“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” Jeremiah 23:5

Halfway between Judah and Jesus was King David, a man of many talents and troubles. From the boy who slew Goliath through to his reign as King of Israel, David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:13-14). So, why is this significant?

As a matter of Jewish law, a child born to a betrothed woman was considered to be a son of her fiance. So Jesus’s lineage through Joseph was necessary to show that he was legally descended from King David. Matthew, the most Jewish of the Gospels, refers to Jesus as “son of David.” Entire books have been written about this subject.

So, why is it significant to us? Jeremiah reminds us of the wise ruler in Jesus, the perfect judge. One day very soon we will see firsthand this wise and just judge.