NOTE.—This series of lessons is entitled, “Studies on the Gospel Message.” For Introduction and excellent suggestions as to their study, we refer the student to the Lesson Quarterly.
THROUGH the tabernacle and its services God was teaching the mystery of godliness,—God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:15, 16), the King in His house. To show His purpose to identify Himself with His people, He occupied the same kind of dwelling as they did (2 Sam. 7:6, 7), thus acting His word as an object-lesson before them (2 Cor. 6:16; Heb. 2:14). Now, when David’s heart is stirred to find out a settled place for the Lord (Ps. 132:3-5), the Lord reveals to him that He will build the house of David (2 Sam. 7:11, last clause), and make that His permanent home, through the relationship which He would establish with his family (verse 14, first clause).
The real house is the people (Isa. 58:1), and is thus equivalent to household (2 Tim. 4:19, A. V. and R. V.), or family (1 Chron. 13:14). To build a house was to bring a son into the family. Ruth 4:11. If a house continues forever, there must be a son in the family forever. When the Lord promised to establish David’s house and David’s throne forever (2 Sam. 7:16), He renewed the promise of the Seed (Gen. 3:15), and declared His purpose to give His eternal Son to David’s family (Isa. 9:6, 7) to retain the flesh forever. This was the Seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29), the Seed of David (Rom. 1:1-3), and the Son of both (Matt. 1:1). In Him Israel was brought into the relation of a Son (Ex. 4:22; Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:14, 15), and the family on earth and the family in heaven were united (Eph. 3:14, 15). Read Luke 1:67-75.
QUESTIONS.
What lesson was revealed in the tabernacle and its services?
How did God indicate His purpose to be one with His people?
What statements were thus being put into a concrete form?
What opened the way for the Lord to reveal to David the truth concerning His real temple?
In what promise was this revelation made?
What relationship would thus be established with David’s family?
What is the primary meaning of the word “house”?
To what other words is it thus equivalent?
How is such a house as this built?
On what basis alone can such a house as this continue forever?
When the Lord promised to build a house for David, and to establish it forever, what promise was renewed?
What further revelation was now made to David as to the way in which the promise would be fulfilled?
Whose seed did the Son of God thus become? Whose Son?
How was it possible for God to speak to Israel in Egypt as His Son?
What union was established through the gift of the Son of God to the family of David?
