What Is the Davidic Covenant?

Summary

Doctrine Matters with Kevin DeYoung: Episode Summary Episode: What Is the Davidic Covenant?
Release Date: May 27, 2025

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Introduction to Covenant Theology

In this episode, Kevin DeYoung, host of Doctrine Matters, delves into the intricate topic of covenant theology, focusing specifically on the Davidic Covenant. Alongside his co-host and a guest theologian, Kevin explores the foundational aspects of traditional Reformed covenant theology, the interplay between various covenants of grace, and the overarching narrative that leads to the New Covenant.

Understanding the Davidic Covenant

The discussion begins with an overview of covenant theology as a distinctive feature of traditional Reformed thought. The co-host explains that covenant theology revolves around the covenant of works initiated with Adam in the Garden of Eden and the subsequent covenant of grace promised after Adam's failure (01:09). The Davidic Covenant emerges as a crucial administration within this framework.

Unnamed Theologian describes the Davidic Covenant as a "covenant of kingship" (01:22), which not only marks the establishment of a glorious kingdom in Israel but also anticipates the coming of a Messiah—a greater king, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The theologian emphasizes that the Davidic Covenant builds upon previous covenants, laying the groundwork for a more profound fulfillment in future administrations (01:57).

The Messianic Fulfillment

The co-host highlights how Old Testament prophecies point towards the Messiah as a son of David (02:28), a title that underscores both his royal lineage and his divine mission. This understanding is rooted in passages like 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17, where God promises David that his lineage will endure forever, culminating in the ultimate promise fulfilled in Jesus (02:49).

Unnamed Theologian adds that the New Testament reinforces this view, with Jesus being presented as the fulfillment of these promises. For instance, during Palm Sunday, the crowds proclaim "Hosanna to the Son of David" (03:19), directly linking Jesus to the Davidic lineage. Similarly, Matthew's genealogy traces Jesus' descent from David, affirming his rightful place as the promised Messiah (03:22).

Transition to the New Covenant

The conversation shifts to the New Covenant, distinguishing it from other covenantal frameworks like Baptistic or Dispensationalist views. The co-host explains that the New Covenant promises a "religion of the heart" and forgiveness of sins (05:36), themes that are present in the Old Testament but find their fullest expression in Christ (06:25).

Unnamed Theologian elaborates on the nature of the New Covenant, emphasizing that it is "already and not yet"—meaning it has been inaugurated through Christ but awaits complete fulfillment in the future (09:07). This mirrors the Abrahamic Covenant, which had both immediate and future aspects fulfilled in Abraham's life and the eventual coming of Christ (09:18).

Francis Turretin's Perspective

To further elucidate the distinctions between the Old and New Covenants, the hosts reference theologian Francis Turretin. They outline eight key differences:

1. Time: The Old Covenant precedes Christ, while the New follows Him (10:50).
2. Clarity: The New reveals what was previously veiled in the Old (10:59).
3. Easiness: The Old had burdensome practices like sacrifices and pilgrimages; the New focuses on offering one's life as worship (11:03).
4. Sweetness of Grace: The grace under the New Covenant is more extensive (11:32).
5. Perfection: The New fulfills the Old's shadows with substance (11:41).
6. Freedom: Emphasis on spiritual adoption and sonship (11:50).
7. Amplitude: The New extends salvation to all nations, not just one (11:52).
8. Duration: The Old was temporary; the New is eternal (11:57).

These differences underscore that the New Covenant, as enacted by Jesus, renders the Old Covenant obsolete not because it was flawed, but because Christ's covenant is superior and eternal (12:42).

The Ongoing Relevance of the New Covenant

While the New Covenant has been established, the hosts clarify that its full consummation is yet to come (09:18). The promise of Jeremiah 31 indicates that believers now experience aspects of the New Covenant, such as the law being written on their hearts and direct access to God through Christ, but the ultimate fulfillment awaits the final consummation (07:04).

Unnamed Co-host questions whether the New Covenant implies the cessation of teaching, but Unnamed Theologian clarifies that while there is no need for a priestly mediator, teaching and guidance remain essential until the covenant's complete fulfillment (09:43).

Conclusion and Application

Kevin DeYoung wraps up the episode by summarizing the key insights:

• The Davidic Covenant is a pivotal administration within covenant theology, pointing towards the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
• The New Covenant builds upon and completes the promises of previous covenants, offering a deeper, more comprehensive relationship with God.
• Understanding these covenants enriches believers' knowledge and appreciation of God's redemptive plan.

