God’s Covenant with David – Children’s Search the Scripture Lesson 29

“And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever”

2 Samuel 7:16 (Memory Verse)

David courageously fought against the Philistines, the enemies of the children of Israel, God’s chosen race. God gave him complete victory and Israel dwelt in peace. He then planned to build a befitting dwelling place for the ark of God, which represented divine presence to the children of Israel. He sought the counsel of Prophet Nathan who gave him approval, but God refused the proposal.

It is important to seek God’s approval before embarking on any project like admission to secondary school or higher institution, choosing friends or relocating to another place. There is nothing bad in seeking counsel from your pastor and teachers in the church but God must confirm everything. God has His own plan for each of us and, for you in particular. He has set the appropriate time and how to execute it. Do not run ahead of Him. Only believe and fear Him.

1. GOD’S COVENANT WITH PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE

2 Samuel 7:1-12; Genesis 9:8-17; 12:1-3; Jeremiah 31:33,34; 32:38-41

The dictionary defines covenant as a binding agreement or contract. It is a bargain, a pledge between two people or more. For example, when you are seeking admission to a school, your parents have to agree with the proprietor of the school on certain terms before you are admitted. From the time of creation, God had been making covenant with His people. He has always kept His own part of the covenant but man has failed repeatedly to keep his part. We shall examine some examples of the covenants in the Bible.

1. God made the covenant of the rainbow with Noah after the floods. He promised that He would never destroy the earth with floods again. So it is today and forever (Genesis 9:8-17).
2. Covenant with Abraham. (i) In Genesis 12:1-3, God promised to make Abraham a great nation and bless all nations of the earth through him (Galatians 3:14). (ii) In Genesis 17:7,10-13, God made the covenant of circumcision with Abraham that every male child should be circumcised on the eighth day of his birth.
3. Covenant of peace with Phinehas who was zealous for the Lord and made atonement for the children of Israel, thereby averting God’s punishment on them (Numbers 25:6-13). As you surrender your life to Jesus, you must also fight against evil, lawlessness and other bad things in your school and community.
4. The new covenant with Israel (Jeremiah 31:33-36). God promised to write His word in the heart of the children of Israel that they would keep His commandments and He would be their God.

God is faithful to all His promises and covenants. He will do what He has promised you (Deuteronomy 7:9; 1 Corinthians 1:9). You must emulate the children of Israel who made a covenant with God to obey Him and enjoy His blessings during the time of Moses and Joshua (Exodus 24:7; Joshua 24:24). God’s grace will be sufficient for you to do His will at all times.

2. GOD’S COVENANT WITH DAVID

2 Samuel 7:1-17; 1 Chronicles 17:1-15; Psalm 89:20-37

This covenant is also called the “Davidic covenant”. David decided to build a house for God. He compared the beautiful house he was living in with the tent in which the Ark of God was placed. God refused David’s offer to build a house for Him. Instead, God decided to make a covenant with David to build a house for him. What love and mercy! God had been good to David by:

1. Exalting him from a shepherd boy to a king (2 Samuel 7:8).
2. Being with him everywhere he went, defeating his enemies and giving him all around victory and peace.
3. Making him great and renowned like many prominent people in the world.
4. Promising a secure land for the children of Israel and protection from afflictions of their enemies forever.

Then God made the covenant with him that He would give him a kingdom and build a house for him. That is, David’s family would continue to serve God and David’s son, Solomon, would build the temple to fulfil the first part of the covenant. The remaining part of the covenant concerns Jesus Christ. He came into the world through the lineage of David (Matthew 1:6-16). He is our Messiah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The reign of Jesus will continue in the millennium and after the millennium, for His kingdom has no end (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:31-33). David showed his appreciation to God after receiving these great promises from Him (2 Samuel 7:18-29). He worshipped and praised Him for being favourable to him. His heart was overwhelmed with praises. This teaches us that we must praise God at all times so that His blessings will abound in our lives.

3. GOD’S COVENANT WITH HIS CHILDREN

2 Samuel 7:10,16; Jeremiah 31:33,34; 32:38-40; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; Hebrews 8:10; 1 Peter 2:9

God, in His love, mercy and faithfulness, has made various covenants with all His children. Covenant of:

1. Pardon (1 John 1:9; Jeremiah 31:33,34)
2. Peace (Ezekiel 34:25,26)
3. Healing (Exodus 15:26)
4. Prosperity (Philippians 4:19; Psalm 112:3)
5. Provision and success (Deuteronomy 28:13)
6. Supernatural blessings of the Spirit (Ezekiel 36:25-27), and others such as purity, power, signs and wonders.

To enjoy these blessings (spiritual, material, physical, academic and health), you will first make a covenant of peace with God. All sinful children have come short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). So, you have to accept all that Jesus did for you on the cross at Calvary by making peace between you and God. Then, believe His promise of forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:7,9), repent, confess your sins and ask for His forgiveness and cleansing in the blood of Jesus. Invite Jesus to live in your heart as your Saviour, Lord and Friend (Revelation 3:20). Then continue to pray, read and think on God’s word (Joshua 1:8; 1 Peter 2:2), and be regular at fellowship (Hebrews 10:25). Share God’s love with others as you evangelize and shine by your godly Christlike character everywhere you go (Matthew 5:16).

God will always do His part and even much more than He did for David because of His new and everlasting covenant through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 13:20,21). Trust in His mercy and faithfulness.

QUESTIONS

1. What does ‘covenant’ mean?
2. What covenant did the children of Israel make with God in Joshua 24:24?
3. In the covenant with David, what three things did God promise him?
4. How did David show appreciation to God?
5. The new covenant is made by the __________ of __________.
6. How can sinful boys and girls make a covenant of peace with God?

BIBLE WORD SEARCH

Find the meaning of these words. You can use your dictionary:

1. Covenant
2. Tabernacle
3. Sheepcote
4. Exaltation
5. Confirm