Covenant 5: David -Kingdom

Intro

We will begin this session, after the beginning of the book of Joshua which picks up at the death of Moses immediately following Deuteronomy. Joshua, son of Nun, is the one to lead the Israelites into the promised land.

Covenant Mediators, Roles, Participants, and Witnesses

Divine Initiative

God sets up the Context and Speaks to Man (most of which we shall later discuss)

• God Persisted in working with Israel often in spite of their unwillingness to understand or inability to understand what God was doing.

  1. 1. He permits the monarchy because of Israel's hardness of heart

     2. God choosing David (1 Sam 16)

• God initiating covenant in 2 Samuel 7

• God raising judges (Judges 2:16)

• God foretelling kingdoms (Daniel 2)

God’s Faithfulness is now an abundant given

1 Samuel 17:1-12, 32-38

To cooperate with God's grace, we must first recognize His power. David’s boldness, the grace he was given to trust, and the providence he received exemplify the kind of relationship we need to overcome great obstacles in our lives.

Interestingly, David was anointed by Samuel before this pivotal moment. He was strengthened by knowing what God had ordained for him. Imagine if every Israelite soldier had approached battle with this same trust in God's will, much like Joan of Arc did. This also highlights how spiritual wisdom can be possessed by the humble.

The prophet Samuel played a crucial role in transitioning the people of God from the era of judges to the reign of Saul, and now from Saul to David.

Note:

• The Head of Goliath's javelin weighed 15 pounds.

Nature and Structure of the Human Party

Mediator

David ultimately but also Samuel and Solomon

Covenant Expression / Form of Human Party Bounds

Kingdom

Change and Content of the Blessing, Promise, Curse, Reward, and Signs

Reward If Lived

2 Samuel 7:1-17

In this Bible study until now we have not discussed the ark:

• What might the ark of the covenant remind us of?

  • Tabernacles

  • Holy of Holies - Numbers 7:89

• What sort of crazy things have happened with the ark?

  • Exodus 25:10

  • 1 Samuel 4 (Refine specific verses)

  • 1 Samuel 5-7 (Refine specific verses)

  • 2 Samuel 6 (Refine specific verses)

  • 2 Chronicles 35

  •  Revelation 11:19

We can notice the very familiar language used here, where might we have heard this before?

• that God used with Abraham. 

Though we did not cover it in our readings, by this point, Saul had betrayed both David and God. The idea of having a king came from the people themselves, desiring to be like other nations, despite God advising against it. Yet, in His mercy, God blesses this choice through David.

At times, we can grow frustrated with God’s mysteriousness and the elusive nature of His communication. It’s easy to feel weary when His guidance doesn’t seem clear. However, it’s important to understand that God didn’t abandon His initial admonition against having a king; instead, He chose a king for them to protect them from the greater danger of forgetting the LORD.

• David's Line will endure

  • God will make David’s name great among the nations.

  • God will plant Israel securely in a place of rest from enemies.

  • God will relate to this royal son as Father to son.

• God Himself will build a “house” (dynasty) for David, not the other way around.

  • This son will build a house for God’s Name (immediately Solomon, typologically Christ).

• After David’s death, God will raise up David’s offspring, his own flesh and blood, and establish his kingdom.

  • Though the royal line may be disciplined for sin, God’s covenant love will not be withdrawn as it was from Saul.

  • “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.”

Let us continue reading.

Curse If Broken

1 Kings 12:1-11

So the Kingdom Splits into North and South. Ten tribes who knew themselves as the Israelites made up the North Kingdom with a Pagan priesthood being exiled in 722 BC by the Assyrians. The Southern Tribes of Judah and Benjamin would be known collectively as the Jews or Judah

As an aside: we notice the concept of Servant leadership mentioned here and this is developed in the 7 "I am..." statements of Jesus in the Gospel, John 10. The Concept of Christ, the Gate.

