2 Samuel 7

The covenants to Israel

1. The word “covenant” is mistranslated throughout the Old and New Testaments by the word “testament.” Either time you find testament it is either the Hebrew word berith or the Greek word diaqhkh. There is no such thing as testament in the Bible. A testament is a will, it goes into operation when someone dies. The covenants which are found in the Bible are not in any way related to death, they are related to life. The do not have to wait for someone to die physically and when physical death is ever related to any of them it is only incidentally and has nothing to do with the actual covenant itself. Furthermore, many of the covenants are dependent upon the death of Christ on the cross but they depend upon His spiritual death for effectiveness. This all adds up to the fact that the word “testament” is a misnomer, a mistranslation, a misapplication, in fact a misfire all the way around. The commonly-accepted word Testament as found in the scripture always leads to misunderstandings with regard to the Word of God.

a) A covenant is favourable disposition made by party of the first part [always God] in favour of party of the second part which can be either regenerate humanity or a combination of regenerate and unregenerate mankind. All of the covenants are made in favour of Israel in our subject here, with one exception. God the Father is party of the first part and either the regenerate of Israel or the entire nation of Israel is party of the second part, depending upon which subject we are discussing.

b) Since neither of the biblical words refer to will and testament it is absolutely necessary to understand that all covenants are related to grace, and that the so-called distinction between conditional and unconditional covenants is also a slight misnomer.

c) God is party of the first part in these covenants and inasmuch as God cannot die, inasmuch as God possesses eternal life and it is impossible for Him to die, none of the covenants are a testament for the simplest reason ion the world: they all depend upon the promises or the word of the party of the first part who is God.

d) These covenants become effective on the basis of the Word of God, not the death of God. Relating death to God is blasphemous and represents a failure to understand His eternal nature and character.

e) While the new covenant, for example, does depend upon the spiritual death of Christ on the cross providing redemption, reconciliation and propitiation it is not activated because of His physical death.

f) To the contrary it is guaranteed by His resurrection, ascension and session.

g) Both berith in the Hebrew and diaqhkh in the Greek require a compact between two parties, with one party favouring the other.

h) All biblical covenants are made between God and man as the two parties involved, and always with God favouring man.

i) Each dispensation contains one or more covenants. The dispensation of the Gentiles contains the Adamic and Noahic covenants, whereas Israel contains the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Mosaic, Davidic covenants. The Church Age contains the New covenant to the Church. The Millennium contains the New covenant to Israel.

j) While some covenants to Israel have been classified as unconditional and others conditional this is a misnomer.

j) All covenants to Israel are gracious promises and provisions on the part of God, party of the first part, toward Israel as the undeserving party of the second part. Always Israel as party of the second part, whether believer or unbeliever, is in the position of being undeserving. Even, therefore, the Mosaic Law [covenant] is a gracious covenant.

2. General classification. There are really five basic covenants to Israel: the Abrahamic, the Palestinian, the Mosaic, the Davidic, the New.

3. The covenants of the Messianic line should never be confused with the covenants to Israel, except that on some occasions it is the same covenant. The Messianic line starts with Adam and goes all the way through to the end of time. Therefore the five covenants of the Messianic line:

a) The Adamic covenant — Genesis 2:15; 3:15. In its Messianic paragraphs it indicates that the seed of the woman, the humanity of Christ, will come from the seed of Adam. This leads to the biblical dissertation in the New Testament (covenant) in which we have the first and last Adam.

b) The Noahic covenant — Genesis 6:18; 8:21-9:17 — depicts the seed of the woman, the humanity of Christ, coming through the line of Noah and specifically through Seth.

c) The Abrahamic covenant, which while being a covenant to Israel is also a Messianic covenant, depicts the seed of the woman, the humanity of Christ , coming from the line of Abraham’s descent, and specifically through Judah.

d) The Davidic covenant: The seed of the woman, the humanity of Christ will come from the line of David, specifically through Bathsheba’s children, Solomon and Nathan.

e) The New covenant to Israel depicts the fact that the seed of the woman, the Lord Jesus, will return to the earth to reign for a thousand years (as well as forever), at which time the nation Israel will be restored and both the New covenant to Israel and the Davidic covenant will be fulfilled. In fact, the Abrahamic, the Palestinian, the Davidic and the New covenants to Israel will all be fulfilled. Only the Mosaic code is abrogated because the Mosaic covenant was a form of government without the reign of Jesus Christ, and both the first advent of Christ as well as the second advent of Christ abrogates the Mosaic covenant in different spheres.

4. The first of the covenants to Israel is called the Abrahamic covenant. It is a grace covenant as are all of them.

a) The Abrahamic covenant as an unconditional grace covenant depicts God as party of the first part making a favourable disposition to Abraham and to his progeny through Isaac and Jacob as party of the second part.

b) Part of the disposition of this covenant promises both a new race and, from that new race, a new nation — Israel.

c) The original three-paragraph covenant is found in Genesis 12:1-3.

d) It includes the promise of real estate or geographical location which eventually is expanded into a separate covenant — Genesis 13:14-16; 15:18-21.

e) It includes an eternal city, the heavenly Jerusalem — Revelation 21:2,20.

f) The covenant pertains to the seed of Abraham through the line of Isaac — Genesis 22:15-18.

g) The covenant was reconfirmed to Isaac in Genesis 26:3,4, and to Jacob in Genesis 28:13,14.

h) The covenant was the basis of forming the new nation after their deliverance from slavery — Exodus 6:2-8.

