THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LINE OF DAVID
David is (after Moses) the main hero of the Old Testament. He lived around 1000 BCE at a time when the Twelve Tribes of Israel were coming together as a kingdom. He began life as a humble shepherd boy from Bethlehem but was taken into the court of Israel's first king, Saul. When the kingdom was split by civil war, David led the resistance against the cruel Saul. After Saul was murdered, David became king. He founded the United Monarchy, ruling over all the Israelites. David made Jerusalem his capital and brought the Ark of the Covenant there to be a focus for the worship of God. His reign is looked back on as a 'Golden Age' of just rule and pure religion. David is a sort of ideal: a great warrior, a poet and a musician, a deeply sincere believer and a romantic. He is credited with composing many of the Psalms - the intense religious poems in the Old Testament that are often set to music and sung in churches.
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The two Kingdoms continued as neighbors for 200 years. This was the time of the Divided Monarchy. In northern Israel, various families claimed the throne then lost it until, in 722 BCE, the Assyrian Empire invaded northern Israel and destroyed it as a state. It's scattered population became the 'ten lost tribes of Israel'. The survivors became the Samaritans who are mentioned in the New Testament and were viewed very negatively by the Jews.
The southern kingdom of Judah was much more stable and was ruled for over 300 years by 'the House of David', a line of kings descended from David, making it one of the longest reigning dynasties in history. Although there's no direct evidence outside the Bible for David or Solomon, there is some archaeological evidence for the House of David.
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Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever - 2 Samuel 7: 16
YES
Kind David was the original messiah - anointed by God to be the best king. God's promise to David that his line would "endure forever" has to be fulfilled. So there has to be a descendant of David who will return to save the Jews from their enemies - the Messiah.
The House of David failed because the Jewish people were sinful and turned away from God. When they return to worshipping God again and living morally, the Messiah will restore their kingdom and the line of David will rule it again.
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NO
It's not proven that 'King David' really existed in history. He might have been a legend like King Arthur in Britain. Even if he did exist, his line was destroyed by the Babylonians and various 'messiahs' who tried to lead the Jews to independence - like Simon Bar Kokhbar - failed horribly.
The Messiah is more than just a warlord who wins battles. He's someone who will defeat evil, as God predicts in Genesis 3: 15; he might be a prophet as God predicts in Deuteronomy 18: 15. He's a wise teacher who will change people's lives, not a king from a failed dynasty.
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