There are various titles that God gives to the Son He promised to send for our salvation. He is the son of Abraham, the son of David, the crusher of serpents, the prince of peace, the anointed one, the stone that will be rejected, the good and faithful shepherd, and the list goes on and on. Possibly.
Each of these concepts is based on Old Testament expectations of what the Promised Deliverer will do and who he will be.
In Genesis 3:15, God instills the promise of a future son who will overcome suffering and triumph.
Have you ever thought about the promise in Jeremiah 23:5 and the title it uses? God said, “Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will prove righteousness for David.” He will establish a new branch, and he will rule as a king, acting wisely and administering justice and righteousness in the land.”
A few observations need to be made here. First, the words “I will stand up for David” are a call to God's covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13. In these verses, God promised a future descendant to sit on David's throne.
“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you, and your seed that will come out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom. I will build a house for his name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13).
God's act “for David” (Jeremiah 23:5) is an act of keeping a promise. God had made a covenant and was to do what He said He would do “for David.”
Second, David's descendants will “rule as kings, acting wisely and practicing justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5). The world needs justice. Who will bring the justice this world needs? King David.
Other prophetic accounts confirm that David's descendants will rule in righteousness. In Isaiah 9, the prophet says that the Son of Promise will establish and maintain peace “in righteousness and righteousness, from now on forever” (Isaiah 9:7).
The person promised in Jeremiah 23 was not a different person than the person in Isaiah 9. Rather, both chapters same The future descendants of David who will bring justice and righteousness to God's world.
Third, the image used for King David is a branch. Notice what the Lord said: “I will raise up a righteous man for David.” branchand he will reign as king” (Jeremiah 23:5).
Branches will grow from what is planted. According to this metaphor, King David is a branch of the Messiah, descended from David's family tree. The relationship between this “branch” and David’s family is confirmed in Isaiah 11, where the prophet says: “From the stump of Jesse shall sprout, and from his roots a branch shall bring forth fruit” (Isaiah 11:1).
According to Isaiah 11:2, this “bud” or “branch” is “he” And in 11:4-5, this future person will act in “righteousness.” This is the same as the promised child in Isaiah 9 and Jeremiah 23.
In Genesis 3:15, God instills the promise of a future son who will overcome suffering and triumph. And throughout the Old Testament, that promise grows. Jesus is a branch that emerges from the messianic hope that grows not only in the Old Testament but especially through David's family.
Jesus was born because God kept his covenant promise to “raise up a righteous branch for David” (Jeremiah 23:5).
This essay is first published At Substack with Dr. Mitchell Chase.”Biblical theology.”