Remember that you never understand the Jew until you understand the covenants or the contracts that God has made with him; and that God of His own will was the initiator as party of the first part, and the Jew was always the beneficiary and recipient, often without even being aware that all of these benefits were accruing to him regardless of what kind of a person he was. They are all grace covenants.

5. The covenant of Moses.

a) Unlike all of the other covenants this one has party of the second part unbeliever mingled with believer — all Israel.

b) Unlike all other covenants it has both a spiritual and an establishment paragraph.

c) Therefore this covenant is classified as the national heritage covenant. The national heritage is spiritual and traditional from the laws of divine establishment. The Jews have the greatest national heritage of any nation that ever existed because their spiritual heritage is the basis of our very salvation. Their laws of divine establishment kept the Jews from ever having dark ages. Even the Greeks had 400 years of dark ages during the Dorian invasion. The Romans were born out of dark ages, and the Romans were still crude and rude when they were a powerful nation. They only came out of it by their contact with the Greeks.

d) The recipients of the Mosaic covenant, or party of the second part, is Israel — Exodus 19:3; Leviticus 26:46; Romans 3:19; 9:4.

e) This covenant was definitely and emphatically not given to the Gentiles — Deuteronomy 4:8; Romans 2:12-14. Nor was it given to the Church. It is a national covenant; the Church is not a nation — Acts 15:5, 24; Romans 6:14; Galatians 2:19.

f) The Mosaic covenant is classified under three categorical paragraphs: 1. The commandments, which are called in the KJV the moral code. These define human freedom in terms of the laws of divine establishment and they describe the basic principles of freedom in the birth of the nation Israel. 2. We have the biblical word “ordinances” to describe the spiritual code which provides a complete Christology for Israel emphasising the fact that believers are designed to function under establishment and doctrine resident in the soul. This is the spiritual heritage of Israel. 3. The judgements or the establishment code. The laws of divine establishment include the basis for freedom, privacy, taxation (tithing), military service, health and sanitation laws, diet and quarantine laws, criminal law.

g) Keeping the law was never a way of salvation, it was the means of living in the nation Israel. Under the principles of doctrine and establishment it was also the basis for national freedom as well as national prosperity.

h) This covenant was the authorising agent for the Levitical priesthood as well as for military and governmental offices. It was also the authorising agent for legislation and the judicial functions of the nation.

6. The real estate covenant (Palestinian). God has a piece of real estate promised out under this covenant to Israel.

a) God as party of the first part made a favourable grant of land to party of the second part, the nation Israel in the Millennium. This grant does not become effective until the Millennium.

b) The geographical boundaries of this grant are described in four passages, one of which is rather obscure: Genesis 15:18. The reason it is obscure is that it is more than Abraham could see. So we have Numbers 34:1-12; Deuteronomy 30:1-9; a confirmation in Joshua 1:3,4. In effect, the entire Middle East belongs to Israel in the future.

7. The Davidic covenant.

a) Party of the first part, God, makes a gracious disposition to party of the second part, David. The subject is rulership of Israel, the perpetuation of the Davidic dynasty.

b) This is part of David’s promotion. His dynasty under the rule of Jesus Christ will last forever.

c) The Davidic perpetuation of the monarchy will continue under two separate increments. He will rule over the southern kingdom for 400 years — BC 1004 to 586. He will rule approximately 72 years over the northern section — BC 998-926.

d) In addition to this David’s progeny in the person of Jesus Christ will rule Israel forever, and rule under the boundaries of the real estate/Palestinian covenant.

e) This Davidic covenant is the link between the first and the last Adam.

f) Through the first Adam sin came into the world.

g) Through the first advent the last Adam solved the sin problem on the cross.

h) Through the second advent the last Adam fulfills the Davidic covenant.

8. The New covenant (to Jeremiah).

a) This is known as the New covenant to Israel in distinction to the New covenant to the Church.

b) The Mosaic covenant was abrogated by the death, burial, resurrection, ascension and session of Christ which also interrupted the Jewish Age and inserted the Church Age.

c) The session of Christ calls for the formation of the royal family of God which was accomplished on the Day of Pentecost by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

d) The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the mechanical means of forming the royal family of God.

e) The New Covenant to the Church authorises the royal family priesthood in the inserted dispensation.

f) The dispensation of the Church and the abrogation of the Mosaic covenant was anticipated in the prophecy of Jeremiah which acts as a link between the Mosaic covenant and the Millennium. In other words, the Mosaic covenant was in operation during the Age of Israel, and with the cross, resurrection, ascension, and session the Mosaic covenant is abrogated. But there must be a link since Israel goes on in the Millennium and forever. So the Mosaic covenant is abrogated and a new covenant is set up in the Millennium called the new covenant to Israel. The abrogation of the Mosaic covenant sets up a new covenant in the inserted area, the Church Age, but that anticipates the next point.

