God tells David, “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men” (2 Sam. 7:14). The NT informs us that Jesus did not sin (Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 9:14; 1 Pet. 2:22; Jn. 8:46; 2 Cor. 5:21). How can this passage predict Jesus, if it says that he would commit sin?
This passage predicts Solomon—David’s immediate descendant. Since Solomon sinned, this passage predicts Solomon’s error. However, portions of the prediction surpass the life of Solomon. For instance, God was making a prediction about the “house” of David (v.13), rather than just a specific person. Also, God promised that this throne would “be established forever” (v.16). Since Solomon’s reign did not fulfill this, we should expect a future figure to fulfill this—namely Jesus.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
