An earthly kingdom is a territory or domain governed by a king (or queen). He has absolute authority and influence over a people and has a responsibility to his subjects for their wellbeing. His dominion and authority are absolute. He isn't voted into nor out of office or power. His sovereignty is by right of birth into the ruling family. The same is true of a king's lordship. All kings are automatically lords – someone having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler. It is this quality of lordship that distinguishes a king from a president, a prime minister, a mayor or a governor. In fact, a king's lordship makes him different from any other kind of human leader.
A king relates to dominion, while a lord relates to domain. The word dominion refers to the king's authority--his power. The word domain refers to the territory, the property, the geographical area over which his authority extends. Thus a king exerts dominion within his domain. Kings personally own the physical domain over which they hold dominion.
- A king and lord--a sovereign ruler
- A territory--a domain
- A constitution--a royal covenant
- A citizenry--a community of subjects
- The law--acceptable principles
- Privileges--rights and benefits
- A code of ethics--acceptable lifestyles and conducts
- An army--security
- A commonwealth--economic security, and
- A social culture--traditions, protocol and procedures
The King is the embodiment of the kingdom, representing its glory and nature. The kingdom is a reflection of the king. Authority flows from the king and the word of the king is supreme.
The Territory is the domain over which the king exercises total authority. The territory and its resources and people are all personal property of the king. The king by right owns all and, therefore, is considered lord over all.
The Constitution is the covenant of a king with his citizens and expresses the mind and will of the king for his citizens and the kingdom. It is the king's written governing laws, rights, and privileges for his people. The Bible contains the constitution of the Kingdom of God, which details His will and mind for His citizens. The Bible is God's Constitution for His citizens in the Kingdom.
The Citizenry is, collectively, the people that live under the rule of the king. Citizenship in a kingdom is not a right, but a privilege, and is a result of the king's choice. The benefits and privileges of a kingdom are only accessible to citizens and therefore the favor of the king is always a privilege. The number one goal of a citizen in a kingdom is to be subject to the king, seeking only to remain in right-standing with him. This is called righteousness.
The Law constitutes the standards and principles established by the king himself, by which his kingdom will function and be administered. The laws of a kingdom are to be obeyed by all, including foreigners residing in it. Violations of kingdom law place a citizen at odds with the king and thus interrupt the favorable position one enjoys with the king. The laws in a kingdom cannot be changed by the citizens, nor are they subject to a culture change, citizen referendum or debate. Simply put, the word of the King is law in his kingdom. Rebellion against the law is rebellion against the king.
The Privileges of a Kingdom are the benefits the king lavishes on his faithful citizens. This aspect of kingdom is very different from other forms of government. In a kingdom, citizenship is always desired by the people because, once you are in the kingdom, the king is personally responsible for you and your needs. In addition, because the king owns everything within his kingdom, he can give to any citizen any or all of his wealth as he desires.
A Code of Ethics is the acceptable conduct of the citizens in the kingdom and their representation of the kingdom. This code includes moral standards, social relationships, personal conduct, attitude, attire and manner of life.
The Army is the kingdom's system of securing its territory and protecting its citizens. It is important to understand that in a kingdom the citizens as individuals do not fight, but enjoy the protection of the army. This is why, in the Kingdom of God, the angels are called the host of heaven. The word host means army. A careful study of the biblical constitution of God's Word will show that the church, as Jesus established it, is not identified as an army but rather a citizenship, a family of sons and daughters, and a nation.
Throughout history, we’ve seen empires, dynasties, and kingdoms come and go. As of 2024, there are 43 sovereign statesin the world with a monarch as head of state. There are 13 in Asia, 12 in Europe, 9 in the Americas, 6 in Oceania, and 3 in Africa.
Today we study God’s Promise of a King from 2 Samuel 7:8-16.
For some 480 years God lived among his chosen people. Since the time of Moses the nation of Israel had witnessed YHWH living in a tent – a tabernacle. Even after moving into God's land of promise the tabernacle remained God's residence among God's chosen people.
After David became the king of the nation of Israel, he desired to build a permanent house for God that he believed God deserved. A tabernacle is a tent for a wandering people moving about in the world. At temple is intended to be a more permanent HOME that is NOT intended to be 
moved about in the world. David desired to build a magnificent temple to YHWH as other temples had been constructed around the world. Remember, the Israelites were well versed in the presence of Egyptian Temples, and those of their neighboring peoples, so they wanted to glorify God with a suitable monument.
moved about in the world. David desired to build a magnificent temple to YHWH as other temples had been constructed around the world. Remember, the Israelites were well versed in the presence of Egyptian Temples, and those of their neighboring peoples, so they wanted to glorify God with a suitable monument.
Instead, YHWH gave a promise that God would build a dynasty for David, a dynasty that culminated in the promised Messiah. This is called the Davidic covenant, and is what we look at here.
2 Samuel 7:8-9
8 “So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.
9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a great name for you like that of the greatest on the earth.