g) In Jeremiah 31:31-34 the New covenant to Israel is revealed. This New covenant confirms the fulfillment of the Abrahamic, Palestinian, and Davidic covenants in the Millennium.

h) Therefore God as party of the first part provides a legacy for restored Israel in the Millennium, party of the second part.

i) The New covenant to Israel replaces the Mosaic covenant for the function of Israel’s priesthood in the Millennial temple. This function is authorised by the New covenant to Israel, no longer the Mosaic covenant — Ezekiel 40:40-48.

j) The blood of Christ is the basis for the spiritual legacy of Israel in the Millennium as well as the eternal state.

k) This New covenant to Israel is activated when David’s greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, comes again to the earth and establishes His Millennial reign. It is coterminous, then, with the Davidic covenant fulfillment.

9. The covenant of Israel’s dispersion. This is known as the new covenant to the Church. This time God as party of the first part makes a grace disposition in favour of party of the second part, all members of the royal family during the insertion dispensation or the Church Age. The New covenant to the Church is a spiritual legacy to the royal family of God and it also supersedes the Mosaic covenant. It authorises a new priesthood from the royal family which operates positionally in the real holy of holies. This New covenant ratified by God the Father is valid because of the blood of Christ and His efficacious spiritual death upon the cross provides the basis for entrance into this royal family and royal priesthood. So the mediator to the Church, then, is Jesus Christ.

Outline of 2 Samuel chapter 7.

Verses 1-7, David’s desire to build a temple. That is the background for the Davidic covenant. Verses 8-17, the Davidic covenant.

Verses 18-29, David’s response to the covenant.

1. Before the Davidic covenant can be revealed to David the ark must be returned to the tabernacle. The tabernacle must be completed by have the ark and the mercy seat in the holy of holies. This is accomplished in chapter six.

2. With the tabernacle completed David must desire a permanent residence for the sacred furniture portraying the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, he must desire to build a temple.

3. David must be refused permission to build a temple and given and given a greater and more enduring contract — the Davidic covenant.

4. Just one woman. Michal, must be eliminated from the Davidic covenant and the Davidic family.

The Davidic desire to build a temple. Of all things it comes out of another party in which David had a conversation with Nathan. Therefore in verses 1-3 we have a dialogue between king David and the royal chaplain, Nathan.

Verse 1 — “It came to pass” is the qal imperfect of hajah, indicating the beginning now of a new trend after the study of Michal.

“when the king sat in his house” — it should be translated “that the king dwelt [ki jasahab] prosperously in his castle.”

“and the Lord had given” — the hiphil perfect of the verb nuach. In the qal stem this verb means to breathe or to take a breath. In the hiphil stem it means to cause to rest, to give rest. This rest is the peaceful interlude after the first two wars. This is a time of relaxing between wars. It is a prosperous time because David has just won two wars: against the Jebusites and against the Philistines.

“round about” is literally, “on every side”’ “from all of his enemies” — referring to the Jebusites, the Philistines, and Michal as a domestic enemy now out of the picture. David is enjoying a totally peaceful interlude. Translation: “Now it came to pass that the king was living prosperously in his castle, and Jehovah had provided a peaceful interlude for him on every side from all his enemies.”

Summary

1. Here is one of those periods of prosperity which comes in the life of every supergrace believer. Every supergrace believer will have peaceful interludes or periods of great prosperity.

2. This was a time of refreshment, great happiness and great social life.

3. David passed the prosperity test by occupation with Christ. In other words, during this time he didn’t neglect Bible doctrine. He had all this fun and doctrine too.

4. It was David’s occupation with Christ in time of great prosperity which inspired him to initiate plans for the building of a temple to replace the tabernacle.

5. In the previous chapter — 6:15 — the ark of the covenant had been returned to Jerusalem. Verse 17 says, “So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tabernacle which David had pitched for it. Therefore David offered burn offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.” Notice at this time that David did not go beyond the brazen altar, he was not qualified to do so. 6. At this time the tabernacle was located in Jerusalem, but until the return of the ark it had been incomplete having only the altar, the laver, and the furniture of the holy place. The furniture of the holy of holies was missing.

7. So when David relocated the tabernacle next to castle Zion the holy of holies was empty. That means that they could not celebrate the feast of atonement. Now all of that has been changed by the return of the ark of the covenant.

8. Since boyhood with the sheep David had learned his doctrine from the tabernacle. An incomplete tabernacle was something he couldn’t stand. Now that the tabernacle was nearby, next to his castle, David in time of prosperity was thinking about it. In fact, never did a day pass without David seeing the tabernacle from the battlements of his castle, and never did a day pass without David thinking about Bible doctrine and the tabernacle as the source of his own original learning of doctrine. It is obvious now why David is passing the prosperity test.