Christ: The Promised King
Advent Week 4:
1 Chronicles 17:1-14
Merry Christmas! And as we celebrate Christmas, we join with the angels in the sky declaring, “Glory to the newborn king!” Indeed, we know Jesus bears the title King of kings, Lord of lords. And we’re reminded of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus that echoes the Scriptures in declaring that, “He shall reign forever and ever! Hallelujah!” What a mighty declaration that is both simple yet incredibly profound. And yet it is not as simple as making a statement that Christ is King. There have been many men throughout history who have ascended to places of power and declared themselves to be almighty ruler. As reformed protestants, our history is rooted in the recognition of one such usurpation found within the papal office. If I declare that I am king of the world from this pulpit, it doesn’t make it so. If I declare that I have the historical authority to rule as king of the world, it does not make it true. But with Jesus, he is King. He does have all authority. He is sovereign Lord. And our Almighty God, in order to help us understand the full ramifications of that reality, laid down Biblical promises and prophecies to prepare us to receive our eternal King, the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ.
As we study this passage, we must recognize that this passage, along with 2 Samuel 7, detail the Davidic covenant. A tremendous amount of time has passed since God’s covenant with Abraham. Nearly 1000 years. Around 400 years have passed since the LORD instituted the Passover and lead Israel out of Egypt. All through this time, God never forgot his promises, and has been building his house of Israel up to the point where they would be prepared for a king. In fact, a king was always in the plans.
Genesis 49:10 (NKJV) The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him [shall be] the obedience of the people.
Deut 17:14-20 (God’s requirements for a king)
But in the time of Samuel, the people asked for a king - not because they wanted a man to reign over them in service to the Lord, but in order to lead them like the kings of the other nations. And so Saul was given to them as a judgment. Though he started out strong, Peter Leithart notes that he sinned in 3 ways: 1) against God when he impatiently offered a sacrifice without waiting for Samuel, 2) against Israel when he commanded them to fast during the battle, 3) when he spares the life of king Agag and takes plunder against the Word of the Lord. As a result, God removes the kingdom from Saul, and passes it onto David, a man after his own heart.
Immediately, David shows himself a better king than Saul, confronting Goliath who was dressed in scaled armor like a serpent and crushing his head - a foreshadowing of what our mighty King Jesus would do to Satan on the cross. And suffering through many trials and humiliating circumstances for 10 years, David finally ascends to the throne after Saul kills himself in battle, and he begins to establish the kingdom. We come to this passage shortly after David has victoriously brought the Ark of the Covenant up from Obed-Edom’s house, and established it in Jerusalem. David makes the declaration to Nathan of his heart’s desire to build a house for Yahweh, and as a result, Yahweh makes a promise that finds its final fulfillment in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Promised King who is established in God’s House and Kingdom forever!
Sermon preached at Covenant Heritage Reformed Church on December 18, 2022. A great deal of this sermon prep was done from Peter Leithart’s book, A House for My Name.