Who was he? And who was his household, that God should seek him out to be king over his people (2 Sam. 7.18)? Granted, God had declared through Jacob that a king and dynasty would descend through Judah to rule all the nations (Gen. 49.8-10), but there was no reason for David to think, growing up in a common household in Bethlehem, that somehow that blessing might descend to him.

The giving of God’s Kingdom to and through David is thus an act of sovereign grace. We can see David reflecting on the wonder and implications of this gift in various of his psalms.

God comes to His people, the King of Glory, to enter in among them and establish His good and perfect rule in righteousness and peace (Ps. 24). Their duty is to open to Him and submit to His rule, so that His blessings may flourish among them. He Who chose Abraham and graciously redeemed Israel from slavery was now intending to come to them and establish His rule of glory and power in their midst, through a king selected by His own sovereign grace and wisdom (Ps. 144.9-15).

As God had led Israel through the wilderness and the conquest of Canaan, now He would also establish His presence among them, receive their glory and praise, and continue to subdue the nations to His divine economy through the Kingdom He establishes with His people (Ps. 68). This unfathomable, good, and glorious gift is to be received with praise and thanks by Israel and all the kingdoms of the earth: “Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;/O sing praises to the Lord…who gives strength and power to His people./ Blessed be God!” (Ps. 68.32, 35)

This Kingdom is grounded in eternal verities and conditions

David understood the progress of God’s rule and blessings on earth to be the direct result of His rule in heaven, beyond the material plane, where He is seated in glory and power, exercising dominion over all the earth and all creation (Pss. 9.7-20; 10.16-18). God is unchanging; His rule is settled and fixed in heaven. Whatever may be His will there is what He intends to accomplish on earth as well – justice, righteousness, and abundant blessing for those who trust in Him.

God’s Kingdom is “an everlasting kingdom” and His dominion “endures throughout all generations” (Ps. 145.13). Changing conditions on earth, the indifference or rebelliousness of men, or even the unfaithfulness of His people do not change what God intends to do. His determination will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, for, as an eternal King, He will not suffer the wickedness of men to continue forever before His eyes.

David understood that the Law of God was thus critical for bringing the will of God to pass for the blessing of His people (Ps. 19). The Law of God encodes the mind and will of God. Only by reading, meditating on, studying, and obeying the Law of God could God’s people obtain all that He had promised them and all that He was resolved to do by bringing His eternal reign to bear on earth as it is in heaven. The prayer of God’s people should thus ever be, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart/Be acceptable in your sight,/O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer” (Ps. 19.14).

The Kingdom is to have earthly expression

The rule of God, which David saw, was to be extended beyond Israel as a blessing for all mankind (2 Sam. 7.19). Centered on God’s rule from within the midst of His people (Ps. 24), the Kingdom God was establishing called for the subjection of all nations to the holy and righteous and good purposes of God (Ps. 2). God rules over and judges all the nations; those that submit to Him know true blessing and happiness (Pss. 9.7, 8; 33.10-12).

The King of this expansive reign is regarded as the Son of God (Ps. 2). He rules over the nations at the right hand of God, subduing His enemies and advancing His reign, through His obedient people, like the refreshing dew of the morning (Ps. 110). All creation comes under the rule of God and His King (Ps. 29), and wherever the rule of God spreads on earth, it brings prosperity, justice, and peace to the nations (Ps. 72).

David got it. The promised kingdom had come with him, at least, in some form. But there was more to come, a Kingdom that would extend to all the earth and all creation, and a King, seated at the right hand of God, Who would advance that Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Thus, the people of God should ever pray, “Give the king Your judgments, O God,/And Your righteousness to the king’s Son” (Ps. 72.1).

Next steps

Read through Psalm 72. This is David’s prayer for his son, Solomon. But can you also see in this psalm how David was glimpsing the Kingdom as it would come under our Lord Jesus Christ? Talk with a friend about your observations. How should this prayer affect the way you “rule” your “sector” of the Kingdom – your Personal Mission Field?

Additional Resources

Download this week’s study, Kingdom Visionaries 2: David, The Prophets, Jesus.

Sign up for ViewPoint Leaders Training and start your own ViewPoint discussion group.

For a concise explanation of the Kingdom of God, and help in learning how to proclaim it, order a copy of T. M.s little book, The Gospel of the Kingdom from our online store, by clicking here.

Men, join the movement of men at prayer! Download our free brief paper, “Men of the Church: A Solemn Warning,” by clicking here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.