Kevin DeYoung encourages listeners to explore these doctrines further through his book Daily Doctrine and to engage with trusted mentors for deeper understanding (13:16).

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Notable Quotes

• Kevin DeYoung (00:04): "Welcome to Doctrine Matters, a weekly podcast exploring the rich theology of the Christian faith."
• Unnamed Co-host (03:01): "The Messiah would be a son of David."
• Unnamed Theologian (07:04): "So how to understand the New Covenant... it's an intensification and bringing to completion of these various elements which are already there."
• Francis Turretin (10:43): "He enacted this better covenant on better promises."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Doctrine Matters provides a comprehensive exploration of the Davidic Covenant, situating it within the broader context of covenant theology and the New Covenant. By examining biblical passages, theological perspectives, and historical insights, Kevin DeYoung and his co-host offer listeners a thorough understanding of how these covenants shape the narrative of redemption and the person of Jesus Christ.

For those seeking to deepen their theological knowledge, this episode serves as an invaluable resource, bridging Old Testament promises with New Testament fulfillment.

Transcript

[Kevin DeYoung]

Hello, and welcome to Doctrine Matters, a weekly podcast exploring the rich theology of the Christian faith. Each week we want to take hold of one aspect of our faith and try to understand theological concepts that sometimes have been debated, controversial, or maybe just hard to understand. And hopefully we can look at them in a way that is clear, concise, and accessible. The goal is that believers would be.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Encouraged and edified and that God would.

[Kevin DeYoung]

Be glorified so we can love him more, know him more, enjoy him forever. I'm Kevin DeYoung, your host and teacher.

[Unnamed Co-host]

And this is Doctrine Matters.

[Unnamed Theologian]

We are back this week talking about.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Covenant theology, moving through the various administrations of the one covenant of grace.

[Unnamed Theologian]

It's a distinctive feature of traditional reformed covenant theology, this bicovenantal structure that the covenant of works. So God initiated with Adam in the garden. He failed that then he promises and.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Initiates a covenant of grace, which is.

[Unnamed Theologian]

The outworking of the covenant of redemption from eternity.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The Davidic covenant is one of those administrations of this one covenant of grace.

[Unnamed Theologian]

We can think of the Davidic covenant as a covenant of kingship.

[Unnamed Co-host]

It marks out the arrival of the.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Glorious kingdom in Israel and anticipates a.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Glorious king to come. So the Davidic covenant consolidates the promises.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Of the previous covenants, so they build.

[Unnamed Co-host]

On each other, and it sets the.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Stage for a richer fulfillment that's coming.

[Unnamed Co-host]

In the years and the centuries ahead.

[Unnamed Theologian]

And of course, ultimately with the coming of David's son, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Like much of the Old Testament, the.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Promises of the Davidic covenant find their.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Fulfillment in type and antitype, or we might call it shadow and substance, in.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The near fulfillment and in the ultimate fulfillment.

[Unnamed Theologian]

So the kingdom that's promised to David and the promise for his son that does find some fulfillment under Solomon, the kingdom of Israel reaches its height geographically.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Politically, militarily under Solomon.

[Unnamed Theologian]

But of course, ultimately the covenant finds.

[Unnamed Co-host]

His truest fulfillment in a greater son. That's the promise of Isaiah 9, Isaiah 11. About the only thing the Jews seem to have reliably understood about the promised Messiah is that he would be a son of David.

[Unnamed Theologian]

That's why the crowds ask in amazement.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Can this be the son of David? So they did understand from texts like.

[Unnamed Theologian]

2 Samuel 7, the parallel passage in first Chronicles 17. And then there are different psalms that.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Use the same language that God had.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Established this covenant, and he had promised.

[Unnamed Co-host]

To David that there would be forever one of his sons to sit upon the throne.

[Unnamed Theologian]

And so the Jews understood that the.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Messiah would be a son of David.

[Unnamed Theologian]

And that was a shorthand designation for.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The Messiah and all that he would bring when he would come.

[Unnamed Theologian]

The pilgrims on Palm Sunday shout hosanna.

[Unnamed Co-host]

To the Son of David. Matthew begins his Gospel by referring to the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham, the son of David.

[Unnamed Theologian]

So just as God lavished blessing on.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Abraham, revealed his commandments to Moses, so.

[Unnamed Theologian]

God established through David that the plan.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Of salvation would depend upon a kingly. We think of that, but also a filial. That means a son, a kingly, and.

[Unnamed Theologian]

A filial mediator to come. So the the Messiah is both a son of David and he is the king after David, fulfilling all that David.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Was and all of the promises to David. Which brings us then to the New Covenant.

