Now let us note what is said in connection with the Lord's birth and see how it all fits

in with this great plan. In Luke 1: 31 we have the record of the angel speaking to the

Virgin Mary before His birth. "And, behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring

forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son

of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David.

And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be

no end." This is "the sure mercies of David". He shall reign over the house of Jacob

for ever! Now the house of Jacob is not a title for the Church which is His Body. This

Church has no connection with the man Jacob, or his posterity. Surely it ought not to be

necessary to stress that! Jacob is the name given to his descendants, the people of Israel.

here then we have David's throne, the Lord fulfilling that promise, the One alone who

could reign over the house of Israel.

Let us go back to the record of Matt. 2: 1. Wise men came from the east asking this

question: "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" the One that was to be born to sit

on David's throne. And the leaders told him that He was to be born at Bethlehem,

because Micah had prophesied this centuries before. Verse 5: "And they said to him, In

Bethlehem of Judaea for thus it is written by (or through) the prophet, And thou,

Bethlehem, in the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda, for out of thee

shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel". He came to be Israel's King,

their Priest-King after the order of Melchisedec: He was the only One Who could

combine those two things, both absolutely essential for the bringing-in of this kingdom,

because the question of Israel's sin had to be dealt with before this was possible. That is

the word of the Priest, and the Offering, and once this had been accomplished, then the

glorious reign could have been realized and the promise of sitting on David's throne

fulfilled. Christ is the King of Israel; He is the King who is going to rule over the house

of Jacob.

There is one other Scripture to note before we go any further. Let us turn to the first

chapter of John and read of Nathaniel's confession to the Lord Jesus Christ. "Nathaniel

answered and said unto Him (to Christ), Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the

King of Israel" (1: 49). That is true; He is not the King of the Church--He is Israel's

King. This was the title that was put over the Cross in mockery, but it was true. He is the

King of the Jews.

Coming back to the Acts: Peter stresses the Lord's relation as King to the people of

Israel and in chapter 13: Paul does the same thing, showing that they are still right in

the centre of God's purpose. His plan has not changed. It is still possible for them to

repent, still possible for their sin to be blotted out; still possible for the Lord to use them

to take the knowledge of His truth and gospel to the ends of the earth. Still it is possible

for that kingdom to come in, and then Christ would reign over the house of Jacob, as

foretold at His birth.

Before he finishes his speech at Antioch, the Apostle Paul gives the Jews serious

warning:  "Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the

prophets", and he quoted from Hab. 1: 5: "Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and