“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your word. Your word gives us clarity and understanding of the truth. When people read the Scriptures, with an open heart and mind, they can know You, be convicted, repent, and give their lives to You. This is Your great love for us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
We will go further in this matter and understand how the resurrection of Jesus was crucial for the Jews to know that Jesus was the Messiah, the King, who was to come in the lineage of David, for whom they were all waiting. This is the clarity that Peter brought to this audience.
Acts 2:24-28 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. (25) For David says concerning Him: ‘I FORESAW THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE MY FACE, FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, THAT I MAY NOT BE SHAKEN. (26) THEREFORE MY HEART REJOICED, AND MY TONGUE WAS GLAD; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL REST IN HOPE. (27) FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION. (28) YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF JOY IN YOUR PRESENCE.’
This audience was very familiar with all the OT prophesies. Let us look at the actual prophesy itself, which Peter was quoting.
Psalms 16:8-11 I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. (9) Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.(10) For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (11) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Peter is explaining to this Jewish group that when David said that his soul will not be left in Sheol and God will not allow His Holy One to see corruption, he was not speaking of himself. Peter is establishing this very crucial realisation that David was speaking concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that His soul was not left in Hades and His flesh did not see corruption.
Peter is helping the Jews see from their Scriptures that Jesus was the King, who was to come in the lineage of David, for whom they were waiting. Whereas, they had taken the Holy One for whom they had been waiting, and murdered Him. This was Jesus, God had raised from the dead.
Acts 2:29-31 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. (30) Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, (31) he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
These few verses are therefore the clinching verses that establish the fact that Jesus was the King, who was to come in the lineage of David. This fact is established because of the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.
God had promised David that his kingdom will be established forever. This was the reign through the Messiah, to which the Jews were looking forward, with great eagerness and anticipation.
I Chronicles 17:11-15 And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. (12) He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. (13) I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. (14) And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever. (15) According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
This was the covenant of God with David.
Psalms 89:3-4 “I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: (4) ‘Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations. ‘” Selah
This throne of David, which was to be forever, is being established in Christ, who was raised from the dead as the basis for the fulfilment of the covenant of God with David.
Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
As we read this familiar prophesy alongside the prophecy that His soul shall not be left in hades nor will His flesh see corruption, we can see how beautifully the Lord is establishing for the Jews that Jesus is the King in the lineage of David, whom they had murdered, whom God raised from the dead.