“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psa 23:6)
Hope in the Bible comes alive in David’s Psalms
Who am I? I became the king of Scotland when I was only 13 months old and legally assumed full control when I was 15 years old. When I was 35, I became King of both England and Scotland. The following year, I added Ireland to become King of Great Britain. I was a shrewd, flawed ruler known for extended peaceful rule. I was a poet. I died at 58, but not before agreeing to do something that would make my name immortal in literature. When I was 38, I commissioned a new version of the Bible that came to be known as the Authorized Version. I picked 47 scholars from the Church of England to produce a new Bible version, which also reinforced official church doctrine. My 1611 Bible is still widely in use 400 years later and I am…King James.
Royalty has its privileges. Kings and Queens generally rule by their own rules, and are able to have extreme control over their subjects. Amazingly, quite a few monarchies exist today with many nations still having a King or Queen as head of state. Many other nations have a dictator who rules, sometimes outside of the law, and sometimes changing the law to fit the leader. Very few modern nations have a theocratic form of government, though Vatican City is one well-known example. Yet this is exactly the form of government that King David led, and his subjects enjoyed. Under David’s guidance, Israel prospered into a regional superpower, and the people realized a small portion of what the Kingdom of God will be like in the future. Despite his glaring flaws, David became a man “after God’s own heart” and he led Israel in Godly worship and a glimpse of righteousness.
Because David came from a humble family life, keeping the sheep (1 Sam 16:11), God picked him to lead his chosen people as their shepherd. David was a positive contrast to King Saul, whom God removed due to disobedience. David proved to be a great man of faith as he fought against Goliath while still a youth. David knew that God had symbolically promised him to be king: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward” (1 Sam 16:13). It was clear to David he couldn’t die in battle before being made king. Having life-or-death faith in the
God of Israel, and in His promises, led David’s focus in the path for life. David was a great man of God, who developed a deep eternal hope. David’s understanding built upon the promises to Abraham, and God’s Spirit, provided David with better insights about the future Messiah and the Kingdom of God.
What did David write in his Psalms?
David was known as the “sweet psalmist” as he was a musician from his youth. David wrote almost half of the psalms in the Bible and his son, Solomon, wrote 1005 songs (1 Kgs 4:32). The difference between most writers and David is that David was truly inspired by God to declare His will. We know this because David was a prophet, and many of his songs contained prophecies about the greater son of David, Jesus (Psa 22:1, 6-18; Luke 24:44). Listed below are some of David’s expressions declaring his vivid hope for eternal life in the ultimate house of God, for David clearly believed that he would live again after he died.
“God is to us a God of deliverances; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death” (Psa 68:20).
“Thou wilt prolong the king’s life; his years will be as many generations. He will abide before God forever” (Psa 61:6-7).
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psa 16:9-11: see also Psa 133:3, Psa 145:1)
David had a special connection with a future house (temple) of God. He lived in a glamorous house himself and wanted the place of worship to be worthy of his Creator (2 Sam 7:2). David wasn’t able to build this himself, but he did amply provide provisions so that his son, Solomon, would be able to build a special house for the God of Israel.
“Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.’ So David commanded to gather the aliens who were in the land of Israel; and he appointed masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails of the doors of the gates and for the joints, and bronze in abundance beyond measure, and cedar trees in abundance; for the Sidonians and those from Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. Now David said, ‘Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.’ So David made abundant preparations before his death. Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. And David said to Solomon: ‘My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the LORD my God; but the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.” Now, my son, may the LORD be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the LORD your God, as He has said to you. Only may the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the LORD charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed. Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the LORD one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them. Moreover there are workmen with you in abundance: woodsmen and stone cutters, and all types of skillful men for every kind of work. Of gold and silver and bronze and iron there is no limit. Arise and begin working, and the LORD be with you’ “ (1 Chron 22:1-16).
David longed for this when he said, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple” (Psa 27:4).
David stood in awe at the eternal promises of God. David said, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Psa 84:10). David understood God’s amazing promises and how any position in the Kingdom of God would be far beyond his dreams. No one who serves the Son of David in the Kingdom will be disappointed.
David understood that his eternal reward would be on the earth. He wrote something so important that Jesus quoted it as one of Beatitudes on the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” This quote from Matt 5:5 came directly from the 37th Psalm where David also said “Delight yourself also in the LORD; and He will give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psa 37:4). David’s faith and hope combined to give him confidence that his reward would be eternal life on earth.
