God promised King David that his family line would last forever (2 Samuel 7:11–16 and parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 17:9–14). Yet, the writer of Chronicles (called the Chronicler) lived when David's family line seemed to have ended. Although David's descendants continued, no descendant had been king since Judah's exile to Babylon over 150 years earlier (see 1 Chronicles 3:1–24). This situation raised doubts about Israel's future hope.
The Chronicler intended to show that God's promise to David was unconditional and that his throne was indeed "secure forever." Even the possibility of exile does not remove the hope of God's promise of a royal family line. The promise would continue for a future time because a future descendant of David would inherit the throne (1 Chronicles 17:11).
The Chronicler did not directly write about the Messiah in the strict meaning of the term. He was not mainly focused on the coming of a deliverer chosen by God. Instead, he hoped that kings from David's line would lead the covenant community again (the people of Israel who had a special agreement with God). The Chronicler encouraged the community to anticipate a new king who would improve Israel's condition.
The birth of Jesus, the Son of David, fulfilled the Chronicler's hope for Israel. Jesus met the Chronicler's expectation of a new king (see Matthew 1:1–17). His kingdom includes all nations (Isaiah 49:6). It extends "from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth" (Zechariah 9:10).
Passages for Further Study
Genesis 49:8–12; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2; 17:1–15; 22:6–13; 28:4–7; Psalms 78:67–72; 132:11–12; Amos 9:11–12; Matthew 1:1–17; 22:41–46