Psalm 132:12 –
“If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and the laws that I teach them, then your royal line will continue forever and ever.”
Think about this promise to Israel and which descendants of David are in a prominent position. I cannot think of any living, although I am sure the Jewish faith could produce a few. The only “living” member of that line that will remain forever is Jesus! Sure his body was killed on a cross over 2000 years ago, he lives in our hearts. That is a difficult concept to understand until you see him moving in your life.
Now the conditions of this promise are “obey the terms of my covenant and the laws” which we are starting to miss. A “theology” of confession for salvation has been in my opinion twisted a bit. We are saved in Christ for all our sins, but that doesn’t mean as long as we confess we can put the Bible down and ignore the teachings. I was trapped in the “it’s ok I am saved” attitude towards carousing.
At the other extreme, the Jewish faith, especially during the time of Christ, had become very legalistic. The “covenant” became “laws” that were the source of your salvation. These “covenants” were guides you should follow to live a healthier and simpler life so you could serve God. So you followed the “covenants” and you were more in God’s favor and therefore more in tune with His will, but you were not necessarily “sinning”. The “legalism” came from wanting to ensure everyone conformed to God’s favor and therefore the “covenant” became “law.”
I like going to the food “laws” since they are very simple to understand. It’s not a “sin” to eat pork, but it is part of the “covenant” with God. The pig releases everything they eat to their flesh and they eat anything! You realize eating pork will not leave you in “peak” physical condition. Sure you’re not going to die, but you will have a weaker immune system.
So what about David? If we continue to strive for a live in obedience to the New Covenant with Christ, while following the covenant. We will help continue the dynasty of King David through Jesus, as promised here! The key is don’t water down the Old Testament or Jesus’ teaching or turn into a bunch of rules that miss the point of the Gospel.