The City of David

When David finally became the new king of Israel, he fulfilled God’s purposes by driving the Jebusites from Jerusalem and establishing the city of Zion as his own. "Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.” (2 Samuel 5:7). From the outset of his reign, David’s significance came from his dedication and service to God’s people. In this way, David foreshadowed the future Christ, who will one day create a new Jerusalem, a heavenly city in which He will rule and reign eternally as God’s perfect King.

During his reign, David developed his City into a political and religious center. He was ultimately buried there upon his death. "Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David." (1 Kings 2:10). Centuries after David’s death, the City of David suffered various conquests, including the Babylonian and Roman invasions. Despite these challenges, the city remained a symbol of Jewish identity and spirituality until our days.

The City of David in the Old Testament (Biblical references)

Apart from being the capital of King David's kingdom, the City of David witnessed various events throughout biblical history that are captured in the Old Testament.

• The Ark of the Covenant: David brought the Ark of the Covenant, containing the Ten Commandments, to Jerusalem, symbolizing God's presence among His people (2 Samuel 6:12-19).

• David's sin and repentance: David's infamous affair with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite, occurred in Jerusalem. After being confronted by the prophet Nathan, David repented of his sins (2 Samuel 11-12).

• Solomon's Temple: David's son, Solomon, built the First Temple in Jerusalem, also known as Solomon's Temple, on Mount Moriah, within the City of David (1 Kings 6).

• The split of the kingdom: After Solomon's reign, the kingdom of Israel split into two: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Jerusalem remained the capital of Judah (1 Kings 12).

• Prophetic activity: Many prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, delivered prophetic messages in Jerusalem, often addressing the city's rulers and inhabitants regarding their faithfulness and obedience to God's commands.

• Babylonian siege and exile: Various empires, including the Babylonians, besieged Jerusalem multiple times. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians destroyed Solomon's Temple and exiled many Jews to Babylon (2 Kings 25).

• Return from exile and Second Temple: After the Babylonian exile, some Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple, known as the Second Temple, under the leadership of figures like Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 1-6; Nehemiah 1-13).

The City of David in the New Testament

The New Testament mentions the City of Jerusalem many times, using the term "City of David" twice and later references it as Bethlehem. "Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day." (Acts 2:29). The following New Testament events explain how the City of David and Jerusalem played into the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the early Messianic/Christian movement.

• Birth of Jesus: Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, previously called the City of David.

• Presentation at the Temple: After Jesus' birth, Mary and Joseph presented him at the Temple in Jerusalem in adherence to Jewish customs (Luke 2:22-38).

• Triumphal entry: Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah. (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19).

• Last Supper and Passover: Jesus observed the Last Supper with his disciples in Jerusalem, during which he instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-38; John 13:1-17:26).

• Trial, crucifixion, and resurrection: Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified in Jerusalem. He was crucified at Golgotha, also known as Calvary, which was outside the city walls but still within the vicinity of Jerusalem (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19). Jesus' resurrection also occurred near Jerusalem. (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20).

• Pentecost: After Jesus' ascension, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in Jerusalem during the Jewish festival of Pentecost, empowering them to preach the Gospel in various languages (Acts 2).

• Early Christian community: Jerusalem was the center of the early Messianic/Christian community, where the apostles and early believers gathered, prayed, and shared the message of Jesus Christ (Acts 1-8).

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How David moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (the City of David) all by himself

2 Samuel details King David’s efforts to move the ark of God to the City of David after conquering Jerusalem, establishing it as the capital of Israel. David, with his expanding family and recent victories over the Philistines, aims to make Jerusalem both the political and religious center by bringing the ark there, symbolizing God’s presence among His people.

David’s desire to be close to God and emphasize His kingship leads him to retrieve the ark from Abinadab’s home, disregarding past instructions. The ark is brought to Jerusalem with great rejoicing, followed by sacrifices and celebrations, despite some objections.

