The Bigger Story

God provided Jesus for us before the foundation of the world.   ~~~   Now the question becomes for us, what would the first readers, those first Israelites have done in response to this passage? Well, they would naturally know the whole story of David, his reign as king, but they wouldn’t have necessarily known about the conversation between God and Samuel. So now they are reading and hearing about the providence of God and God’s will. Now they are rejoicing at the incredible provision and goodness of God in giving to them someone like a King David, who was the greatest king Israel had ever known. His wisdom, his devotion, his musicianship, his praise, his courage, his humility, his strength. All of these would have been lauded in the mind of the Israelite. As they read this, they would have hearts swelling with pride and joy in their patriarchal king. They would have been encouraged as children of God to trust God and his word. But here is what we must see. The bigger story is that for all of the potential and great inner character and love for the Lord that we find in David, we will discover that he is still just a man. A sinful man who was also in need of another king. David is the great foreshadowing character, he casts a long shadow, but he is not the fulfillment of the promise of the seed who would crush Satan’s head. David couldn’t do it. That would be Jesus, who would also have an anointing ceremony, when the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove, symbolically showing that the Spirit had now rushed upon Jesus, and he would be the greater David, the greater King. He is the one whom God the father provided for us before the foundations of the world were set. It would be His heart, His devotion, His listening ear, His courageous resolve, His unbending will to do all the Father told Him to do that would produce a perfect life, a life worthy to become the atonement, the sacrifice that all men need.