[123]From time to time God’s prophets gave utterance to words that kept alive in the minds of the Israelites the hope that God would send them a mighty one, through whom the promise made to Abraham would be fulfilled.  In time this promise was specifically limited to the house of David, the Lord causing his prophet to write thus:  “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.  If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.”—­Psalm 132:11,12.

[124]David himself was a prophet of Jehovah, and the Lord spoke through him with reference to the heir of the Abrahamic promise who should be king over Israel.  “Then David the king stood upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people:  As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:  but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.  Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever:  for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:  and of all my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.  And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts:  for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.  Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day,”—­1 Chronicles 28:2-7.

[125]Thus far the divine record definitely establishes the fact that the great heir or king of Israel, the seed through which the blessings of God would be bestowed, must come through David’s line; and that also it should come through Solomon, provided, of course, the conditions laid upon Solomon were fulfilled.  In any event, it must come through David’s line, and through his son Solomon provided Solomon met the requirements.  We repeat the words for emphasis:  “Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day”.  And then David said:  “And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind:  for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts:  if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever”. —­1 Chronicles 28:9.