[Unnamed Theologian]

There's so much we could talk about with the New Covenant, not least of which is due to the fact that here's the significant difference between Baptist or progressive covenantalism, certainly dispensationalism, but all manner of other kinds of covenant theologies, rather.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Than traditional Reformed theology, have to do.

[Unnamed Theologian]

With the newness of the New Covenant. So let's just think about the New Covenant for a bit.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The New Covenant refers to the constellation.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Of promises that find their yes and amen in Christ.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The New Covenant.

[Unnamed Theologian]

That phrase, berit kadasha, occurs only once.

[Unnamed Co-host]

In the Old Testament in that classic passage, Jeremiah 31:31.

[Unnamed Theologian]

The larger section there, Jeremiah 30:33, is sometimes called by scholars the Book of Consolation because it's a unique bit of Jeremiah's prophecy.

[Unnamed Co-host]

It's. It's a few chapters of good news in the book of a.

[Unnamed Theologian]

In the midst of a book that's almost entirely bad news.

[Unnamed Co-host]

These four chapters, 30, 31, 32, 33, focus on the days that are coming.

[Unnamed Theologian]

We see that language five times. The days that are coming.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Jeremiah is looking forward to the merciful restoration of Israel's fortunes. And most centrally in that passage, Jeremiah 31, 31, 34. The heart of that book of consolation is where we have the promise of the New Covenant.

[Unnamed Theologian]

In order to interpret Jeremiah 31 correctly.

[Unnamed Co-host]

And understand the nature of the New Covenant, we must keep in mind a few realities.

[Unnamed Theologian]

First, the New Covenant is new, and.

[Unnamed Co-host]

In another sense, not new. The New Covenant is new with relation to the Mosaic Covenant.

[Unnamed Theologian]

That's what the New Testament means talks about, and that's what Jeremiah is prophesying. It is new with relationship to the Mosaic Covenant. As God explains the New Covenant, he.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Uses categories and symbols created by older covenants.

[Unnamed Theologian]

So we might say the New Covenant is refreshed more than it is brand new. New like never happened before, never promised before.

No.

The New Covenant intensifies and brings to.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Completion elements already present within the covenant of grace, especially as seen in the Abrahamic covenant. So the New Covenant is immutable, like the Abrahamic covenant is immutable.

[Unnamed Theologian]

The New Covenant promises a religion of the heart. Well, the Mosaic covenant did that too.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Deuteronomy 36. Then the Psalmists often talk about the.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Law is on our hearts.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The New Covenant promises the forgiveness of sins. Well, God offered through the Old Testament many times the forgiveness of sins. And the New Covenant promises an immediate knowledge of the Lord.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Not that such a faith did not.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Exist already, but that in the days to come there would be direct access to God through a single mediator.

[Unnamed Theologian]

So there is a newness, and yet it is not completely new, like nothing.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Had ever been heard of before, but rather an intensification and a bringing to completion these various elements which are already there.

[Unnamed Theologian]

So when we look at all of those things, you're going to have forgiveness of sins. Well, that was in the Old Testament. You're going to know God. Well, it was a heart religion, a personal religion, to know God. The second category. So just talking about how to understand the New Covenant. So first, the New Covenant is new and in another sense, and it is.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Bringing up what is old. Second, the New Covenant is individual and corporate. Now there is a personalized dimension to the covenant. The law will be written on our hearts. Each person will know the Lord. But the covenant was not made with individuals.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Remember that.

[Unnamed Co-host]

It was made with a corporate body. It was made explicitly with the house of Israel in the house of Judah.

[Unnamed Theologian]

That's the language of Jeremiah 31, 31.

[Unnamed Co-host]

In fact, Jeremiah 32, 39 reinforces the familial principle, affirming that the good news.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Highlighted by the New Covenant will quote.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Be for their own good and the.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Good of their children after them.

[Unnamed Co-host]

So the language is right there.

[Unnamed Theologian]

We need to zoom out and see the context.

[Unnamed Co-host]

These whole chapters are dealing with the.

[Unnamed Theologian]

New Covenant, not just those four verses in Jeremiah 31. And so we see in that entire section that this promise of the New Covenant is still for families, for their children.

[Unnamed Co-host]

So this corporate principle.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Now, yes, Baptist friends will hear that this is different than their understanding of the newness of the New Covenant. I'm arguing that the New Covenant is bringing to greater and clearer fulfillment things that had already been promised in, most.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Pertinently and poignantly, the Abrahamic Covenant. And there still is a corporate dimension. The third thing to keep in mind is that the New Covenant is already and not yet.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Just like the Abrahamic covenant had a near fulfillment. Isaac, prosperity, Canaan, all those promises to Abram.

