into the "good olive tree," from which the Jews by unbelief were broken off, and into which they must be grafted again as life from the dead, if they are ever saved. David’s son is in heaven, reigning over the Israel of God today, and every promise to Abraham and David is ours to enjoy. May God help us to get the Jews to see this.

Let us not deceive them by causing them to believe that they could reject Jesus about two thousand years ago on the grounds that he gave them not then exactly what he promises to give them some time in the future.

Remember the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands (Daniel 2:34-35) became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. In Revelation (Revelation 11:15), when the seventh angel sounded, there were great voices in heaven exclaiming that "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." All of this has not been accomplished as yet, but we can rest in undoubting assurance that all of these prophecies will be accomplished in God’s own way. But the kingdom then, when all of these things are accomplished, will be the same kingdom that it was when it began its extension here on earth in A. D. 33. May the Lord bless us in ever having in our hearts his Spirit, without which we are none of his. (Romans 8:9 b). May we "let brotherly love continue" among us that all men may know we are indeed the disciples of Christ. (Hebrews 13:1; John 13:35).