God was giving Nathan the words to deliver to King David. Nathan was tasked as God’s prophet to announce the next revelatory step in God’s plan for His covenant people. Nathan, like Moses earlier, was not to editorialize or augment anything to what the Lord had spoken.
God began by reminding David of how He had been present in and worked through David’s life. The Lord had blessed David tremendously up to this point, and God wanted David to remember everything. It was all God’s blessing, favor, and initiative that had charted David’s course from a shepherd in the fields of Bethlehem to a king ruling over God’s people from the city of Jerusalem. Through His actions on David’s behalf, God had demonstrated to David His abiding presence in David’s life. God could use David not because of his intellect or military/political skills but simply because David was His faithful servant.
God had chosen David to be king in place of Saul when David was still a shepherd of his father’s sheep. David literally had to be brought in from the fields around Bethlehem so he could be anointed by God’s prophet Samuel. God made him ruler, a term referring to a commander who goes before his people; it also has the meanings of captain, chief, governor, leader, noble, prince, and ruler.
God chose David to be the second king of Israel, replacing the faithless Saul.
The name Saul means ‘asked for’. The Israelite people were constantly ‘asking’ for God’s help when something went wrong in their daily lives. More than "a leader" they wanted a "decision maker" to tell them what to do. They wanted an earthly lord who would take care of them. They begged Samuel for the appointment of a king to rule over and lead them, and God rewarded them with Saul as a king. Saul is described as being a handsome, younger man who was ‘one of a kind’. Saul projected the appearance of a king in his physical appearance. He was tall and had broad shoulders, and the Benjaminite tribe was known to be great warriors and have prevailing and astonishing war tactics unlike any others.
The Israelite people desired to subject themselves to a human power who would direct them in the ways they should go. They wanted a king like all the other nations surrounding them so that the glory and power of Israel would be on display and so that the king would defend his dominion on their behalf. God heard their requests and did not like it because He, himself, was supposed to be the ruler and director of their actions. Because they turned their backs upon God, God allowed them their wish by anointing for them a handsome young king with a reputation for warfare instead of turning them over into the hands of another nation as he had previously done.
God chose Saul but Saul ends up eventually turning against God himself. According to the meaning of Saul’s name, his role as a kingly role model was doomed before he was even anointed. You asked for it you got it! The people kept turning against God's ways and wishes so God decided to give them what they wanted, an apparently handsome and strategic, yet unworthy king that eventually led them all to destruction.
The events of David’s life had not been coincidence or happenstance. God’s providence had been at work. God had been with David wherever he went. Just as God had accompanied Israel on their journeys, he had also been with David, guiding and protecting him. When David went against Goliath, stood against the Philistines, fled from Saul, and ran from his son Absalom, God was with him. God had never abandoned David, and now He promised him the greatest assurance of all in relation to his son Solomon and his future descendants.
God prepared to deliver to David three great promises for the future. The Lord intended to fulfill that promise to Abraham through David, by making his name great. The Lord had destroyed all of David’s enemies. Although David may have been the human instrument, there was no doubt that it was by the hand of God that his enemies had been eliminated.
This verse perhaps serves as a contrast with David’s original plan—to build a great house for the Lord. God indicated to David that He did not need such an impressive earthly structure; He already had a living building in which He would dwell, namely the life of David.
David’s name (his reputation as a great king) would be made great like the names of the greatest men who ever lived. It would be through David and his descendants that the Messiah would come.
God promised that a designated land for the Kingdom of Israel would be established and maintained.
2 Samuel 7:10-11
10 I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them, so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done
11 ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. “‘The Lord declares to you: The Lord himself will make a house for you.
This is another link to the Abrahamic covenant. The children of God would no longer be sojourners, as they had been during the years of the exodus. God would establish them in the land He had promised to them through the patriarchs. God’s people would be planted where they could lay down roots, growing and flourishing under the guidance and protection of the Lord. They would live as God’s covenant people in the land that He had given them to possess.
But to Abraham and David’s descendants there were stipulations. They had to observe and live God's rules and regulations of God's kingdom. The nation had to walk in the Lord’s way and keep His commandments. When they failed, they were taken into captivity. So, the promise that God’s people would not be disturbed again has not yet been fulfilled. This verse has its ultimate fulfillment in the eternal reign of Jesus Christ. If we LIVE by the stipulations of God's Dominion we enjoy the benefits of God’s goodness. When we live by human dominion we are choosing the course (curse) of human harmfulness. In Jesus the ultimate outcome of our life is ultimate goodness.
The nations choosing to live as archaic humanity did would attack, subdue, and enslave the Israelites when that people chose not to live by God’s words and ordinances. The Israelites’ possession of the promised land was conditional on their obedience to living holy lives before God.
During the time of the judges and throughout their history, the Israelites experienced conflict and war with other nations as God would inflict punishment and judgment on Israel. Although the people experienced periods of relative peace interspersed between conflicts and wars, a lasting, eternal peace is still a future event.