[Unnamed Co-host]

He saw some of them in his life.

[Unnamed Theologian]

And yet there was a far Christ.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Spiritual riches, heavenly inheritance.

[Unnamed Theologian]

This is how every prophecy, virtually every.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Prophecy in the Old Testament works.

[Unnamed Theologian]

So we should not be surprised that.

[Unnamed Co-host]

This prophecy of the New Covenant is also going to have elements that are.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Inaugurated without being fully accomplished.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Do we want to suggest that in the New Covenant there is no teaching and there are no teachers?

[Unnamed Theologian]

Because that's literally what Jeremiah says, You.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Will not need anyone to teach you anymore.

[Unnamed Theologian]

No, we know that there are still teachers.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Or might we say that that literal.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Fulfillment is a statement in the future, at the final consummation? We don't need teachers in the sense.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Now that we don't need another mediator between God and man.

[Unnamed Theologian]

The priests were called to be teachers and mediators. Well, we don't need a priest.

[Unnamed Co-host]

We have one final high priest. But we've not yet reached the final consummation where knowledge will be complete.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Complete.

[Unnamed Co-host]

We enjoy the blessings of the New.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Covenant now, but there is more yet to come.

[Unnamed Co-host]

When we think then about the newness of the New Covenant, let's rely on.

[Unnamed Theologian]

One of theologians we all know and love, Francis Turretin.

[Unnamed Co-host]

He helpfully expounds eight differences between the Old and the New Testaments.

[Unnamed Theologian]

He says, how do these two differ?

[Unnamed Co-host]

He says they differ as to time. The Old preceded Christ, the New follows him.

[Unnamed Theologian]

The Old and the New Covenants differ as to clarity.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The New reveals what the Old had veiled. They differ as to their easiness. That is, the signs and service required were more burdensome under the Old Testament.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Just think about all that you had to do with your animals and your.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Sacrifices and your pilgrimages. It is a much simpler and less.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Burdensome practice and what we're called to do. And yet we have to offer now our whole lives as an act of worship.

[Unnamed Co-host]

For there's a difference, Turton says, as to the sweetness that is grace is greater and more extended under the New Covenant.

[Unnamed Theologian]

There's a difference as to perfection.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The shadows of the Old have given way to the substance of the New. There's a difference as to freedom. We know more fully the spirit of adoption as sons under the new. 7.

[Unnamed Theologian]

There's a difference as to amplitude.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Turretan means the Old was restricted largely to one nation.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Now you could be brought into that.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Nation, but largely one nation on the earth, while the New extends purposefully to every nation. And there is a difference as to duration. The Old was temporary.

[Unnamed Theologian]

The new is without end. The use of Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews.

[Unnamed Co-host]

8 underscores that Christ is a better mediator, a better covenant.

[Unnamed Theologian]

He enacted this better covenant on better.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Promises, and this has rendered the first covenant obsolete. Likewise, the use of Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 10 underscores that Christ's death was once for all. No other sacrifice for sin is necessary. Hebrews does not teach that every covenant.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Arrangement has been annulled, only that the.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Mosaic covenant has been abrogated.

[Unnamed Theologian]

This isn't because the law was a mistake. In fact, the two long comments about.

[Unnamed Co-host]

Moses in the book of Hebrews are both positive, so it's not negative on Moses. Moses isn't bad. The point is, Jesus is better. That's what Hebrews wants us to see.

[Unnamed Theologian]

About the covenant that Jesus executes.

[Unnamed Co-host]

This covenant established in Christ is new.

[Unnamed Theologian]

And it is second it is after, and it is better, and it is eternal.

[Unnamed Co-host]

What is said about the Spirit regenerated Christian, can be said about the age.

[Unnamed Theologian]

Of the Spirit more broadly.

[Unnamed Co-host]

The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come.

[Kevin DeYoung]

You've been listening to Doctrine Matters with me, Kevin DeYoung, your host and teacher. If you'd like to learn more about the topics we talked about today, you can check out my book, Daily Doctrine. It's available in print or audio from Crossway.org and you may want to talk to your pastor or a trusted friend who can recommend other good resources. The Doctrine Matters podcast is produced by Crossway, a non profit ministry that exists solely for the purpose of proclaiming the truth of God's Word through publishing gospel centered content. To learn more, visit Crossway.org until next week, I'm Kevin DeYoung and this has been Doctrine Matters. Thanks for joining us.