Steve Conover: Thank you so much for joining us for The Friends of Israel Today. I'm Steve Conover. With me is Chris Katulka, and I'd like to encourage you to visit foiradio.org. It's there, you can listen to nearly nine years worth of content that we have on the site. It features Chris Katulka's teaching and insightful interviews with a host of great guests. Again, that's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Steve, we're wrapping up our series on the promise that God made to King David and we've seen a lot all rooting back to 2 Samuel 7, the amazing promise that God made to David. But today, we're actually going to look at some similarities that are there between King David and Jesus that are found in the gospels, and so I think it's going to be enlightening for our listeners to see these similarities and just how Jesus comes to fulfill this amazing promise that God made to one of Israel's greatest kings, King David.

Steve Conover: We look forward to the conclusion of this series, but first in the news, Jonathan Glazer, the director of “The Zone of Interest”, spoke about the Gaza War while accepting the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. His film was about the Holocaust. Glazer condemned Israel during his acceptance speech earlier this month, saying that he rejected Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation, which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.

Chris Katulka: Well, here's my take. Glazer believes the Holocaust and Jewishness are being hijacked when it's compared to the aftermath of October 7th. Well, the one thing Glazer misses here is that Hamas actually wishes for another Holocaust. The only thing that's in their way is the State of Israel, the Jewish state, and I am confident that 6 million innocent Jewish people who perished in the Holocaust wished they had an Israeli Defense Force that would've protected them from a genocidal lunatic like Hitler.

Chris Katulka: We are wrapping up our series on the promise that God made to King David, a promise that is the bedrock to understanding why Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, the City of David, or why he's called the son of David, or why he's to rule over God's kingdom forever. It's the reason why Jesus is called the King of Israel, the King of Kings, the Messiah. It's even the reason he's called the Son of God and the Son of Man. All this roots back to a single promise that God made to King David. Now last week, we looked at the titles that were associated with David's dynasty, specifically we looked at the title the Son of God and how it was used to define the position as the King of Israel, but ultimately, how it was fulfilled in the Son of God, Jesus, the Messiah. And if you wanted to listen to last week's program, all you have to do is go to foiradio.org and there you can find it in our archives page.

Now today, we're going to look at some of the interesting similarities between King David and Jesus. But before we get to that, let's return to our original text. When God made the promise to King David in 2 Samuel 7, starting in verse eight.

It says this, "So now, say this to my servant David, 'This is what the Lord of heaven's armies has said: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you leader of my people, Israel. I was with you wherever you went and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. I will establish a place for you, for my people, Israel and settle them there. They will live there and not be disturbed anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again as they did in the beginning, and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people, Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you, and when the time comes for you to die, David, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons to succeed you and I will establish his kingdom and he will build a house for my name and I will make his dynasty permanent. I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the wounds inflicted by human beings. But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently. Your dynasty will be permanent.'"

Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him. I actually love reading the new English translation, the NET Bible here in 2 Samuel 7 because I think it translates the Hebrew words to fit the promise that God is making to King David. God is making a promise to King David of a dynasty. That's what we've been talking about, a kingly dynasty, a Davidic dynasty that will not be broken. And God promises David a few things here. First, God promises David that one of his dynasty, a son, will establish his kingdom and build a temple, and that son is King Solomon. He will go on to establish David's kingdom and build a house for the Lord, a temple. But God also promises that this one will have a permanent dynasty. Now, the gospel writers, what they really wanted to do was to show exactly who Jesus is and who he's related to. Again, that concept of a dynasty.

Jesus didn't just appear out of nowhere. According to the Scriptures, he's a part of the royal family of David, which makes him the promised son of David. Jesus' connection to David is found all throughout the gospels, all throughout the New Testament. In fact, even the Apostle Paul makes it clear that Jesus's relationship to David is essential to the story of the gospel itself. The apostle to the Gentiles opens the letter to the Romans saying, Paul set apart for the gospel of God concerning his son who was born a descendant of David according to the flesh. That's Romans 1: 1-3. Matthew and Luke, in the gospels, they'll lead their accounts of Christ's life through a genealogy, one that shows that Jesus is in the dynasty of King David. The two gospels' genealogies, Matthew and Luke, they track different family lines, but both of them lead back and run through King David.

