David’s defeat of Goliath is one of the most storied accounts in Bible. However, there is more to the man who became King of Isra’el than five smooth stones and a sling shot.
David descended from the Tribe of Judah. His father, Jesse, settled in Bethlehem. As a young adolescent, David shepherded his family’s sheep, and while away from home, he spent his time alone playing the lyre and praising Adonai. After Adonai removed His Spirit from King Saul, he was tormented by an evil spirit that only the David’s music on the lyre could calm the king (1 Samuel 16:14).1 Samuel 16:14).
David became more established in Isra’el’s military after killing Goliath. Wherever King Saul sent the warrior David, he was successful in battle. When he returned from battles, the women would sing, “Sha’ul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18:4-7). David’s popularity with the Israelites caused King Saul to become jealous, and he tried to find ways to kill his nemesis.
David’s best friend was King Saul’s son, Jonathan. Scripture says that Jonathan loved David as his very self. They made a covenant with one another. Jonathan gave David his robe and armor symbolic of his willingness to release his claim to the throne succeeding his father (1 Samuel 18:1-4). David knew that King Saul wanted him dead and Jonathan helped him escape.
After Jonathan is killed in a battle with the Philistines, David remembers their covenant and offers to extend Adonai’s grace to anyone in his family. He is directed to Jonathan’s young lame son, Mephibosheth. David restores the child’s royal inheritance and brings him into the palace where he lived and ate at David’s royal table.
David became King of Isra’el when he was 30 years old. The northern ten tribes of Isra’el submitted to David’s rule creating a united kingdom. He conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites and established it as the capital of Isra’el. With dancing and celebration, he brought the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh to Jerusalem which became known as the City of David (2 Samuel 6:14-15).
As a warrior, he defeated the Philistines taking control of Gaza, Gath, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron. He defeated the Moabites, the Syrians, the Arameans, and the Ammonites.
David loved Adonai and wanted to build Him a house, but because he was a warrior, Adonai could not allow him to do so (1 Chronicles 22:8). Adonai promises David an eternal house, an eternal lineage with an eternal King on the throne.
2 Samuel 7:18-21
King David’s Prayer – Part 1
“Then David went in, sat before Adonai and said, “Who am I, Adonai Elohim; and what is my family, that has caused you to bring me this far? Yet in your view, Adonai Elohim, even this was too small a thing; so you have even said that your servant’s dynasty will continue on into the distant future. This is [indeed] a teaching for a man, Adonai Elohim — what more can David say to you? For you know your servant intimately, Adonai Elohim. It is for the sake of your word and in accordance with your own heart that you have done all this greatness and revealed it to your servant.”
King David sits before Adonai in awe of who He is and what He has prophetically promised to his family. The word ‘dynasty’ in Hebrew is bayit or ‘house’ meaning family lineage. In other words, the ‘House of David,’ his family’s lineage will continue into the distant future.
In the phrase that is translated “for you know your servant intimately,” are the two Hebrew letters alef and tav. These two letters are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet and occur throughout the Hebrew Scriptures as את or et. These two letters together have no specific meaning, however, Yeshua reveals that he is the alef and the tav, the beginning and the end in Revelation 21:6 and 22:13. Thus, whenever the et is found in the Scriptures, Yeshua is present. He is the One with whom King David has an intimate relationship.
David knows that he is being honored not because of his standing before Adonai, but because of Adonai Himself – for the sake of His Word and according to His own heart. David is humbled that Adonai would reveal such a great and wonderful thing to him.
Isra’el prophesied over his son, Judah, that his lineage would bring forth kings until the final king, King Messiah (Genesis 49:10). This prophesy becomes more specific with King David. The eternal King would descend directly from his family lineage through his son Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:9-10).
2 Samuel 7:22-24
King David’s Prayer – Part 2
“Therefore, you are great, Adonai, Adonai; for there is no one like you, and there is no Adonai besides you — everything we have heard confirms that. Who can be compared with your people, with Isra’el? What other nation on earth did Adonai set out to redeem and make into a people for himself? You made yourself a reputation by doing for your land things that even for you are great and terrifying, for the sake of your people whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt and from other nations and from their Adonais. You set up your people for yourself as your people forever; and you, Adonai, became their Adonai.”
Isra’el is a unique nation. No other nation can be compared to it. Adonai redeemed the descendants of Jacob for Himself from Egypt and from other nations. There is only one people of Adonai and all other nations join Isra’el in worship of yod-heh-vav-hey.