Signs, In light of Other Parts

• Kingly Lineage (to be referenced in Matthew 1)

• Ark of the Covenant

• Temple

• Battle and Victory against Enemies

Historical Context, Timing, and Narrative Setting

History Since Last Covenant

Israel in the Desert Numbers 21:4–9

Israel’s experience in the wilderness introduced a pattern that echoes throughout salvation history. The people rebel, suffering follows, and God provides a surprising instrument of healing.

Church tradition sees in the bronze serpent a prefiguration of Christ:

• St. Augustine: "What are the biting serpents? Sins... What is the serpent lifted up? The Lord's death on the cross... A serpent is gazed on that the serpent may have no power." Death entered by the serpent (Gen 3); life comes by looking to the Crucified.

• Pope John Paul II (1984): The reversal—from serpent as evil symbol to salvific bronze figure—announces Christ's triumph: "The lifting up of Christ on the Cross gives a beginning to the lifting up of humanity through the Cross."

• Pope Francis (2022): God transforms the instrument of death into salvation; we must "look upwards" to Christ's love amid personal, communal, or historical "bites" of distrust, violence, or despair.

• St. Thomas Aquinas: Christ, in the "likeness of sinful flesh," neutralizes sin's poison like the venomless bronze serpent.

Entry into the Promised Land Joshua 6:1-5; 15-20

This story, if you grew up learning, talking, or reading sacred scripture to any substantial extent, you have probably heard this story. For our purposes, this is simply a historical moment that is both worth noting for the whole story of Israel and provides us with a little bit more of a timeline. The fall of Jericho marks Israel’s dramatic entrance into the land promised to Abraham. The victory comes not through conventional military strength but through obedience to God’s command.

St. Augustine:

"And Joshua sent the people away, and the children of Israel went every man to his house, and every one to his inheritance to occupy the land. There is no doubt that this is repeated here by recapitulation (Cf Jos 24,28). Because even the death of Josué Nave himself is mentioned even in this book (Cf Jc 2,8), to briefly insinuate all things as if from the beginning, when God granted them the land, and to indicate how they lived under the Judges or what they had to endure. And so it goes back to the order of the book of Judges, from the order that had first been established."

The Cycle of Forgetfulness: The Period of the Judges Judges 2:8-12

What are we reminded of here

So, the man blows a trumpet, invades a town, and dies. This is a historical event, yet it holds important lessons. People are often led astray by a faulty or absent shepherd. After Israel received what it had most deeply desired, there was no record of consistent gratitude—it was largely taken for granted. Despite being given the ideal space for communion with God, they failed to choose it.

This pattern can, and often does, occur in our own lives. We are liberated from sin, but when the spiritual landscape changes and we are no longer tempted in the same way, what happens next? Complacency sets in, and we underestimate the enemy. We fall back into old patterns, much like Israel's return to paganism. Though paganism wasn’t truly fulfilling, they didn’t relapse out of logic, but rather out of a deeper, psychological pull. In addiction recovery, this is called relapse syndrome—where the familiar, even destructive, sins have a profound effect on our psyche and physiology.

In the end, Israel messed up again.

St. Augustine:

"After them came another generation that did not know the Lord or the things that he did for Israel. The author explained why he said that he did not know the Lord, that is, in those preclear and admirable works through which it happened before them that Israel knew the Lord."

The recurring cycle

1. Israel falls into idolatry

2. God allows oppression

3. Israel cries out

4. God raises a judge (deliverer)

5. Temporary peace

6. The cycle begins again

The Need for Stable Leadership Judges 2:16-19

What stuck out to you reading this?

Paganism is akin to adultery for Israel, a direct betrayal of God's desire to guide us toward salvation. No matter how faithful we are or how much we witness to others, there are times when those who know us may still prefer their sins over virtue. This is often referred to as "stubbornness of heart" or "hardness of heart."

Now, we move to the time when David enters the story, through yet another great narrative.

