March 9, 2014

Son of David Bible Background • 1 SAMUEL 13:14; 2 SAMUEL 11-12; ACTS 13:22 Printed Text • PSALM 89:35-37; ISAIAH 9:6-7; MATTHEW 1:18-21 Devotional Reading • MARK 10:46-52

Aim for Change By the end of the lesson, we will: EXPLAIN how our personal decisions can benefit or negatively affect our lives and the lives of others; FIND comfort in knowing that God’s promises to us don’t expire; and PLAN to live for a higher purpose as a selfless act for God and for generations to come.

In Focus Holding red pens, Marc and Sonia flipped through the pages of names on their wedding invitation lists. When they originally compiled their lists, they thought all the names would be easily accepted by both sides of their families. They were wrong. Marc’s dad refused to attend the event if Uncle Anthony stayed on the list. Marc’s dad still held a grudge against his baby brother from a soured business deal that occurred over a decade earlier. Then there was Sonia’s mom, Katelyn. She was miffed that her twin sister, Rina, had been left off the list but her “crazy brother Perry” had been included. It didn’t matter that Aunt Rina was a missionary in Africa and had no plans on attending. As the families squabbled, Marc and Sonia slipped away. “How about eloping?” they said in unison. Family matters. That’s why it’s so important to make God-honoring decisions that positively impact our lives today and the lives of our descendants. What decisions do you regret making? Ask God to show you how to make amends—starting today.

Keep in Mind “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet” (from Matthew 1:21-22).

Focal Verses: KJV Psalm 89:35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. 36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. 37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Isaiah 9:6 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, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

NLT Psalm 89:35 I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie: 36 His dynasty will go on forever; his kingdom will endure as the sun. 37 It will be as eternal as the moon, my faithful witness in the sky! Isaiah 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! Matthew 1:18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The People, Places, and Times: Heavenly Bodies. In Psalm 89:36-37, David’s enduring legacy is likened to that of the sun and moon. As David’s seed, the birth of Jesus fulfilled the promise of an extraordinary lineage that would never expire. The significance was likely not lost on David. God made the sun, moon, and stars for specific purposes (Genesis 1:14-18; Psalm 104:19), and they serve as reminders of God’s promises. For instance, in Joseph’s dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars (representing his brothers) bowed down to him—a prophetic dream signaling Joseph’s future rule as secondin-command to Pharaoh (Genesis 37:9-11, 41:37-41, 42:6-9).

Background Saul, Israel’s first king, forfeited his throne due to sin and disobedience. The prophet Samuel informed Saul that God had stripped him of his office, saying, “But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14, NLT). That man was David. David was the youngest son of Jesse, a native of Bethlehem. While herding sheep, David had no idea that God planned for him to be not only a king of Israel, but the king whose descendant would prove to be the King of kings—Jesus. During his reign, David learned that personal decisions can benefit or hinder his own life and the lives of others. His obedience to, and reliance on, God led to numerous military victories, as well as seasons of peace for his descendants, especially during his son Solomon’s reign. Conversely, his sinful desire for Bathsheba caused him to commit adultery and then arrange her husband’s murder. Those events contributed to the death of the child born from their adulterous union (2 Samuel 11, 12:1-18). God mercifully brings about the birth of Solomon from this adulterous relationship. Despite David’s mistakes and sins, he was quick to repent and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. Centuries later, he was still remembered as a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22). David’s heart for God was rewarded with a promise of a perpetual kingdom. As God promised

David and as Isaiah prophesied, Mathew reported that the birth of Jesus fulfilled the traditional expectation that a descendant of David would be coming as the Savior.

At-A-Glance 1. God’s Promise (Psalm 89:35-37) 2. God’s Purpose (Isaiah 9:6-7) 3. God’s Plan (Matthew 1:18-21)

In Depth 1. God’s Promise (Psalm 89:35-37) After a period of rest, King David shared with the prophet Nathan a concern about the Ark of the Covenant’s temporary dwelling. Nathan gave David the prophetic word and vision he had received: “If he [David’s seed] commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him. … [T]hy throne shall be established for ever” (from 2 Samuel 7:14-16). God’s promise and David’s response (v. 25) were uttered before David committed adultery or had Uriah killed, before Tamar was raped, before Absalom was killed, and before other grievous situations in David’s life. Yet none of those events or others in ensuing years could break the promise of God. Rather, David’s “kingdom will endure as the sun. It will be as eternal as the moon” (from Psalm 89:36-37, NLT). The demonstration of God’s grace in David’s life is helpful for us. David, as flawed as he was, received God’s mercy. Likewise, our flaws, though not excuses to continue in sin, make us prime candidates for God’s mercy. Those of us who have put our trust in Jesus can stand on His promise to be with us always, even until the end of time (see Matthew 28:20). 2.

