By Bob Bunn
When Queen Elizabeth II died last September, mourners worldwide expressed their sorrow at her passing. Leaders across the globe spoke of her integrity, influence, and even faith during seven decades on the throne. Even common people from England and many other nations demonstrated incredible levels of love and loyalty. At one point, the line to view the queen lying in state at Westminster Hall stretched for ten miles. The wait to pass by the coffin for a few seconds lasted almost twenty-four hours at times. The chilly weather made the conditions less than ideal, but people still came and waited their turn to pay their respects.
The queen’s death also led to another event that piqued the interest of many inside and outside the United Kingdom concerning the royal family. Prince Charles became King Charles, and the title and the crown entered a new generation. Despite waiting longer than many expected, Charles was raised to be king. Now, his oldest son, William, holds the title of Prince of Wales is next in line to the throne.
For centuries, the rise and fall of royalty have fascinated people. Yet while many monarchies have lasted for generations, none could be considered eternal—except the line of David, king of Israel. That’s because of a promise that God made to David.
Initially, David wanted to do something great for God. His passion was to replace the Hebrew tabernacle with a temple worthy of God’s name and the ark of His covenant (1Chronicles 17:1–2). But, as He so often does, the Lord put David’s human dreams on hold so He could give David more than he ever imagined.
Instead of David building a house for the Lord, God established for David a dynasty that would last forever (vv.10–14). As long as David’s offspring remained faithful to God and His covenant, one of his descendants would always sit on Israel’s throne.
David’s descendants struggled to keep their commitment, but that didn’t keep God from upholding His end of the bargain. Long after David’s sons lost their throne to Assyria and Babylon, the ultimate Son of David, Jesus, came to earth and established the kingdom of God. While Jesus was a physical descendant of David, He also stands alone as the King of kings and Lord of lords. And through His life, death, and resurrection, He began uniting heaven and Earth. He opened the door to salvation and fulfilled the promise to His famous ancestor centuries earlier.
This Lent, we can reflect on the King who left His throne to sacrifice His life on earth. But we can also remember that His reign has no end. God’s promise to David wasn’t just about building a physical line of earthly kings to rule one nation. It was about anticipating the forever kingdom and a renewed world.
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