St. Augustine:

"Deuteronomy puts the following in the mouth of God, when speaking of these enemy peoples: I will not expel them in a single year, so that the land will not be deserted, and the beasts of the field multiply against you. I will expel them little by little, until you multiply and grow and conquer the land (Ex 23:29-30). The Lord could keep this promise of his for the obedient ones, so that the extermination of those nations, as the Israelites grew, would be partially done, not allowing their multitude to leave deserted the lands from which the adversaries would be exterminated. The phrase: And do not multiply against you the beasts of the field, I would be very surprised if you did not refer to the desires and passions, in a way beastly, that are usually born of a sudden attainment of earthly happiness. For it is not true that God could not exterminate men and could not annihilate the beasts, or rather not allow them to be born."

The Rise of the Monarchy 1 Samuel 8:4–8

Samuel serves as the bridge between the period of the Judges and the monarchy. As he grows old and his sons prove unfit to lead, the people request a king in order to gain stability like other nations. God interprets this request as part of Israel’s recurring pattern of rejecting His direct rule.

The first king, Saul, ultimately fails through disobedience. In response, God chooses David—described as a man after His own heart—to replace him. David’s anointing marks the beginning of a kingship more closely aligned with God’s purposes, setting the stage for Israel’s political unity, security, and the establishment of the Davidic line.

David and the Establishment of Stability 1 Samuel 13:13–14; 16:1–13

David’s reign resolves the earlier period of instability and introduces a divinely established kingship through which God grants Israel unity, peace, and enduring leadership

Immediate Context

When David finally appears, the situation contrasts sharply with the instability of the Judges.

David accomplishes several critical developments:

1. Political unity - David becomes king over all Israel, uniting the tribes.

2. Jerusalem established - He captures Jerusalem and makes it the political capital.

3. Military security - Major enemies such as the Philistines are subdued.

4. Religious centralization - The Ark of the Covenant is brought to Jerusalem.

Other Background/Reflection

Solomon was a prominent king who largely fell into the same troubles. 

The Making of the Covenant: Rituals and Ratification

God as Primary Maker and Active Party

God's hand was on David, provided a sense of calm in the amid great adversarial ambition, and guided David's principal actions as a servant-leader.

Working with Israel through the ages, David is chosen by Samuel, a prophet, judge, priest, and military leader

Human Response: Obedience, Sacrifice, and Failure

Obedience and Reverence

2 Samuel 7:18-20

God has established His covenant with David and then in response contemplates not only the significance of such a covenant but also his unworthiness. David’s prayer models a posture of faithful dependence, seeing God’s covenant as God’s work alone and entrusting the future of his house entirely to God’s promise.

Acceptance of God’s “no”: He submits to God’s timing and role, recognizing that he will not build the temple; his offspring (Solomon) will. He prepares materials for Solomon, fulfilling his vocation without overstepping. 1 Chronicles 22:5, 28:2–3, 28:19, 29:2–5

Servant identity: David repeatedly calls himself “your servant”, embracing his role as God’s representative rather than an autonomous ruler.

Covenantal shepherding: He governs Israel faithfully, securing peace, justice, and stability, guided by God’s word, as reflected in Psalm 78 and 2 Samuel 8–10.

Repentance and reliance on God’s steadfast love: When he sins (e.g., Bathsheba and Uriah), David confesses and returns to God, trusting the covenantal promise of enduring favor. As seen in 2 Samuel 11-12

Succession planning: He ensures Solomon will succeed him and inherit the covenant responsibilities, linking the dynasty’s stability to covenant obedience.

Disobedience and Failure

David's Disobediences and Failure

It is too time consuming to go through them all in detail, but after God establishes the covenant with David, Scripture records several significant acts of disobedience, illustrating both personal failure and the challenges of covenantal kingship.