Now, let me share with you some interesting similarities between Jesus and King David. First of all, did you know this? Both of them came from Bethlehem. The Old Testament prophet prophesied that the Messiah, the King of Israel, would be born in the town of Bethlehem. That's Micah 5:2. Micah's prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4, when Jesus was born in the shepherd's fields of Bethlehem. But why Bethlehem of all places? Well, Luke calls Bethlehem the City of David. This can be confusing since Jerusalem is often considered the City of David. So was Luke wrong by labeling Bethlehem the City of David? Well, remember Bethlehem in the Old Testament was the place where David's family originated. You can actually see that in the account of Ruth in Ruth 4:18-22, and where David is born and raised in 1 Samuel 16 and 17. David was the youngest son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, who tended to his father's flock.

But by Micah's day, 750 BC, almost 225 years after the death of David, Bethlehem was still a small village, but it was famously known for being the hometown of Israel's most famous king, King David. Bethlehem's fame grew exponentially because of the messianic fervor, while Israel was under Roman occupation during the days of Jesus. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem would've sent a certain message to those Jewish people who were waiting for the Messiah's arrival, waiting for the son of David. As you can see, right from the very beginning of Jesus' life, he's being linked to King David, to fulfill the promise that God made to Israel's great king. He shall... Remember what it says. "He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son and I will be his father and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever."

Before we take a quick break, I want to say what makes David so unique and astonishing is his faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. David's faith in the Lord sets him apart from every other King of Israel. Even more astounding is that David understood that even though he carried the title king, he was merely a representative of the true King of Israel, that's the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Yahweh. I believe this is why God said David was a man after his own heart in 1 Samuel 13:14. And when we come back, you're going to see, when we return, how David and Jesus both had a heart to tend to God's chosen people. Stick around.

Steve Conover: Chris, when you think of a people group who have been repeatedly threatened and attacked by an enemy whose purpose is to destroy them, who comes to mind?

Chris Katulka: Steve, without a doubt, it's the people of Israel. For millennia, the Jewish people have fought for their lives and somehow, never completely lost their strength to keep going.

Steve Conover: I agree. And this has to be why when October 7th happened, while it rightfully crushed the souls of every Jewish person, it didn't wipe out their strength completely and for good reason.

Chris Katulka: And this good reason is laid out actually within God's Word, and diving into that reason is why the Friends of Israel wants to spend the day with our listeners all throughout the United States for our popular one-day Prophecy Up Close Conferences where we're going to cover Israel's Resilience, The Struggle to Survive.

Steve Conover: Everyone is invited to go to foi.org/prophecy to find a one-day conference in their area and to learn more about what to expect. You can register for a day packed full of studying God's Word together with Bible teachers who are passionate about the people of Israel.

Chris Katulka: We encourage you to come to learn the history, the future, and the ongoing struggle today for Israel's survival and from where that underlying strength comes. To find a Prophecy Up Close Conference in your area, go to foi.org/prophecy. Again, that's foi.org/prophecy.

Chris Katulka: Welcome back everyone. We're talking all about the similarities between King David, and Jesus and one of the striking similarities is the heart David and Jesus both had to tend to God's chosen people, Israel. In fact, one of the very first titles given to David is shepherd. When the prophet, Samuel, found David, he was tending to his father's sheep. David did not grow up in the world of Israelite politics. He was the youngest of eight brothers and it was his job to protect, guide, and feed his father's vulnerable sheep from potential harm. And even though David's title went from shepherd to king, his nurturing nature to spiritually protect, guide and feed the people of Israel never disappeared. In fact, in 2 Samuel 8:15 it says, "So David reigned over all Israel and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people." This means King David treated all Israelites equally and then not show partiality when administering justice as he ruled.

