The importance of the Line of David

Question 1

When did David live

Answer 1

Around 1000 BCE when the 12 tribes of Israel are coming together as a Kingdom

Question 2

How did he become King

Answer 2

Began life as a humble shepherd boy from Bethlehem but was taken into the court of Saul, Israel’s first King. When the Kingdom was split by civil war, he led the resistance against Saul. After Saul was murdered David became King

Question 3

Positive aspects of his reign

Answer 3

Founded the United Monarchy, ruling over all Israelites

He made Jerusalem his capital and brought that Ark of the Covenant there to act as the centre of worship

His reign is looked back upon as a ‘Golden Age’ of just rule and pure religion

David is a sort of ideal: a great warrior, poet and muscisian, a deeply sincere believer and a romantic.

He is credited with writing many of the Psalms - the intense religious poems in the OT that are often sung in churches

Question 4

His fall from grace

Answer 4

He disgraced himself when he fell in love with a married woman and arranged for her husband to die in battle so he could marry her. The prophet Nathan condemned him for this, and although David repented his rule was tainted. His family was split by plotting and betrayal and his two sons went to war over his Kingdom

Question 5

Why is he such an important OT figure

Answer 5

Huge positive qualities but huge flaws. Brave, reckless and imaginative; has a great capacity for repentence when he sins and a genuine faith in God

However, he was a poor father, could be selfish and let power corrupt him in the end. Nevertheless, he remains the best King of the Jews and is looked back on as an ideal warrior, ruler and believer

Question 6

Which of his sons inherited his Kingdom after the civil war

Answer 6

Solomon

Question 6

Describe Solomon’s rule

Answer 6

His rule continued Israel’s ‘Golden Age’ and he built the first temple in Jerusalem to act as the centre of Judaism. Offered any gift he wished by God he chose wisdom and God blessed him for this choice. Like David he became corrupted by power and wealth

Question 7

What happened after his death

Answer 7

His death triggered a civil war and the united kingdom split into two smaller kingdoms: Judah in the south, centred around Jerusalem, and Israel in the north, centred around Samaria

Question 8

How long did the era of divided monarchy last

Answer 8

200 years

Question 9

What happened to the northern kingdom

Answer 9

Various families claimed the throne and then lost it until 722 BCE, when the Assyrians invaded. Its scattered pop became known as the ten lost tribes of Israel. Some of the survivors went on the become the samaritans who Jesus rejected the usual hostility towards from the Jews

Question 10

What happened to the southern kinddom

Answer 10

Much more stable and ruled for over 300 years by ‘The House of David’, a line of Kings descended from David, making it one of the longest reigning dynasties in history

Question 11

Explain the debate around whether David and the ‘House of David’ actually existed

Answer 11

Although there is now direct evidence for Solomon or David outside of the Bible, there is some archaeological evidence for the house of David

The Tel Dan Stele is a carved stone with writing on it, set up by a local king to commemorate a victory in battle. It mentions the house of David and is dated to around 800 BCE

Another carving is the Moabite Stone from 850 BCE which also seems to mention the House of David. Although the text is damaged and is missing another portion scholars think that is does read ‘House of David’ in full

These carvings tell us that the 9th century royal family in Judah called themselves the ‘House of David’ because they believed David was their ancestor. It doesn’t prove that David definitely existed - but it does make it more likely that he did

Question 12

What happened to the House in 597 BCE

Answer 12

Babylonian seige of Jerusalem, destroyed the city and the temple and took the citizens away as prisoners of war

Question 13

Evaluate the success of the house of david

Answer 13

Not a great success. Had many bad and weak kings and only a couple of good ones (Hezekiah and Josiah). Even while the house existed many were dissatisfied and longed for a true son of david to come to the throne

Question 14

What happened to hopes for a true Son of David following 597 BCE

Answer 14

Instensified among the exiled Jews in Babylon. They believed the bloodline still existed and had simply gone underground. The Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt their temple in 516 BCE, but no Davidic King reappeared to sit on the throne. The Jews were ruled over by other dynasties like the Hasmoneans and the Herodians. Many Jews felt that they were illegitimate, as the real king if the Jews would be a descendent of David

Question 15

What was the OT basis for this expectation

Answer 15

2 Samuel 7:16

Question 16

State 2 Samuel 7:16

Answer 16

Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever

Question 17

How can we link this promise to the problem of evil

Answer 17

If God is omnibenevolent he would want to keep his promises and if he was omnipotent then he would be able to, yet he didn’t

Question 18

How do Jews respond to this issue

Answer 18

God’s promise only seems to have been withdrawn because the Jews were sinful. God had allowed their enemies to triumph to teach them a lesson

Jews came to believe that the line of david does ‘endure forever’ and a descendant of David will claim the throne. This Son Of David will be the kingly messiah. He’ll be different to the previous kings of the house because his rule will be success: he’ll defeat the enemies of the Jews, make them independent again and this time the rule of the house of david will be established forever

Question 19

What did 1st century Jews think was needed for the son of David to appear

Answer 19

Religious purity - Since the destruction of Judah and the House of David had only been a punishment for sins, Jews needed to return to pure worship of God. Only then would the son of david appear. Groups like the sadducees, pharisees and essenes had different ideas about what religious purity meant

Military action - The Jews needed to get the ball rolling by resisting the Romans; once the rebellion was in full swing, the Son of David would appear to lead it. This view was popular with the zealots

Question 20

How do Christians see the term ‘Son of David’ as applying to Jesus

Answer 20

Various attempts to set up the Kingdom of God s a political project all faile. God intends his Kingdom on earth to be a different kind of thing; a spiritual Kingdom where he rules in people’s hearts and minds, rather than a political kingdom which is imposed by force. Jesus is a spiritual rather than a political king and succeeds where David failed: by dying an atoning death rather than conquering his enemies by force

Question 21

Make the case that the messiah has to be from the Line of David

Answer 21

King David was the original messiah - anointed by God to be the best king

God’s promise that his kingdom would endure forever has to be fulfilled. This means there has to be a descendent of David who will return to save the Jews from their enemies - the messiah

The House failed because the Jews were sinful and turned away from God. When they return to worshipping God and living properly, the messiah will restore their kingdom and the line of david will rule it again

Question 22

Make the case that the messiah does not have to be from the line of david

Answer 22

It is not proven that David was a real historical figure. Might have been a legend

Even if he did exist, his line was destroyed by the Babylonians and various messiahs who tried to lead the Jews to independence - like Simon Bar Kokhbar - all failed horribly

The messiah is more than just a warlord who wins battles. He is someone who will defeat evil, as God predicts in Genesis 3:15. He might be the prophet that God predicts in Deuteronomy 18:15. He is a wise teacher who will change lives, not a king from a failed dynasty