“Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.” (1 Chronicles 22:9-10).David is probably one of the best-known figures in Old Testament history. His slaying of giants and his military conquests have made him a name as a man of valor. As a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), David serves as an example of the obedient child of God. Such a man has the integrity to perform great feats “in the name of the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:45). He has the determination to act on his intentions, seeing them to completion.

However, good intentions come to nothing when they are not in line with God’s will. David had intended to build the Temple of God (1 Chronicles 22:7). But the careful reader will note that God rejected David’s intention because of the previously mentioned military exploits (1 Chronicles 22:8). The question arises as to the fairness of this rejection. Didn’t God Himself command the conquest of the land? Yes, He did.

Realizing the Sovereignty of God, we know that these things serve the eternal purpose and plan, even when we don’t understand them. I believe the key to understanding God’s purpose for David is the directions given to the king concerning his son Solomon. In preparing to build the first Temple, David is given a prophecy picturing himself as God the Father, to Solomon as Jesus Christ. These types illustrate the work of Christ in building an Eternal Temple.

There are three things brought out in our text that show it to be a Messianic prophecy. The first is that the Son would be the Son of David. This means that He is the genealogical descendent of David. This genealogy in turn would make Him the rightful Heir to the throne of David.

Secondly, this prophesied Son would be a Man of rest and peace. It is said that He would have rest from all His enemies, giving the indication that His reign is unchallenged. He also is said to give peace to His people. This speaks of their assurance of well-being as they trust in His rule over their lives.

Thirdly, this prophecy tells us the Messiah would be the Son of God. This is a position of relationship indicative of their Oneness. This relationship was to be so special because the prophesied Son would be “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). For this reason, His claim to rulership encompassed more than was possible for mere human beings. The foretold Son would be Heir to an Eternal Throne.

We, as Christians, recognize the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies in Jesus Christ. As the Son of David, He is both the genealogical descendent (Matthew 1) and Heir to David’s throne (Matthew 2:1-2). He is able to give rest and peace (John 14:27), because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). As the Son of God, He is One with the Father (John 10:30). It is evident that God’s purpose in rejecting David’s good intention involved more than giving the honor of building the Temple to Solomon, but actually points us to Christ.