The story culminates with the ark placed in a tent, David offering sacrifices, and blessing the people in the name of the Lord Almighty, establishing Jerusalem as the City of God. However, challenges arise with Uzzah and Michal, hinting at underlying tensions despite the apparent success.

Probing the Unpleasant Parts of the Story

Uzzah and his brother Ahio were moving the ark when Uzzah was struck dead by God for touching it, seen as irreverent. David, stunned and angry, halted the procession. The ark stayed with Obed-Edom before being brought to Jerusalem, blessing David and his people.

The death of Uzzah raises questions about God's holiness. Specific instructions were given for handling the ark, which Uzzah violated, resulting in his death.

David's dance when bringing the ark to Jerusalem caused conflict with Michal, who found it vulgar. Their disagreement led to Michal's childlessness and the end of Saul's lineage.

The stories of Uzzah and Michal highlight how God's people should approach His presence.

How to Come into the Presence of the Living God

We can’t be too careful, and we can’t be too joyful.  Uzzah was not careful enough, Michal was way too careful.  Uzzah was unthinkingly presumptuous, while Michal was priggishly Pharisaical.  On the one hand, we can’t approach God too casually, but on the other we can’t be so strict that we don’t experience the joy of the Lord. Don’t touch, but dance your head off! Respect the holiness of God, but rejoice in the grace and mercy of God.

The letter to the Hebrews takes all of these Old Testament rules and rituals and institutions and stories and says, “In Jesus Christ all of this has been fulfilled.  Jesus is ‘better’ than any of those holy things.” For example, Hebrews 4:14-16 describes Jesus as a High Priest who has gone through the heavens and through our temptations. Thus, he is a sympathetic high priest who can usher us into God’s presence. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.”  Hebrews 10:19-22 continues that theme of entering into the Holy Place (where the ark was kept) with confidence.  “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith….”

Thus, in the end, this story with its joy and its anger, its good news and bad, invites us to approach the Holy God through his Son who has satisfied all the requirements of the Law and suffered all the penalties of the law. Remember that God is God and rejoice that God has become one of us, so that we can come to him with confident joy.

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Holiness and Purity is Required from Us

“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22)

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and it anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

If holiness and Christ-likeness is my ultimate goal, than purity must be also. The word “purity” itself is taken from the same Greek root as “holy”.  Who of us, as believers, have not heard that we are to be “holy yourselves also in all your behavior… ‘you shall be holy, for I Am holy.’ ” (1 Peter 1:15-16) ? One of God’s most prominent characteristics is His undeniable and consuming holiness. So, if we, who have been created in His image and have fallen from initial perfection, are to be like Him for His glory, we must pursue purity and holiness in all of our thoughts, words, and actions.

Both concepts of physical purity and spiritual purity have been attacked, ravaged, and desecrated by the world that we live in. Satan has placed in the world lies and deceit which have twisted the true meaning of purity to the point that almost no meaning and no standard exists. However, Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man (or young woman) keep his (her) way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.”

So, the first step is to hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we may know His standard and so that the Holy Spirit may use it to further sanctify and purify our hearts. Purity always begins as a heart condition which is softened towards God’s rules for holiness then acted out in thought word and action. Second, the mind is always ruled by what the heart desires. If the heart desires to be holy and pure as God is holy and pure, then the mind will dwell on the things that are holy and pure according to what God’s Word says is holy and pure. That means that we must “flee from youthful lusts” and dwell on “whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely”. Finally, this internal purity will come out. Every word and action will be defined by this inner holiness and desire for Christ-like purity. Have I considered my standards for purity in words, in actions, even apparel and attitude? The inner purity and holiness that is truly from Christ and is based upon what He has commanded in Scripture will always dictate what is manifested on the outside.

What Is Purity?

Just as clean essentially means “not dirty,” you could define purity as “freedom from contamination.” But this description is not very helpful for picturing what a pure life looks like. Instead, look at it this way: Purity describes who you are and what you do. It applies both to your character and to your conduct, especially when you are alone.