God’s Purpose (Isaiah 9:6-7)

God’s promise to David of an everlasting kingdom reveals His eternal purpose for mankind. Isaiah prophesied that one descendant “will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity” (from Isaiah 9:7, NLT). Jesus is the Davidic descendant purposed to forge the way for mankind to be forever united with God. David could not have imagined the Christ child born of a virgin, sinless and uniquely qualified to bring God’s salvation to mankind. Nonetheless, his selfless determination to live for God, despite his failings, made him an ideal ancestor. Likewise, when we live for a higher purpose than earthly glory, possessions, or authority, we build a strong spiritual foundation on which our descendants can stand. Thanks to our faith

in, and commitment to, Jesus Christ, they too can become heirs to the Davidic covenant and serve the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, NLT). 3.

God’s Plan (Matthew 1:18-21)

Matthew recorded that the birth of Jesus fulfilled the traditional expectation that a descendant of David would be coming as the Savior. This was God’s plan determined centuries before Jesus was born and centuries after he called David “a man after his own heart” (from 1 Samuel 13:14). Before the plan could manifest, David and his descendants experienced many personal trials that seemed to contradict the promise of God. These, however, could not derail the promise, purpose, or plan of God. Joseph’s contemplation to divorce Mary because of her pregnancy, if carried out, could have changed the course of history. But his obedience through the instruction of God’s servant— an angel mentioned in Matthew 1:20—ensured that God’s plan stayed on track. God places us in families for a divine purpose that supersedes the need for personal interactions. His ultimate goal is for us to live that others would know Christ (John 3:16).

Search the Scriptures 1. What did God swear to David, and why (Psalm 89:35-37)? 2. How did God change Joseph’s mind about marrying Mary (Matthew 1:19-20)?

Discuss the Meaning David’s actions both positively and negatively impacted his descendants. How did his commitment to God ensure that generations to come would experience the mercy and love of God? How are you ensuring the same for your descendants?

Lesson in Our Society There are times when a family experiences both the death of an aged loved one and the birth of a child within the same season. As grief and joy mingle together, how can believers share God’s purpose for the continuation of a family line by offering both consolation and celebration at such times?

Make It Happen David was able to trust God’s promises despite his personal failings. What besetting sin causes you to doubt God’s promises? Ask for God’s help in overcoming the sin once and for all. Use a print or online concordance to locate Scriptures related to God’s promises in that area and commit to memorizing them.

Follow the Spirit What God wants me to do:

Remember Your Thoughts Special insights I have learned:

More Light on the Text Psalm 89:35-37 35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. Psalm 89 is a song of praise. In the first eighteen verses, the psalm writer praised the Lord for His covenant made years earlier with David, making his descendants heirs to the throne always. Verses 35-38 are the Lord’s words affirming that promise. These verses are beautifully written as a “parallelism,” a literary feature common in the psalms that uses similar words and phrases to convey the same idea or sentiment in two or more lines. This particular passage is staged as a courtroom setting with the Lord as the defendant. The Lord swears (Heb. shaba, shaw-BAH) by His holiness (Heb. kadash, kaw-DASH) that this promise is guaranteed. To swear is to make an oath to tell the truth. In the United States, witnesses in courtrooms often must swear to tell the truth under the penalty of being jailed or paying a fine. As children, some of us would say “If I’m lyin’, I’m flyin’” as evidence that our testament is the truth. The Hebrew for “I will not lie” is literally “If I lie.” The Lord swears that what He has promised is assured because He cannot lie (Heb. kazab, kaw-ZAB); it is not in His character. Just as the children’s oath means that if they are lying then the impossible (flying) will occur, the Lord is saying that, because He is holy, what He promised to David is the absolute truth. 36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. As if to emphasize the trustworthiness of the Lord’s word in verse 35, the psalmist offered further testament to the promise to David. The Lord declared that David’s seed (Heb. zera, ZEHrah) shall endure (Heb. hayah, haw-YAW) forever (Heb. olam, o-LAWM). The verb translated “endure” in the King James Version is literally “to live” in Hebrew. David’s seed or lineage shall always be in existence and his throne (Heb. kisse, kis-SAY) shall last as long as the sun exists. As a people who were confident that the sun shone each day, they could trust that David’s descendants would reign as long. The two lines using similar language to express the continuity of David’s line are an example of parallelism.

