King David, a small time player

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So if David wasn’t a King of Israel in the epic sense as stated in the Bible since archaeologically there is no proof of his kingdom or half the thing claimed was from him, how does this fit in with Jesus having to be the Son of David or Jesus in general? Why did the bible focus on David, Solomon et al. Seems like “King” David was a bit player in history and not really important.
 
I would, were I you, look at archaeological discoveries made in Palestine in 1993. I don’t think you’re as familiar with this as you make yourself out to be.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
I would, were I you, look at archaeological discoveries made in Palestine in 1993. I don’t think you’re as familiar with this as you make yourself out to be.
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To be fair, though, that’s the “conventional wisdom” from the non-Judeo-Christian side of things, these days. So, if the OP heard or was taught that this is true, then it’s not surprising he treats it as a presumptive fact.
Fox said:
Seems like “King” David was a bit player in history and not really important.
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From the perspective of a secular and merely geopolitical view, I’ll grant you that. Even if David is who the Bible says he is – from the standpoint of his importance to the world – he’s still unknown outside the Levant of his day, from a political standpoint.

And yet, his importance – in terms of the spirituality of a large percentage of humans who live or have lived in the past – is huge!

Heck, if you treat Jesus merely from the standpoint of politics, He’s just a leader of minor religious sect of a relatively powerless religious community in a backwater province of the Roman Empire. Big deal, eh? Yet… from the perspective of the impact – immediately and up through the present day – of His ministry and passion / death / resurrection? HUGE!

So, I think I would counter that King David is massively important – and sets the stage for the even more massively important ‘Son of David’ – in ways that transcend a merely geopolitical analysis.
 
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It is a true axiom that “ignorance is bliss” eh?
Most people don’t know that what they have today, science, universities, schools, hospitals and many other accomplishments which all have their genesis in the Catholic Church, who got her marching orders from that obscure carpenter from Galilee.
Peace!
 
Several archaeological discoveries point to the existence of the Davidic kingdom. Look up the Tel Dan Stele for one.
 
David is HUGE. The Gospel of Matthew draws all kinds of parallels between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Davidic Kingdom. The New Covenant is the fulfillment of the Davidic Kingdom Covenant.

What did God promise David? (ref 2 Sam 7)
  1. His son would be the “Son of God”
  2. His son would build God’s temple
  3. His son will rule over Israel for ever
Samuel was the blood son of David, and there was a partial fulfillment of these promises, but not a complete fulfillment. The complete fulfillment came with Jesus
  1. Mt 1:1 calls Jesus the “Son of David”. This “Son of David” is the "Son of God by nature.
  2. Jesus’s body is the temple…I will destroy this temple and rebuild it in 3 days (Jn 2:19)
  3. Jesus is the King that will rule forever
Also note these features of the Davidic Kingdom and how Jesus is the fulfillment:
  1. David’s Son is “Son of God”…Jesus is “Son of David” and “Son of God” (like above)
  2. Solomon was anointed to become the adopted “Son of God”…was a messiah (means “anointed one”). Jesus was anointed at His baptism with water and spirit…he is the Messiah (capital M)
  3. Davidic Kingdom Covenant was made at Zion. Jesus’s New Covenant was in the Upper Room at Zion
  4. The Old Testament Temple was the visible form of the Davidic Covenant. The New Testament Temple, Jesus, is the visible form of the New (Eucharistic) Covenant
  5. Unlike the Mosaic Covenant, which was “national”, the Davidic Covenant was international. The New Covenant is not only international, but universal
  6. The Davidic Covenant was to be everlasting…it was a dynasty, but not fulfilled. The Davidic Kingdom lasted over 400 years…longer than the Han dynasty, but NOT fulfilled. Jesus’s New Covenant is New and Everlasting (ref Isaiah 55:3)
  7. Wisdom literature was the literary expression of the Davidic Kingdom Covenant. The Hebrew term for Wisdom is Hokmah. The principle form that Solomon employs in Wisdom literature is the Hebrew term mashalim, which translates to proverbs and…parables. Which Jesus taught in.
Bottom line: David is huge!
 
David’s reign was important, not least because he conquered Jerusalem and absorbed it into his kingdom, making it his capital city. Our knowledge of that historical fact is supported by ample archeological evidence. If you wish to learn more, I can warmly recommend Jerome Murphy-O’Connor’s book:

https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Land-Oxford-Archaeological-Earliest/dp/0192880136/ref=sr_1_1?Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.x=11&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.y=9&dchild=1&qid=1587932707&refinements=p_27%3Amurphy-o'connor%2Cp_28%3Aholy+land&s=books&sr=1-1&unfiltered=1
 
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Fox said:
So if David wasn’t a King of Israel in the epic sense as stated in the Bible since archaeologically there is no proof of his kingdom or half the thing claimed was from him
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King David needs no so-called archaelogical proof… Ergo, the contentions are presumptuous…
 
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