The Blessings of David
—Part (C)

David was remembered, and his name honoured in the time Isaiah. King David, who had established the throne in Jerusalem almost three centuries earlier, was the hero of Jerusalem’s royal family.

This lesson observes the last three of seven attributes "of David" mentioned in Isaiah, and what they signify for us.

5 The Key of David

Isaiah 22:22,

In the vision of Christ which John saw, Christ said to John, "I have the keys of death and of Hades" (Revelation 1:18). This is the same as saying, "I have the key of eternal life".

The "key of David" represents this very thing. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, explained that "David, because he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn with an oath to seat one of his descendants upon his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh suffer decay." (Acts 2:22-39). Because of his resurrection from the dead to live for evermore, Christ is able to unlock the door of eternal life for us.

Christ and the key of David

Referring to this passage in Isaiah (Isaiah 22:22), Jesus calls himself "He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens..." (Revelation 3:7).

Only Jesus the King of kings, who now and forevermore sits on David's throne, has the power to give or deny eternal life. When he opens heaven for you, nobody can shut you out. If he shuts you out, nobody can let you in He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

6 The God of David

Isaiah 37:35, Isaiah 38:5

David was God’s servant (and a symbol of Christ the Servant) therefore God was pleased to describe himself to Hezekiah as "the God of your father David". This shows God’s commitment to David, and David’s commitment to God. However it represents also God’s commitment to Christ, and Christ’s commitment to his heavenly Father. But Isaiah forces us to take the relationship between God and Christ much further, and to see...

Christ as the God of David

Isaiah makes it clear that the Christ who reigns on the throne of David is God (Isaiah 9:6-7). If Christ is God, then he is David’s God isn’t he? Jesus himself showed that David called Christ Lord, and asked the Pharisees to explain how Christ could be both David’s Lord and David’s son? (Matthew 22:41-46, Psalms 110:1, Acts 2:34-35). The only possible answer is, of course, that Christ is the Son of God —God become flesh (John 1:1,14).

7 The Sure Mercies of David

Isaiah 55:3

Finally, in his last mention of David, Isaiah speaks of "the sure (or faithful) mercies of David" that is to say the blessings which God bestowed upon him. The heart of these blessings is that God has compassion and abundantly pardons those who forsake their wickedness and return to him (Isaiah 55:6-7). God pardoned David, and David’s contrite prayer for forgiveness and a clean heart is very beautiful (Psalms 51:1-17).

Christ and the Blessings of David

The "sure mercies of David" represent God’s compassion for the whole world and his willingness to forgive all sins through Christ (John 3:16, Acts 13:32-38).

Isaiah looked forward to the Christ who was willing to "render himself as a guilt offering" and who "poured himself out unto death" and thus "bore the sin of many" (Isaiah 53:10-12).