I came across this phrase (the "sure mercies of David") while reading Isaiah 55. It ends verse 3, which also talks of hearing God, approaching him and making a covenant with him. Isaiah lived and wrote approximately eight centuries before Christ. That puts him, in the Christian timeline, about 200 years after David. Isaiah had to know the full story of David, both its highs and lows, so my interest is in understanding what Isaiah means by this short and simple statement.
Isaiah finishes his thought of David (as far as I can tell) in verse 4, "Behold I have given [David] for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people." Clearly David was a dynamic figure. You can structure his life in three acts. The first act, as a shepard and soldier, brought development and increased reliance on the Lord
His second act, or reign as King of Isreal, is referred to as, "the most brilliant of Isrealitish history." He transcended previous Kings, moving the kingdom beyond Judah to include Jerusalem and as far as the Euphrates river. He united the tribes into one nation, secured undisputed possession of the country and ruled a strict theocracy. This time was later seen as a golden age and possible type for the future millenial reign of the Savior.
The third act is the declining final 20 years of David's life. This begins with a spectacular downfall involving infidelity and murder and leads to years of humble searching for forgiveness. A certain degree of redemption did come, but not fully; scripture tells us the murder of Uriah is not yet pardoned. Modern revelation (D&C 132: 39) indicates that as a result of David's sin of murder, his redemption will come near the end of God's children (or the end of Christ's millenial reign).
Back to the "sure mercies of David" statement. Which is only mentioned in one other scripture. In Acts 13, 34; the statement is connected with a description of Christ's resurrection and his taking on incorruption. Reading verses 32 to 39 distinguishes clearly the nature of David as he compares to Christ (the two being compared quite often, with one of Christ's distinguishing characteristics being his lineage through David).
I mentioned earlier the three stages of David's life, the first two being synonomous with Christ's life (adding grace for grace in his early life and reigning in righteousness). The two characters diverge in David's third act, Christ finishes his mission without corruption, atoning for mankind's sins and resurrecting triumphantly. David falls from grace and struggles mightily for redemption, relying fully at that point on Christ's mercy to save him.
All who come to an understanding of God and Christ and make covenants with them will follow a similar road to David. Our experience can differ from David's by avoiding the gravity of his fall and enduring in righteousness. The "sure mercy of David" is both a blessing and an expectation. When David confesses his sin to Nathan in Second Samuel 12 he's told, "thou shalt not die." This is true for David as a result of his sin and for all of us. Each son or daughter of God is given a prolonged mortal existence to refine ourselves and is given a ressurected body, starting with ressurection of the just at Christ's second coming. Our place in this ressurection and the glory to which we are ressurected depends on our desire and action in keeping God's commandments, our application of Christ's atonement to repent of sin when we fall short and our continued approximation to God through spirit and blood to become individuals who think, act and live as he would. The "sure mercy of David" is living forever with a perfect, immortal body in a state of glory. However, our opportunity (and expectation) goes well beyond what David chose to receive. We shouldn't settle for the minimum level of Glory, but work to find ourselves first in line and partakers of "all the Father hath" in the Celestial Kingdom.
Isaiah finishes his thought of David (as far as I can tell) in verse 4, "Behold I have given [David] for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people." Clearly David was a dynamic figure. You can structure his life in three acts. The first act, as a shepard and soldier, brought development and increased reliance on the Lord
His second act, or reign as King of Isreal, is referred to as, "the most brilliant of Isrealitish history." He transcended previous Kings, moving the kingdom beyond Judah to include Jerusalem and as far as the Euphrates river. He united the tribes into one nation, secured undisputed possession of the country and ruled a strict theocracy. This time was later seen as a golden age and possible type for the future millenial reign of the Savior.
The third act is the declining final 20 years of David's life. This begins with a spectacular downfall involving infidelity and murder and leads to years of humble searching for forgiveness. A certain degree of redemption did come, but not fully; scripture tells us the murder of Uriah is not yet pardoned. Modern revelation (D&C 132: 39) indicates that as a result of David's sin of murder, his redemption will come near the end of God's children (or the end of Christ's millenial reign).
Back to the "sure mercies of David" statement. Which is only mentioned in one other scripture. In Acts 13, 34; the statement is connected with a description of Christ's resurrection and his taking on incorruption. Reading verses 32 to 39 distinguishes clearly the nature of David as he compares to Christ (the two being compared quite often, with one of Christ's distinguishing characteristics being his lineage through David).
I mentioned earlier the three stages of David's life, the first two being synonomous with Christ's life (adding grace for grace in his early life and reigning in righteousness). The two characters diverge in David's third act, Christ finishes his mission without corruption, atoning for mankind's sins and resurrecting triumphantly. David falls from grace and struggles mightily for redemption, relying fully at that point on Christ's mercy to save him.
All who come to an understanding of God and Christ and make covenants with them will follow a similar road to David. Our experience can differ from David's by avoiding the gravity of his fall and enduring in righteousness. The "sure mercy of David" is both a blessing and an expectation. When David confesses his sin to Nathan in Second Samuel 12 he's told, "thou shalt not die." This is true for David as a result of his sin and for all of us. Each son or daughter of God is given a prolonged mortal existence to refine ourselves and is given a ressurected body, starting with ressurection of the just at Christ's second coming. Our place in this ressurection and the glory to which we are ressurected depends on our desire and action in keeping God's commandments, our application of Christ's atonement to repent of sin when we fall short and our continued approximation to God through spirit and blood to become individuals who think, act and live as he would. The "sure mercy of David" is living forever with a perfect, immortal body in a state of glory. However, our opportunity (and expectation) goes well beyond what David chose to receive. We shouldn't settle for the minimum level of Glory, but work to find ourselves first in line and partakers of "all the Father hath" in the Celestial Kingdom.