God’s promise of rest in verse 11 echoes His words in the previous verse. Although David did experience periods of peace during his reign, the promise here also refers to a future period of extended peace for God’s people during the reign of God’s Messiah.
The Temple of the God of Agape was indeed constructed, but it was by Solomon (man of peace) who surpassed by peace even the doings of his father who had accomplished through warfare.
Next we see that God does indeed make this a permanent covenant.
2 Samuel 7:12-16
12 When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He is the one who will build a house for my name,
and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and blows from mortals.
15 But my faithful love will never leave him as it did when I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16 Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’”
God will place His King over an everlasting kingdom. While David would eventually die, God promised that David’s kingdom would not end with his death. He promised that David’s
dynasty would endure. This verse also emphasizes the involvement of God in historical times and events.
This reference’s immediate fulfillment appears to be Solomon and by extension David’s line. In this verse, part of what God promised related to Solomon, some to the rest of David’s descendants, and ultimately to Jesus.
God had firmly established the nation of Israel. Through David’s son Solomon, God would extend the borders of Israel even farther. The establishment of this kingdom continued the promise God originally made to Abraham. David’s son Solomon (man of peace) would eventually construct the first temple in Jerusalem in which God’s presence would reside among His people. And did so until the Babylonian diaspora.
The house, kingdom, and throne are the three elements which make up the Davidic covenant—a house for David, a throne for David, and a kingdom for David. God promised a house, or a dynasty, whereby David’s descendants would always sit upon the throne of Israel. The word translated forever emphasizes the fact that this particular dynasty of David’s offspring would never end. The use of the qualifier “forever” makes it clear that God’s promise also pointed well beyond the years and reign of Solomon to the Messiah who would come from the line of David.
To be clear, it didn’t mean the line would be without breaks. The Babylonian captivity and the scattering of Jews were interruptions in the line. However, the Lord promised that the privilege of ruling Israel as a king would always belong to David’s descendants. Ultimately this points to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment of everything that was promised to David. He is the eternal King that was promised, He is a descendant of David, and He will reign forever on the throne of David.
God would use human agents (men, rulers, armies) to deliver His divine chastisement of Israel’s kings and people. This reality is demonstrated by the nation’s history. The Assyrians would eventually take the Northern Kingdom of Israel into captivity in 722 BC, while the Babylonians would do the same to the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586 BC.
But through it all God said "My faithful love will never leave him". Although David and his descendants would sin and thus incur God’s discipline, God’s faithful love for them would never cease. While the king’s and people’s sins may have resulted in temporary correction from God, God would not remove His love from them.
God removed His loving grace from King Saul due to his willful disobedience to God’s commands. “God’s rejection of Saul’s position of authority was caused by Saul’s rejection of God’s authoritative Word.” Saul’s kingship ended in a battle with the Philistines on Mount Gilboa in which he and his three sons were slain.
The kings of the nation of Israel failed, and their reigns ended. However, this promise was and is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, the greatest King of David’s line who will sit upon the throne of David and reign over His kingdom forever. The “house,” “kingdom,” and “throne” of David will endure forever. For there is no question that King David’s descendants are alive today.
King David’s initial dynasty came to an end with the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian Exile. In an earlier expulsion King Jehoiachin was exiled by Nebuchadnezzar, together with his family and several thousand of the Torah scholars and higher classes. Eleven years later the Temple was destroyed, and the final king of Judah, Jehoiachin’s uncle Zedekiah, was too exiled to Babylonia. He was blinded and his children were executed.
However, Jehoiachin and his descendants did survive in exile. Babylonian cuneiform records actually attest to Jehoiachin and his family receiving food rations from the government and likewise lists several generations of his descendants (either 9 or 15 generations), which would have extended well into the Second Temple era. (One was the notable Zerubbabel, grandson of Jehoiachin, who was one of the leaders of the return to Zion and the construction the Second Temple.)
In Babylonia, the leader of the Jewish community was known as the “head of the exile,” or the Exilarch. According to Jewish tradition, the Exilarch was a direct descendant of Jehoiachin. A book from the Middle Ages lists 39 generations of Exilarchs beginning with Jehoiachin. The position of Exilarch lasted for many centuries. The last one known to history was Hezekiah, who was killed in 1040 by the Babylonian authorities, although he was believed to have had sons who escaped to Iberia. There are likewise later historical references to descendants of the Exilarchs, especially in northern Spain (Catelonia) and southern France (Provence). Beyond that, there is no concrete evidence as to the whereabouts of King David’s descendants.
But as Christian believers WE know who the Davidic Dynasty passed to. WE know that the was raised into eternal life. WE know that if we become citizens of HIS kingdom and follow HIS constitutional (Biblical) authority and his directions (Holy Spirit) we may learn to be useful subjects of the Kingdom of God and his eternal king from the line of King David.
We have God’s promise of an eternal king.
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