ニューイングランドの母校からアドヴェントメッセージの便り　その１

2015 Gordon-Conwell Advent Devotional
Day 1
2 Samuel 7
As we celebrate the season of Advent, God’s promises to King David in II Samuel 7 remind us yet again that our God is indeed faithful. God had promised David that he would raise up his offspring after him and establish his Kingdom and throne forever (II Sam. 7:12-13).

Although David’s son Solomon builds the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kgs. 8:15, 20), he worships idols in the latter years of his life, which leads to God’s judgment (1 Kgs. 11—12). Amidst the failure of many of the Davidic kings, there is the abiding hope that God would one day raise up a righteous Davidic king to rule on the throne of David (Jer. 23:5-6; 33:15-17; Ezek. 37:24; Mic. 5:2; Zech. 9:9-10). God’s people will have to wait for hundreds of years, but the king will surely come, humble and mounted on a donkey, just as Zechariah has prophesied (Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:5).

The crowds will shout “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matt. 21:9), but this King dies on the cross, and thus his reign seems to come to a tragic end. But God raises up Jesus, the son of David, according to his promise of old (II Sam. 7:12-13; Acts 2:23-24, 30-36; 13:32-37). He is indeed the promised Davidic King who reigns over God’s everlasting kingdom.

During this season of Advent—as we worship the coming King—let us remember that his coming is a testimony to the faithfulness of our God.
Dr. Carol Kaminski
Professor of Old Testament