Where did David go when he died?
David was a man after God’s own heart and one who was chosen because of his Godly spirit. After he was anointed to be King, “the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward” (1 Sam 16:13). David possessed Holy Spirit powers as a warrior and as a writer of God’s decrees. We also know that David prophesized about Jesus and looked forward to his day. The words of Jesus:
“And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD1 said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?” (Luke 20:42-44)
Of all the righteous and faithful people in the Bible, isn’t it obvious where David went after he died? Actually, the answer given in the Bible is not what most would expect. In fact, to most Christians it is the opposite.
The prophet Ezekiel predicted that David would rise again in the resurrection and rule as shepherd. Part of this prophesy points toward Jesus as the ultimate Son of David, but the primary fulfillment is literally the man David:
“They will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them. And they shall live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons, and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever” (Ezek 37:24-25).
Peter adds to this when he said plainly, “For it was not David who ascended into heaven” (Acts 2:34). Peter clarifies that King David not only died, but he was buried and remains buried in his tomb, waiting for the resurrection (Acts 2:29). Combined with the earlier explanation of ‘asleep in Christ’, we now know that when David died, he fell asleep, and became unconscious in death. Paul makes this point crystal clear when he says, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay” (Acts 13:36). Paul adds that David’s death was different than Jesus’ in that while Jesus was resurrected, David stayed in the grave asleep. This parallels the words of Jesus when he said “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13). Finally, the Hall of Faith chapter of Hebrews says: “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Heb 11:39-40). So we know that David and all other righteous believers have not yet received their reward, because they must wait until the judgment and resurrection to life. Therefore, when the Bible says that David died, it means exactly that and nothing more. David died in hope of resurrection and eternal life on earth.
Promises to David
David was a child of promise. From an early age, he made the right choices and trained for greatness. He used his idle time as a shepherd to become an accomplished musician. He defended his sheep and managed to kill both a lion and a bear (1 Sam 17:36). David killed a giant fighter Goliath, who was previously undefeated and very experienced. David fled from Saul for years, comforted by his faith that he would be the next king of Israel. After he was anointed King and midway through his reign, David was an incredible success with his spiritual life, leadership, military conquests, and growing family. David was fabulously rich and accumulating new cities and buildings with his wealth. He was on top of the world and knew that the God of Israel freely gave him all of his gifts. This is the time when David decided that the ark of God deserved to have a majestic home.
He proposed to build a fabulous temple to house the ark, but God had other plans for David. Instead of David giving God a gift, God gave David many gifts. God promised several blessings to David, similar to the same promises given to Abraham, including that God promised to give David a son who would be king after him. He already had other sons, but now was promised a special child who would be king:
“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom” (2Sam 7:12)
“For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne” (Psa 132:10-11)
God promised to give David a greater son, Messiah, who would reign as king. Jesus, himself, claimed to be the promised son of David:
“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:” (Luke 1:31-32)
“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;” (Rom 1:3: see also Rev 22:16))
God promised to give David a son who would build the Temple (house of God) that David so desired. This was particularly soothing for David to know that his spiritual dream project would come true:
“He [David] shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2Sam 7:13).
God promised that David’s throne would last forever in God’s kingdom “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (2 Sam 7:16; see also 2 Sam 23:5). This is the same eternal covenant promise that Abraham received about inheriting the land and the same promise given about Jesus: “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” (Isa 9:7).
Someone once said that promises are like babies: easy to make, hard to deliver. With people this is very true, but with God, promises are guaranteed. For life. David believed God’s promises and never doubted. He looked forward, in faith and hope, to his eternal reward in God’s ultimate Kingdom. David made sure that his great hope was alive and well through his beautiful Psalms.
“God never made a promise that was too good to be true.” Dwight L. Moody
“No pillow so soft as God’s promise.” Author Unknown
“In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago” (Titus 1:2).
The Bible says:
- David wrote about his hope for eternal life. Psa 68:20; Psa 61:6-7.
- David never received his reward, but still waits, in sleep, for the resurrection. Acts 2:25; Acts 13:22.
- David received great promises, which we also participate in. Isa 9:7; Ezek 37:24-25.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One