Revealing Christ In The Old Testament VIII: The Greater - Part I

Jean-Leon Gerome
Jerusalem 
(Golgotha ​​Consummatum East)
1867
Oil on Canvas

1 & 2 Samuel

"David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain [Sar/ שָׂר] over them. And there were about four hundred men with him." ~1 Samuel 22:1-2

Samuel reveals the "sufferings" and rejection of David in his flight from the "world's" or "people's" king that was in actuality in rebellion and disobedience against God. A King that was given over to His reprobate mind and had literally gone mad because of it. In David's flight from persecution he becomes and outcast of the very society or people he was to reign over. A society and culture that would one day accepted him but now reviled him because of lies and deception by Saul (a man of the world). Strangely, this near exact scenario will again unfold with his own son Absalom later in life because of his very disobedience to God (unlike Jesus).

But here in the cave of Adullam, David becomes a שָׂר . A "Savior", "Lord/Prince" or "Captain" of his followers (1 Sam. 22:1, 2) who were themselves outcast, even more so for following David. A cave not that unlike a grave used a millennium later to bury the One True King. It is after Jesus' death, buried in this cave and Resurrection from that cave/grave that men then truly understand what Jesus' true ministry was in that it was an ushering in of the true Kingdom, through a true nation of priests (foretold by Moses) that would be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, the word "Captain", "Savior" or "Lord/Prince" here is [Sar/ שָׂר] in Hebrew. Translate to Greek it is similar to the word [Archegos/ αρχηγος] which means captain. Also, in ancient Greek maritime tradition an [Archegos/ αρχηγος] was the strongest swimmer on the ship. In case of shipwreck, he would dive into the sea with a rope tied around his waist and swim to shore and tie the rope to a tree or something fixed on shore. He then would swim back to the ship and help everyone on board to follow the line to safety one at a time. If the archegos drowned, then the people on the ship were doomed. This word is attributed directly to Jesus (3x) three times in the New Testament.

Peter speaking to the Jews in Acts 3:14-15, "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,  but put to death the Prince [Archegos/ αρχηγος] of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses."

Peter speaking before the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin Acts 5:31 "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince [Archegos/ αρχηγος] and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author [Archegos/ αρχηγος]  and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Saul never managed to kill David. As a matter of fact David becomes Israel's first true legitimate king in God's eyes. Jesus as Archegos did not drown but is God's True Chosen and is his name is exalted above all other names and at His name very knee will bow as He is the Only King we will ever need (Philippians 2:9-10). Jesus Christ in going into His cave/grave and coming out the other side is our [Archegos/ αρχηγος] in the sea of sin and death in this life. In so doing He saved us from our sin and death. Jesus is a King of which David was only a foreshadowing of because even David was not resurrected by the Father from the grave and exalted. Jesus who went down (in death) but resurfaced (in Resurrection) according to Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus is God's “archegos”. He has safely navigated the waters of death with the sin of humanity on His shoulders to reach Heaven's shore safely. He has tied a rope to that far shore for us and He is coming back to us someday to assure that we reach safety. None will be lost on His watch (John 17:12) except those already doomed to destruction.

What is even more fascinating is that those that join with David in the cave on Adullam are those who were, "in distress, in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him." Just as those who would come to Jesus after His death and resurrection. People who had a debt of sin hanging over their heads that could not be paid off the debt incurred by sin by anything they have or do. People that are under the distress and discontent cause by sin also.

In David, at his best, we see a foreshadowing of a King to come that is a man after God's own heart that seeks to do the will of the Father. In David, at his worst, we see the depths of depravity of man that is in need of the very King that is to come. A King that has the authority and ability to forgive sin and depravity of people like King David but only if David repents and seeks the True King. GOD!

Some of the other places we see Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel and to some extent the Kings and Chronicles? We know that Jesus will be the Root and the Offspring of David.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16

In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Isaiah 4:2

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist... In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. Isaiah 11:1-5,10

And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him." Romans 15:12

Specifically in 2 Samuel 7 we see some seriously important promises made to David from God Himself through Nathan. A Covenant or promise is made to David that will have resounding affects through the entire Bible and throughout history.

“The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:11-16 (1 Chronicles 17:11-15)

In short God’s promise of covenant with David states that…

From David’s seed will come the very Son of God…Jesus Himself, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. David's seed will build a house for God's name. Solomon would build and consecrate the Temple to God. The Temple just like the Tabernacle before it would be an image of Jesus. The Temple which would house the very presence of God, and would foreshadow the Temple of the Holy Spirit after Christ’s ascension…the believers themselves. Strangely, all of the promises to David would occur after his death or after he would (v.12) “lie down” and rest with his ancestors/fathers, just as Pentecost would also occur after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension after He went to be seated at the right hand of the Father.

God would, “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.” As we know from Hebraic mindset and Jewish thought the idea of a father could mean an indirect ancestor just as a son or offspring didn’t necessarily mean a direct descendant. Here God seems to mean both. We see the Kingdom of Israel is at its greatest size and growth under Solomon, David’s immediate son and under Jesus Christ we see the initiation of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. The “now but not yet” of Jesus initiating the Kingdom through believers only to see its full culmination at Jesus’ second coming then comes later. We see the floggings inflicted on Christ though human hands and we also the eternality of the Kingdom Jesus would usher it. By its nature…forever and by its lineage having come from David, therefore made David’s lineage forever also.

If we actually needed further proof we need only consult a few passages in the New Testament as below:

“For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?  Hebrews 1:5 (a direct quote of 2 Samuel 7:14)

In Acts 2:25-32 we need to note (v30) ~ “But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.” We should also note Psalm 132:11: “The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne”

Psalm 89:3-4, 34-37, 2 Samuel 23:5 and Isaiah 55:3 all define the promise from God to David as a covenant.

“From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. ~Acts 13:23

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33.

All of this points to something greater...