The Hebrew word for ‘one’ is echad and means ‘one from many.’ It is used for marriage in that the ‘two shall become echad.’ It may also be used for the nation of Isra’el – echad from many nations. Women like Rahab from Jericho and Ruth from Moab joined the olive tree nation and became part of the lineage of Messiah.
Forever Isra’el remains the unique people of Adonai. Forever is a long time; it is eternal. ’Forever’ or ‘eternal’ is olam in Hebrew and means ‘long duration, antiquity, and futurity.’ There is nothing that changes the status of the nation of Isra’el in the eyes of Adonai from antiquity to our day and into the future.
“This is what Adonai says: “If the sky above can be measured and the foundations of the earth be fathomed, then I will reject all the offspring of Isra’el for all that they have done,” says Adonai” (Jeremiah 31:37).
2 Samuel 7:25-27
King David’s Prayer – Part 3
“So now, Adonai, Adonai, establish forever the word you have spoken to your servant and his house; do what you have promised. May your name be magnified forever, so that it will be said, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot is Adonai over Isra’el, and the dynasty of your servant David will be set up in your presence.’ You, Adonai-Tzva’ot, Adonai of Isra’el, have disclosed to your servant, ‘I will build you a house.’ This is why your servant has the courage to pray this prayer to you.”
King David asks Adonai to establish the Word of promise He has spoken. The Hebrew for ‘word’ is devar and means to ‘speak, to proclaim, to command.’ According to John 1:14, the spoken Word of Adonai will arise and will be seen as the ‘divine presence.’ The spoken Word that became a human will become King over all the earth in the Messianic age. The spoken Word that became human is Yeshua.
The title Tzva’ot given to Adonai comes from the Hebrew word for ‘armies.’ In other words, Adonai is the Adonai of the angelic armies in the heavenly realm. Jacob sees the armies of Adonai ascending and descending the ladder into the heavenly realm in Genesis 32. Adonai commands His angels to protect His people from stumbling (Psalm 91:11). The vast heavenly army praises Adonai at the birth of Yeshua who is the Commander of Adonai’s armies (Luke 2:13, Joshua 5:14-15).
In the presence of Adonai Tzva’ot, David says he has the courage to pray because of Adonai’s faithfulness. Twice the alef and tav fall between the words in this phrase. The first is for the word ‘courage.’ Though the translation includes ‘courage’ in this passage, the actual word is not used. David literally states, “Your servant את (Yeshua) in his heart to pray to את (Yeshua).” Yeshua is in David’s heart and is the reason King David has ‘courage’ to pray to Adonai Tzva’ot.
David also prays for the name of Adonai be magnified forever. The Hebrew word for ‘magnify’ is gadol and means ‘to become great.’ The prophet Isaiah says the Messiah will grow up like a “tender shoot” (Isaiah 53:2)and Luke confirms that Yeshua grew in wisdom and stature among men and with Adonai (Luke 2:52).
2 Samuel 7:28-29
King David’s Prayer – Part 4
“Now, Adonai Elohim, you alone are Adonai; your words are truth; and you have made this wonderful promise to your servant. So may it please you to bless the family of your servant and thereby cause it to continue forever in your presence. For you, Adonai Elohim, have said it. May your servant’s family be blessed forever by your blessing.”
Only through the Truth of Adonai’s Word can a person be ‘set apart, sanctified and made holy’ to Adonai. King David proclaims the spoken Word of Adonai is Truth and there is no other. Centuries after King David, Yeshua confirms David’s words by saying that his followers are also sanctified by the spoken Word of Truth. “Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — your word is truth” (John 17:17).
David uses the Hebrew word devar or ‘word’ for ‘promise’ to show that the promises of Adonai are His spoken Word and His promises are the Truth found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Adonai promises that He will set David’s descendants apart from all other families in Isra’el.
David approaches Adonai with the words “may it please you to bless.” The word for ‘bless’ in Hebrew is barak and means ‘to kneel’. Blessings only come through Adonai because He is the only One with the power and authority in heaven or on earth to bless. His blessings are eternal because His Word is eternal.
Though David approaches the throne of Adonai with ‘courage,’ he kneels before Him in humility praying to receive the promises of Adonai. That phrase also contains the alef and tav or את. It comes between the words ‘bless’ and ‘the house’ showing that Yeshua is in the middle of the blessing for David’s house. It is only through Yeshua the House of David will continue forever in the presence of Adonai.
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