David didn't just shepherd his people politically, he also desired to shepherd his people toward knowing the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You can see David's passion for the Lord when he sought to build a permanent house for the Lord and to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem where the glory of the Lord would remain. Well, when the prophets predicted what the coming of Jesus would look like, both in Isaiah and Jeremiah, these prophets highlighted the way Jesus would rule. And I have to tell you, it sounds very similar to the way David ruled, with justice and righteousness. When Isaiah the prophet prophesied about Jesus, he said, for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us and the government will rest on his shoulders to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.

Jeremiah said, "Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch and he will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land." Here again, our good shepherd, the Lord Jesus leads and guides his sheep without partiality. You could see it in the way he would show compassion and grace to those who were marginalized and criticize the religious leaders of Israel who withheld justice and righteousness to those who needed it the most.

Finally, another striking similarity between Jesus and David is that they both have first and second comings. You might be scratching your head right now, but just hear me out. David was anointed the King of Israel by the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 16 as a young boy at a time when Saul was still the King of Israel. Now, listen, in God's eyes, David was king, but in the eyes of the Israelites, Saul was king. 1 Samuel is the account of David's struggle to wait on the Lord for the time when God would install him as Israel's king, and there were moments in 1 Samuel where David had King Saul in a checkmate position, but instead of killing Saul and taking the throne, David waited patiently on the Lord's timing.

Remember, all this time David was king. It says in 1 Samuel 22:2 that David's followers were those who were in distress or in debt or bitter in their soul. What that means is that David's original followers 1 Samuel were all social outcasts, but as King David waited patiently on the Lord, eventually, King Saul and his son fell to the hands of the Philistines and David was installed as the King of Israel. 2 Samuel though is all about David's reign as the King of Israel. He established Jerusalem as Israel's capital. He sat on his throne in Jerusalem. He pushed back the enemies of Israel. He expanded Israel's territory and directed people to the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 1 Samuel is David's first coming of humility and suffering and strife, waiting patiently on the Lord, while 2 Samuel is David's second coming, when he sits victoriously on his throne as king.

Well, the same could be said for Jesus. The Gospel's account for Jesus's first coming and since his arrival in Bethlehem, the place David was anointed the King of Israel, Jesus has always been king. Remember, in the beginning of Matthew when the wise men came from the east knocking on king Herod's door looking for the king of the Jews. Jesus was always the King of Israel in God's eyes, but not in the eyes of those around him. They didn't recognize him despite all the miracles he performed.

In 1 Samuel 22:2, it said that David's followers were a bunch of outcasts from society and his first coming in 1 Samuel, but in his second coming in 2 Samuel, all of Israel was behind him. Same could be said for Jesus. In his first coming, his followers were a band of outcasts. He ministered to the lost, the sinners, even the Gentiles, and he condemned the religious leadership who turned their noses up to him all the while he was king. Jesus' first coming, again, is marked with his humility, his suffering, his strife, even his death as he waited patiently on the Lord, and he resurrected victoriously.

And we also know that his second coming will be glorious. His second coming will be marked with the victory and celebration for those who have placed their trust in him, when he comes to Jerusalem to sit on his throne and rule with justice and righteousness. Just listen to what Jesus says about his second coming in Matthew 25, starting in verse 31. He says, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne." I hope that you enjoyed this study of the promise that God made to King David. It's truly the bedrock to understanding our King of kings, Jesus.

Steve Conover: Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life and ministry of Holocaust survivors, Zvi Kalisher.

Mike Kellogg: This week, my three older children, Ruth, Meno and Victor told me that they were going to a hospital for old people and play their instruments for them. I had some free time that evening, so I accompanied them. I remembered the man who was in charge of the hospital as I had a long discussion with him about a year ago. And so it was that I went with my children to this old folks home. The people were all about 80 years of age or older and most were quite sick.

