“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7) When we think of the three offices of Christ, we often fail to recognize that these offices overlap in the person and work of Christ alone. A king was not a priest, neither was he a prophet. In the same way a priest did not function as a prophet nor a king. Lastly a prophet simply was fulfilling the duties of a prophet without trying to be a king or a priest. However, in Jesus Christ, He simultaneously and perfectly fulfills all three roles. He is our Prophet, Great High Priest, and King of Kings to the great blessing of the world. David was the king most would think about when it comes to Scripture, chosen of God, anointed by Samuel. “Then Yahweh said to Samuel, ‘How long will you be grieving over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I see among his sons a king for Me.’” (1 Samuel 16:1) “Now it happened, when they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the anointed of Yahweh is before Him.’ But Yahweh said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.’ (1 Samuel 16:6-7) “And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are these all the young men?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is shepherding the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him, for we will not turn around until he comes here.’ So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And Yahweh said, ‘Arise, anoint him, for this is he.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:11-13)
David was declared as the man after God’s own heart. “But now your kingdom shall not endure. Yahweh has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as ruler over His people because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:14) He was a shepherd at the time of his calling. This is important, as the role of a shepherd is to lead the flock, keep the flock, care for the flock, and protect the flock. Does this not align with the duties of a king? Kings are meant to lead their people, protect their people, care for their people, and guide their people. David was a profound leader, a man after God’s own heart, but he certainly had his faults as we all do. We are told in Holy Scripture that during the time kings were to go out to war, he stayed behind. This was not very leader-like, and solitude is certainly the arena in which we best make sure that we’re wielding the full armor of God. It’s like the sheep who has found itself separated from the flock; this leaves you vulnerable to all sorts of failure. It’s in those times of solitude that we are vulnerable to the attacks of Satan, when the flesh tends to take over, and when the world with its many snares and enticements will seek to take hold of us. “Now it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, ‘Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. And the woman became pregnant; and she sent and told David, and said, ‘I am pregnant.’” (2 Samuel 11:1-5)
He allowed himself to look with lust, coveted that which he had seen, and further indulged by calling her to himself and committed adultery through sleeping with Uriah’s wife. Sin always leads to a downward spiral of more sin. What started with a look of lust, led to coveting, adultery, lying, and murder. This man after God’s own heart had turned in his heart to follow his own desires. David as great a king as he was, was not secluded from the depravity of man, his sin was great, but the God who shows grace to the humble extends grace to us that is far greater than all our sins. He was repentant as we read in Psalm 51. Earthly kings will always have their faults, but this King we serve, Jesus Christ, He is without fault, blameless, and perfect. Christ is the Good Shepherd, He will save His own, protect His own, care for His own, lead His own, and He has laid down His life for His own. Our King, the King of Kings will never fail, for if such a thing were possible, their would be an end to His kingdom. However, God has promised, and the promises of God can’t be reneged, for God is immutable, He changes not, and He cannot lie. “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16) This promise given by God to David was essentially that one who would come from David would forever be seated on the throne. We see that through the genealogies found in Matthew 1 that Jesus did indeed come from the lineage of David, Christ further affirms this in Revelation. “‘I, Jesus, sent My angel to bear witness to you of these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’” (Revelation 22:16) We see this promise reiterated to Mary. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of His kingdom.” (Luke 1:32-33) This Son of the Most High would not only be a King without end to His kingdom, but He would be the deliverer of His own. Contrary to what the Jewish people of Jesus’ day thought, they expected a political king, a king much like David, a warrior King who would bring them deliverance from the bondage and oppression of Rome.
He came to free His people not from a country, but from bondage, bondage to sin, and as the warrior King, He conquered sin, death, and Satan. “But when this corruptible puts on the incorruptible, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the word that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57) Jesus Christ is the ruling, reigning and conquering King of Kings and Lord of Lords. “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’” (Matthew 28:18) He reigns over all, whether you want Him to or not, whether you acknowledge that or not. “Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) “And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’” (Revelation 19:16) He is faithful, perfect, and above all, as all things are in subjection to Him, His enemies are being made His footstool. An earthly king would either cast out or sentence to death the traitor, the one who refuses to submit to his rule, and/or acts in rebellion, carrying out treason. How much more does this great King we serve require our obedience, loyalty, submission, and complete faith? Let me close with the word of our God. “‘So now, fear Yahweh and serve Him in integrity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. If it is evil in your sight to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.’” (Joshua 24:14-15)