"When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him"

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chuckd

Puritan Board Junior
2 Sam. 7:12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.

This prophecy is obviously fulfilled in Christ and his everlasting kingdom. Also Heb 1:5.

How are we to understand "when he commits iniquity?"
 
The passage, as a whole, is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, but it is also partially fulfilled in Solomon. We could say the near fulfillment is Solomon but the far/ultimate fulfillment is Christ. We know this because several Scriptures tell us Solomon was the one being promised here (1 Chron. 22:7-10). As such, some things are said of Christ here and in Psalm 89 that can't properly be applied to Solomon; and some things are speaking of Solomon and thus can't properly be applied to Christ. We could note also that in Psalm 89's version, it's in the plural rather than in the singular. Speaking of David, it says in Psalm 89:30: "If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments. . ." Calvin also has a helpful notation on this passage that brings us back to Christ: "It is, however, to be observed, that there is a change of person in the words. After it is said, If his children shall forsake my law, etc, it is at length subjoined, My lovingkindness or mercy will I not withdraw from him. It ought surely to have been said, them instead of him, since it is children in the plural number who are before spoken of. But it is very probable that this form of expression is purposely employed to teach us that we are reconciled to God only through Christ; and that if we would expect to find mercy, we must seek for it from that source alone.” In other words, God is telling us He'll never cut off His mercies from David's sons, but He's also telling us why. In effect, He's saying: Even if David's sons go astray, I won't break off My lovingkindness from them because of him. We belong to the Greater David; and God will never break off His mercies from us because of Him. In and through Christ, God will always and forever deal with us according to His mercies.
 
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Also, Christ was guilty of iniquity before God and endured his discipline for it--albeit it was our own iniquity which he imputed to himself and the discipline we deserve which he willingly shouldered on our behalf. (2 Cor. 5:21)
 
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