The first song my children played was from Psalm 121:5-8, which starts with the words, "The Lord is thy keeper." And then they played from Isaiah 60:1, "Arise, shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon me." The old people were very happy and sang along with the children.

You see, every Jew knows these songs. The sad thing is that they do not know the one of whom the songs speak. I was very surprised to see signs on the walls written in large letters stating, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." A year before when I spoke with the doctor in charge of the hospital, he said, "Jews who believe in Jesus are not welcome in Israel." What had happened? When my children finished, the doctor approached them and congratulated them on their fine playing. He asked them to come and play again and said that he would be happy to meet with her father, but when I came up to him, he seemed to be afraid. He said, "I know you, but I cannot remember from where." I said, yes, "I remember you very well." He then became even more frightened.

I asked, "What is the matter? Do you think I am a policeman? I am not. We were together in the army for a short time last year." He then remembered me and the long discussion we had. I pointed to the signs and asked what had caused the apparent shift in his attitude. He said, "Things have changed. We're living in different times." He then asked, "Are you the same? How have you been?" I replied, "Yes, I am the same believer. I am happy that the Lord is my savior and that I can open my heart to him in every situation."

"I believe you," he said. "If there is so," I asked, "why don't you open your heart to the Lord? Now you are a doctor, but there will come a time when you must give back to the Lord what he has given to you. The body is nothing, but how is it with your soul? If you do not put your trust in the Lord, you will be lost forever. You're not a child, you know. We are here talking now, but in an hour, we both could be dead. Save your life. Believe in the Lord now."

He said, "In this hospital, I am the boss. I'm a big man, but after what you have said to me, I can see that if I were to die now, I would be lost." I then gave him a Bible and said, "Read this and pray. Then if you ask him, God will come into your heart." He went on. "I'm a very rich man, but I have no peace with myself." "Oh, I'm much richer than you," I told him, "because I have the Lord in my heart. I am happy and he gives me peace. You too can have this peace, but it's only available through his mercy." He thanked me for the Bible and made me promise that my children would return. He said, "You are all welcome."

Chris Katulka: The impact of Zvi's life in ministry in Israel, it didn't end when he went home to be with the Lord. In fact, Zvi's legacy lives on. Our Friends of Israel ministry representatives continue to share the gospel in Jerusalem, Israel, and really all throughout the world. We also serve Holocaust survivors and their families. We provide free food, medicine and clothing, and we even promote the safety and security of the State of Israel and the Jewish people everywhere. So when you give to the Friends of Israel, your donation actually allows us to advance the gospel of our Messiah, Jesus. You can give online by visiting foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org. You can click right there on our donate link. Also, be sure to let us know where you listen when you contact us.

Steve Conover: Thank you so much for joining us for today's episode of The Friends of Israel Today. We hope you've enjoyed our five-part series on the Davidic Covenant. You can listen to any of the episodes you might've missed or listen to nearly nine years worth of programming on our site. Visit foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Steve, next week we're going to have Ronit from Magen David Adom join us. There are many stories of heroism from October 7th, and Ronit was at the hub of hearing all of the moments come in as she was receiving the phone calls from those from October 7th who were being attacked. So Ronit's going to share some amazing accounts that happened and some tragedies as well, but she's going to really share with us what was going on on October 7th, right from Magen David Adom.

Steve Conover: It'll be a meaningful time. We hope you join us then. Our host and teacher is Chris Katulka. Today's program was produced by Tom Gallione, edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold, and I'm Steve Conover, executive producer.

Our mailing address is FOI Radio PO Box 914 Bellmawr, New Jersey, 08099. Again, that's FOI Radio PO Box 914 Bellmawr, New Jersey, 08099. Our web address is foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org, or you can call our listener line. That number is (888) 343-6940. Again, that's (888) 343-6940.

The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. We are a worldwide evangelical ministry, proclaiming biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah, while bringing physical and spiritual comfort to the Jewish people.