Judaism Overthrown

I. The Kingdom of Israel—what it was

The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, when he was probably an idolator, and called him into Canaan, with the promise that he would give it to Abraham and his seed for an everlasting possession; and yet according to Stephen, Acts 7th chapter, he did not give Abraham enough, when alive, to set his foot on; yet he promised he would give it him for a possession, when as yet he had no child. God assured him that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and be entreated evil 400 years, and afterward come forth and serve him in that land of promise. When the time drew near that the people should be returned to the land of promise, Moses was raised up to deliver them from Egypt. He brought them through the Red Sea into the wilderness, where a civil and political government was organized, derived immediately from Jehovah, their Great King. The system of civil and political jurisprudence, as well as their religious institutions, were of heaven’s own legislation. The administrators of this government were of Divine appointment. Under this government, the people, with Joshua, by Divine appointment the successor of Moses, at their head, entered the “land of promise,” as God had spoken to Abraham. After casting out and destroying their enemies, the land was divided among them by lot, and the political institutions given to Moses were carried into effect. For 450 years, until Samuel, God governed them by Judges, and was himself their King. So it was in fact a kingdom, even under the Judges. But the people became dissatisfied with this system, and requested a king, like the nations around them. Samuel complained to God that he was rejected; “And the Lord said unto Samuel,-Hearken unto the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over; them.” 1 Samuel 8:7. He then raised up Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, to reign over Israel; and God again legislated for them, and adapted their laws to a kingly government. He gave them the manner of the kingdom. Saul sinned, and was put away, and David, the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, filled his place. JUO 4.6

We find the identity of this kingdom to lie in-The royal house-The territory-The heirs and subjects-The capital and government. JUO 5.1

1. In the house of David, God promised to perpetuate the royalty of the kingdom forever. 1 Chronicles 17:9-14. JUO 5.2

“9. Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning, JUO 5.3

“10. And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover, I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore, I tell thee that the Lord will build thee a house. JUO 5.4

“11. And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired, that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. JUO 5.5

“12. He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. JUO 5.6

“13. I will be his father, and he shall be my son, and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee. JUO 5.7

“14. But I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established for evermore.” JUO 5.8

From this text we learn, 1. That David’s throne and kingdom was to be eternal. 2. That the son of David, who should fill that throne, will be the Son of God. So Paul applies it, in Heb. is “To which of the angels said he at any time, thou art my son.” And again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be my son.” 3. That the kingdom in which he should reign, is “the kingdom of God.” “I will settle him in ‘my house’ and in MY KINGDOM forever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.” 4. That this promise is unconditional and immutable. “I will not take my mercy away from him as I took it away from him that was before thee.” Saul sinned and was rejected entirely; David was elected to the office forever. But, said God, “If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.” Psalm 89:30-37. JUO 5.9

The heir of David’s throne is thus described by Isaiah 9:6, 7,-“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of ‘his’ government and peace ‘there shall be’ no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.” JUO 6.1

This king is “the mighty god-the everlasting father.” The government is on “the throne of David and his kingdom.” Is not the kingdom of God on earth and the kingdom of David one and the same thing? But who is this child? Lake, first chapter, answers-“And shall call his name Jesus; and he shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever.” There can be no doubt but that Christ is the true and promised heir to David’s throne, and under him it is to endure forever. JUO 6.2

Solomon was a type of Christ, and built an house of cedar-but Christ is to build a church or temple of living stones-a habitation of God through the Spirit. JUO 7.1

2. The territory over which David bare rule, was the land of promise, described by God to Abraham thus-“Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.” Genesis 15:18. Over this territory, the kingdom of Israel was extended in the days of Solomon. 1 Kings 4:21, 24. “And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.” JUO 7.2

3. The heirs and subjects of the kingdom were an elect people. 2 Chronicles 6:5, 6. “Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there: neither chose I any man to be over my people Israel. But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name should be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.” Israel is an elect people. Abraham was elected from all the families of the earth to be the father of the whole church of God-the father of the faithful-the father of many nations-the family in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed. And this promise was when he had no child. His first-born, and the natural heir, Ishmael, was rejected, and the second, Isaac, was elected. In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Of Isaac’s seed, to whom the promise was confirmed, Esau was rejected and Jacob chosen, and his name was called Israel. Of his seed, God raised up a church, and gave it an independent and divine system of civil and political government, under his own supervision-the twelve tribes of Jacob were its heirs. Others were conditionally elected to the same privileges. A provision was established in the law of Moses, by which Gentiles might be admitted to a participation in the privileges and immunities of the kingdom. But they came in by identifying themselves with the elect family. JUO 7.3

4. The metropolis, or capital of the kingdom, was Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 5:3-9. “So all the elders of Israel came to the king, to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron, before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem, unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither; thinking, David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless, David took the strong-hold of Zion: and the same is the city of David. And David said on that day. Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Milo and inward.” Also 2 Chronicles 6:6. “I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there, and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.” The reader can find abundant testimony on this point by a little pains. JUO 8.1

From the foregoing particulars, we learn that the identity of the kingdom consists, 1. In the royalty of David’s house. 2. The territory, the land promised Abraham and his seed. 3. Subjects and heirs, an elect people of Abraham’s seed or family. 4. The capital at Jerusalem, and the government of divine origin. JUO 8.2