Again we see the amazing act of salvation. God speaks to David about his immortality-even though he will die. God speaks of raising up seed from David after David is dead.
As Luther points out, this obviously is not a reference to Solomon, who was born and assumed the throne while David was still alive. It also does not refer to the physical dynasty of David, for that dynasty has long passed from history. Even before the Babylonian Captivity the Davidic kings had no real power. They were merely vassals of another power, whether Assyria or Egypt or Babylon or Medo-Persia.
But this seed would come from David's line. It would be a descendant of this shepherd king-a King who would be the Great Shepherd. Thus Matthew and Luke both trace Jesus' lineage back through King David-for King David is one of the clues of the Messiah.
Luther, unfortunately, does not go into the exegesis of why this fact is important in knowing that Jesus was born of a virgin. As has been pointed out by others, Matthew and Luke trace the genealogy through Joseph. So where does that leave Mary?
By his own words God tells us that something supernatural will happen. First, he states that he will do this wondrous event when David is dead-in fact, one could say when his dynasty is dead! It is apparent that the Davidic dynasty as a political entity would not last forever. Dynasties, like nations, rise and fall. And by the time Jesus was born, there was no ruling descendant of David on a throne. Rome ruled Judea and the rulers of Judea were chosen by political largesse rather than relationship to David. The dynasty of David had effectively ended when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and carried captives away to Babylon.
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