37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Verse 37 continues this literary feature with the addition of the moon in parallel with the sun as a testament to the endurance of David’s line. Just as the Lord placed the sun above, so also the Lord established (Heb. kun, KOON) the moon as a trustworthy (Heb. aman, am-AN) witness (Heb. ed, ayd). Not everyone called on to attest to the reliability of another’s statement is dependable. Some witnesses are unreliable for various reasons, and some deliberately bear false witness. Recent studies have cast doubt on eyewitness accounts. However, the visibility of the sun and moon in the sky each day and evening as an assurance of the Lord’s faithfulness surely resonated with the psalmist’s audience that a descendant of David would remain on the throne. Isaiah 9:6-7 6 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, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The first two lines of verse 6 are another example of parallelism. “A child is born” and “a son is given” convey the same idea, emphasizing the importance of this birth. The prophet Isaiah saw in a vision that this child had already been born and bore the government (Heb. misrah, misRAW) upon His shoulder. The word translated “government” in the King James Version (also New Living Translation and New International Version; “authority” in the New Revised Standard Version) means “rule” or “dominion.” The passage uses Judean royal language found in the psalms (e.g. Psalm 2, 45:6) to refer to the enthronement of a descendant of David on the throne. The “royal psalms” sing of God’s chosen earthly representative to implement His universal rule and sovereignty. The various titles attributed to this future leader—Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—were words of praise bestowed on a king at his coronation. Implicit in these titles is the notion that the king or ruler was divine, or at least a representative of the divine. This ruler, whom God promised to Israel, is from the line of David, embodies God’s presence with His people, and has His attributes. We can expect such a wonderful ruler to be discerning, protective, assuring, and able to bring the world peace forever. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. The Hebrew word for “increase” (marbeh, mar-BEH) also means abundance. Isaiah prophesied that with the ascension of David’s descendant to the throne, his kingdom will be enlarged and peace will have no end (kets, kates). His government will be founded on justice (Heb. mishpat, mish-PAWT) and sustained by righteousness (Heb. tzedekah. tsed-aw-KAW) until the end of time (Heb. ad, ad). Justice is a term we usually associate with the act of deciding

a case by a judge. A judge who is righteous executes right judgments. But we live in troublesome times, much like those during which the prophet Isaiah prophesied. Even so, we can be assured that there is a King on the throne who rules heaven and earth with righteousness now and forever. The Lord’s “zeal” (Heb. qinah, qin-AW), also translated “jealousy,” will bring about this vision because of His concern for the people and their welfare. Matthew 1:18-21 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Matthew referred to Jesus by His title “Christ” (Gk. Christos, khris-TOS), the Greek transliteration for the Hebrew “messiah” (mashiah, maw-SHEE-akh), which means the “anointed one.” In the Old Testament, kings and priests were anointed with oil as a sign of their appointment as God’s earthly representatives. Matthew’s use of the title suggests that he believed that Jesus was the expected Messiah, the anointed one from the line of David, whom God sent into the world to bring salvation to His people. Matthew emphasized the divinity of Jesus by describing His birth—He was born to a virgin named Mary, who was found to be with child through the aid of the Holy Spirit. The specialness of this birth is explained by the fact that she was “espoused” (Gk. mnesteuo, mnace-TYOO-o, also translated “betrothed,” or “engaged”) to Joseph, which meant she had been promised in marriage to him but had not yet been taken from her father’s household to his family’s household. This happened during the period of time between the engagement and the marriage ceremony, after which the relationship could be sexually consummated. During the time of being “espoused,” young girls remained at their homes with other female relatives, and male relatives chaperoned them in public to protect their virginity from being taken before the marriage. If a male other than the girl’s husband had sexual relations with her, it would bring dishonor to both her and her husband’s family. Mary’s visible pregnancy during this time of being espoused obviously suggested that she had sexual relations—and Joseph knew that it hadn’t been with him. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. Joseph’s discovery of Mary’s condition left him with few options, none of which would bode well for Mary. He could expose her publicly (Gk. deigmatiso, digh-mat-ID-zo), which would bring great shame to her family and be an example to other families of what happens when unmarried daughters are not properly supervised. He could present evidence to the town elders of her lack of virginity before they had consummated their marriage and have her brought to the entrance of her father’s house to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:13-21). Or, he could

end the engagement quietly. Joseph was a “just” (Gk. dikaios, DIK-ah-yos) man, which means he was a righteous man who was in a right relationship with God. Therefore, he chose the latter option. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. The angel who appeared to Joseph in a dream referred to him by his family name, “son of David,” affirming Jesus’ humanity and tracing His lineage to King David. The angel informed Joseph that he did not need to fear (Gk. phobeo, fob-EH-o) taking Mary as his wife. The angel assured Joseph that Mary had not been unfaithful to him; the child she was carrying had been conceived (Gk. gennao, ghen-NAH-o) by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. The angel’s message confirmed all that was written in verse 18 about Jesus: The child Mary was carrying would be the Christ, the Messiah, promised from the line of David, who would bring salvation to His people. His name, Jesus (Gk. Iesous, ee-ay-SOOCE), the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Yehoshua (Heb. yeh-ho-SHOO-ah), shortened to Joshua, is Hebrew for “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.” Salvation from what? “Their sins.” Sin (Gk. hamartia, ham-ar-TEE-ah) literally means to forfeit or have no part of something for having missed the mark. We fall short of God’s standards, but through Jesus, the world is saved from their sins.

Say It Correctly: Bathsheba. bath-SHEE-bah. Absalom. AB-suh-luhm.

Daily Bible Readings: MONDAY A Son Named Emmanuel (Matthew 1:22-25) TUESDAY The King of the Jews

(Matthew 2:1-6)

WEDNESDAY Is This the Son of David? (Matthew 12:15-23) THURSDAY Hosanna to the Son of David (Matthew 21:12-17) FRIDAY Whose Son Is the Messiah? (Matthew 22:41-45) SATURDAY Following the Son of David (Mark 10:46-52) SUNDAY The Son of David (Psalm 89:35-37; Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 1:18-21)