1. Bathsheba and Uriah – David neglects kingly duty by staying in Jerusalem, commits adultery with Bathsheba, deceives Uriah, orchestrates Uriah’s death, and marries Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). Nathan’s parable exposes this as sin against God, family, and the nation (2 Samuel 12).

2. Passivity and injustice in his household – David fails to act decisively when Amnon rapes Tamar, allowing Absalom’s anger to escalate into murder and rebellion, showing a lapse in justice and fatherly responsibility (2 Samuel 13).

3. Mishandling Absalom and the kingdom – David allows Absalom’s partial return without proper resolution, fueling rebellion (2 Samuel 14–15), and grieves excessively at Absalom’s death, demoralizing loyal troops (2 Samuel 18:33–19:8).

4. Surrendering concubines to Absalom – Leaving concubines in Jerusalem during flight enables Absalom to publicly take them (2 Samuel 16:21–22), and David later confines them for life, a morally tragic outcome (2 Samuel 20:3).

5. Execution of Saul’s descendants – David hands seven of Saul’s descendants to the Gibeonites to atone for Saul’s crimes, raising moral and legal concerns about collective punishment (2 Samuel 21:1–9).

6. The census of Israel – Acting against Joab’s counsel, David orders a census of Israel’s fighting men from pride or distrust, bringing a devastating plague (2 Samuel 24:1–10; 1 Chronicles 21:1–10). He confesses, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done” (2 Samuel 24:10).

1 Kings 11:1-8; 10:14-15; 10:26

From the beginning, the author shows where Solomon goes wrong and the extent of his mistakes. Without exaggeration, the Lord is right—Solomon indeed let his heart wander from the One true God, and this is understandable. Christ said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." A wandering heart is led by emotion, myopic to eternal truth, and filled with lust, seeing things and others as potential substitutes for communion with God. This reveals a deflection from the reign of reason and justice.

In our own time, we soon realize that we cannot please everyone, we cannot always achieve ideal friendships, and we cannot serve both God and the fleeting, limited pleasures of earthly life. This tension can lead us to make choices we wouldn’t typically make. The "mountain on the east of Jerusalem" refers to the Mount of Olives.

The significance of numbers in Scripture is often symbolic, emphasizing a point, rather than correlating to specific external realities, which can sometimes become superstitious. The number 666 in this passage highlights that something is missing—just as corruption signals a lack of something vital.

What does Solomon's gathering of wealth remind you of?

Deuteronomy 17:16-17 - We may recall Christ's words, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," and His command to His apostles to live in poverty. Similarly, we remember the problems of the Middle Ages, when both clergy and royalty lost focus on Christ and became consumed with wealth. The repetition of the word "many" in this verse, along with the large numbers used in Kings to describe Solomon's actions, further emphasizes this.

The overall meaning of this verse is that Solomon abandoned the Lord and the way of his father by allowing his heart to wander, prioritizing wealth and worldly pleasures over his devotion to God.

In spite of this failure

In looking at Solomon, we can see several comparisons to Jesus Christ. He is the son of David and king of Israel. He is known for his divine wisdom and for being the temple builder. His kingdom has international influence. All this foreshadows Jesus, who is the ultimate son of David and the King who fulfills all the promises made to David’s dynasty. Like Solomon, Jesus is known for his great wisdom and is the one who builds the new temple in His body (John 2). And it is Christ’s kingdom that ultimately fulfills Israel’s worldwide mission, extending God’s reign over all the Earth.

Purpose of This Covenant

Preparation for Christ

Joshua

1. Shared name = shared mission: Moses renamed Hosea to Joshua (Numbers 13:16). Joshua’s Hebrew name, Yehoshua/Yeshua, means “YHWH saves,” the same name borne by Jesus (Greek Iēsous), signaling a shared saving mission

2. Completing Moses’ work: Takes Israel where Moses could not go.

3. Ministry begins at Jordan

4. Conquest physical for Joshua bringing the Promised land and spiritual for Jesus

5. Renewal of the Covenant

Judges

1. Christ is the Divine Judge applying law concerning both acts and persons and concurrently act as mini-saviors

2. Othniel: As the first judge, whose name is linked with “lion of God” from Judah, he briefly embodies righteous deliverance, hinting at the Lion of Judah whose rule will bring true rest.

