Isaiah 9:7 (NIVUK)
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and for ever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
In 2 Samuel 7, God promises David a successor who would inherit his throne and rule forever. He will be the one who will build God’s house. Of course Solomon fulfils this, to a point. He is a great king and rules with wisdom, power and wealth, all of which come from God. He does build the temple for God, a magnificent building as we have been thinking about on Sundays. But, he doesn’t rule for ever. It is clear that his fulfilment of this promise is only partial. We have to wait until the first Christmas and the incarnation to see the birth of David’s successor who will rule eternally, Jesus. He alone rules with true justice and righteousness, bringing permanent and pure greatness and peace. I love the final sentence. This is no accident, nor is it easy. It is accomplished because of God’s zeal. Driven by his love, God is determined to achieve this and will not back down.
Thank you Father that you are driven to bring about your redemption. Thank you for Christmas, the outworking of your desire to put things right and to bring us back into relationship with you. Help us to also be driven by love.
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