1 John 3:2-3, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Purity is not popular. Think about it: when did you last hear that word used in a sentence? Unless you work as a jeweler, it probably has been quite a while. And when we do talk about purity, most people only think it pertains to sexuality. A closer look reveals that purity’s power affects every part of your life—and the lives of others—both now and in eternity. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

What Should be True of You to Pursue Purity?

1. A Desire to Please God in Your Life: by fearing Him, worshiping Him, obeying Him, cherishing Him, and loving Him. Real purity comes as a result of believing that the Lord Jesus died in your place to ransom you from impurity. Pure living increases as you work together with the Holy Spirit to live as a redeemed child of God.

2. You Choose to Live Transparently: your concern for the truth leads you to demonstrate your integrity with honesty and transparency. Your desire for purity leads you to avoid and resist temptations that would pollute or weaken your character. As a pure person, you desire a clean and whole life free from corruption and compromise.

3. Your Actions Affirm What Is Good: your decisions agree with what you know is appropriate and excellent. You value beauty and modesty in style and appearance. You honor your body and the Lord who redeemed it, demonstrating uprightness and self-control in your conduct. Fighting for purity helps you strive for a blameless reputation before God and others, as displayed in your words and actions. You have a sincere singleness of mind as you honor what is sacred to God and decent in the sight of others.

4. You Love Others and Stay Humble You value peace with others, serving them selflessly and sacrificially in love, and respecting them as individuals made in God’s image—not as objects to be used for your pleasure. Your purity should not make you proud or lead you to look down on others who have made different choices. Trials have refined and tested your purity, and you grow to be more like the Lord Jesus each day. You understand that pure living is a constant lifelong pursuit and that you will not attain perfection in this life. Your resolve for purity keeps you humble and dependent upon God’s power to sanctify you.

Too Good to Be True?

Does this vision of purity seem unrealistic or unattainable? While none of us will ever reach perfection in this life, we should still strive toward this high standard. Remember, pure living is a lifelong marathon, not an all-or-nothing sprint.

Purity benefits you and those who are close to you in several important ways. Do not underestimate its value in your life or the negative consequences of impurity. The most significant benefit of purity is that it allows you entrance into God’s holy presence. The Bible says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). This eternal life is only possible by receiving forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ.

Purity inspires you to avoid stumbling blocks and helps you live free of guilt and regret. A pure heart will show in your thoughts, words, choices, attitudes, relationships, and more.

Be sure to honor the Lord Jesus Christ “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14)

The Holiness of God

The holiness of God refers to the absolute moral purity of God and the absolute moral distance between God and his human creatures. The core idea of divine holiness is absolute moral purity. God’s holiness is the underpinning to the entire narrative arc of Scripture. His holiness means that all of the created order functions within a fixed moral order wherein good and evil are never simply relative terms contingent upon a culture’s moral taste buds. Human flourishing is always a function of delighting in that which God delights and desiring that which God desires. God’s holiness also marks out the remarkable appearances of God into human history in ways that are mysterious, stupendous and scary. The greatest hope of an Israelite was to see God and their greatest fear was to see God—because absolute holiness is always both attractive and terrifying. The holiness of God runs right through the entirety of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

When God shows up in history, his presence is inscrutable. The first appropriate reaction is always worship and gratitude and only afterwards may a modicum of understanding emerge. When God sends his holiness into our lives and communities by his (Holy) Spirit, the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf spreads even to the nations. When God brings a final defeat to evil, there will no longer be a need for a temple with a “holy of holies” for the Holy God will dwell in the midst of his people forever and ever.

Prayer

Father, may it become my utmost desire to be pure, to be holy, as You my God and Savior are holy, in my heart motives and desires, in my every thought and intention, and in every word and action that occurs as a result. Thank You, Lord, for your grace and mercy, that I may enter Your holy presence and worship You with joy and reverence daily. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.