Glorious Contradiction - God's Promises to David via Nathan

The last post was of course a spin-off from one of Dale Ralph Davis's thoughts. This is a spin-off from that, which I don't think DRD picked up on.

God makes two promises to David through Nathan. The first is in 2 Samuel 7

Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'

2 Samuel 7:9-16

But after David commits adultery and murder, Nathan makes another promise to David from God.

Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.

This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'

2 Samuel 12:10-12

So God promises that David's line will reign forever, but also that the sword will never depart from his house - that there will always be one of his descendants ruling, but that they will always be killed violently.

Isn't that interesting? I wonder how those two fit together.... I wonder if the people who were expecting a Messiah who would be from David's family to come and conquer and be a military hero rather than to come and suffer and die remembered the promise in 2 Samuel 12.