3. Ehud: A weak, “left‑handed” deliverer from Benjamin (“son of the right hand”) anticipates the role of human weakness in God's plan

4. Deborah and Barak: Their victory over Sisera foreshadows Christ’s decisive head‑crushing defeat of the serpent at the cross and final judgment

5. Gideon: contender against pagan Gods

6. Sampson: His Spirit‑empowered strength, solitary battles against Israel’s enemies, and climactic death that “kills more in his death than in his life” prefigure Christ’s victory through apparent defeat on the cross

7. Longing for a righteous king

6. Judges is structured as cycles which beg the desire for ultimate deliverance: Israel sins, God hands them over, they suffer, they cry out, and a judge delivers them—until the judge dies and the people become worse than before.

David

1. Beloved, anointed Son‑King

2. Shepherd and warrior deliverer

3. King of the everlasting kingdom

4. Builder of God’s house

5. Suffering, imperfect type and sinless fulfillment

Solomon:

1. Wisdom that points to a greater Wisdom

2. Temple builder and dwelling of God

3. Royal glory and worldwide homage

4. A broken type that highlights Christ’s perfection (exception proves the rule)

Restoration and Redemption of Humanity (CCC 2578-2580)

2578 The prayer of the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God's dwelling place, first the ark of the covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people - the shepherds and the prophets - teach them to pray. The infant Samuel must have learned from his mother Hannah how "to stand before the LORD" and from the priest Eli how to listen to his word: "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."26 Later, he will also know the cost and consequence of intercession: "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way."27

2579 David is par excellence the king "after God's own heart," the shepherd who prays for his people and prays in their name. His submission to the will of God, his praise, and his repentance, will be a model for the prayer of the people. His prayer, the prayer of God's Anointed, is a faithful adherence to the divine promise and expresses a loving and joyful trust in God, the only King and Lord.28 In the Psalms David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the first prophet of Jewish and Christian prayer. The prayer of Christ, the true Messiah and Son of David, will reveal and fulfill the meaning of this prayer.

2580 The Temple of Jerusalem, the house of prayer that David wanted to build, will be the work of his son, Solomon. The prayer at the dedication of the Temple relies on God's promise and covenant, on the active presence of his name among his People, recalling his mighty deeds at the Exodus.29 The king lifts his hands toward heaven and begs the Lord, on his own behalf, on behalf of the entire people, and of the generations yet to come, for the forgiveness of their sins and for their daily needs, so that the nations may know that He is the only God and that the heart of his people may belong wholly and entirely to him.

Growth of Communion and the Kingdom

1 Kings 2:13-21

This is a key verse for Catholics because it describes the structure of the Old Testament Kingdom. Familial structuring and roles of delegation were the norm, which was see time and again with the leadership of the sons of Jacob or later known as Israel and Christ takes on perfect every authority known to man in the Old Testament and transforms it and then delegates like positions upon those in the New Testament (if elaboration is desired; Luke 22:19-20; Isaiah 22:21-24, Matthew 16:17-19 1 Kings 2:13-20; revelation 12:1-2, 1 Chronicles 24:1-5, 31, Acts 1:21-26). We look at our relationship with the Blessed Mother and Christ in a prefigurement. The Mother of the King was the Queen in an Old Testament Kingdom. This also illuminates the New Adam to New Eve Relationship. We will look into this in the next two passages.

Luke 1:46-56 - Here we see the glorification of Mary in her role in the kingdom.

John 2:1-6 -  Here we see Mary acting in her role during the life of Christ

More on Mary in general (back)

More on the Queen Mother role below

Optional Content

From Music

From Bishop Barron