David as a type of Christ part 2: from suffering to exaltation

Suffered Injustice

David suffered persecution by Saul, by his enemies, and even by his sons. Many of the Psalms reveal David’s broken heart of suffering and reveal God as his sustenance and Protector in these trying times. Psalm 70 is a sweet example of one of these types of Psalms.

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord! Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life; let them be turned back because of their shame, who say, ‘Aha, aha!’ Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified!’ But I am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.”

Isaiah 53 prophesies how the Messiah, Jesus would suffer. “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. … He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (3-5)

Crucifixion is an agonizing way to die and Christ willingly sacrificed Himself for us that we might have eternal life. When Jesus cries out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mathew 27:45) it reminds me of many of David’s pleas to the Lord, although what David suffered was nothing compared to the suffering of Christ, the holy Lamb of God.


Deliverer

David fights the great giant Goliath not because he is confident in his own abilities, but because his trust is in the Lord. “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. … The Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” Therein lies the key to David’s victories for Israel. It was always the Lord. David acknowledges this when He says to the Lord, “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” (1 Chronicles 17:16)

Jesus is our ultimate Deliverer, redeeming us from our slavery to sin and everlasting judgement. Jesus said of Himself that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) “Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) No matter what difficulties His children face in this life, it’s nothing compared to the glorious eternity they will spend with Him! “The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” for it is “Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come”. (Romans 8:18 & 1 Thes 1:10)


Shepherd

I love that David was a lowly shepherd, but more than that I love that he gave us the 23rd Psalm which so vividly shows those of us who know nothing of sheep and shepherds, the tender care and constant companionship that the Lord gives to those that belong to Him. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep.” (John 10:11&14)


Exalted by God

In establishing His covenant with David, the Lord reminds him, “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name. … And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:9&16)

God exalted David to the position of king and promised him a dynasty that would go on forever. Every descendant of David has lived and died, except one. Jesus, who was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven and still rules at the right hand of God. Jesus lives and rules today! Philippians 2:5-8 that I quoted in the last post relates Christ’s humiliation by laying aside His deity, taking the form of a bondservant and being obedient to the point of death on a cross. The next several verses tell the rest of the story. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) I chose that last verse for our Christmas cards this year, because I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Christ’s first coming than by looking forward to His second coming when everyone, not just His children, will confess His Lordship!