We continue with Jesse (Matt. 1:5-6). Although the Bible does not have much to say about Jesse, what it does say about him is important. Isaiah chapter eleven speaks twice regarding Jesse. Isaiah 11:1 says that Christ will be the shoot ("rod" should be "shoot," Heb.) out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of the root of Jesse. Christ came out of him. Isaiah 11:10 says that Christ is the root of Jesse, indicating that Jesse came out of Christ. Jesse is a man altogether out of Christ; he is also a person who brings forth Christ. Christ comes out of him, and he comes out of Christ. Christ was his branch, and Christ was also his root. We need light from the Lord to understand these things.
What is a Jesse? A Jesse is a person who brings forth Christ, who branches out Christ by being rooted in Christ. When you branch out Christ, do not forget that Christ is not only your branch, but also your root. Christ branches out of you, and you come out of Christ. Christ is our source, and Christ is also our issue. This means that we are one with Christ and very closely associated with Him. We are in Him, and He is in us. He issues out of us, and we are rooted in Him. This is the kind of person who enjoys the birthright of Christ.
We all must be a Boaz, a Ruth, a Jesse, and a Tamar. We need to be this person and then that person. Eventually we shall say, "Praise the Lord for everybody! Everybody's condition is the same as mine. Tamar's condition is also my condition. The good conditions and the bad conditions are all the same as mine. I am Tamar, I am Pharez, I am Rahab, I am Boaz, I am Ruth, and I am Jesse. Hallelujah!" After Jesse, eventually we are David.
David was the eighth son of his father, the youngest one. This is meaningful. In the Bible the number eight signifies resurrection, a new start. The eighth day is the first day of the second week; hence, it signifies something new, something of resurrection. When Samuel came to anoint the king of God's people, Jesse presented his seven sons to him. Samuel looked at them and said, "The Lord hath not chosen these." When Samuel learned that there was an eighth one, David, he sent for him and anointed him (1 Sam. 16:10-13). This means that we who are chosen and saved are not people of the first week; we are those of the first day of the second week. We are the eighth child.
David was the last of the generations of the fathers, which were fourteen generations. David was the conclusion of the fathers' section in the genealogy of Christ.
David was also the first of the generations of the kings. In this genealogy, only of David does it say "the king," because it was through him that the kingdom with the kingship was brought in. He was the conclusion of one section and the beginning of the next section. He was the landmark of two ages. He was the ending of one and the beginning of the other because he was very much in the enjoyment of Christ. If we would have the rich enjoyment of Christ, we shall often need to be the end of one situation and the beginning of another situation. However, many of the dear ones can neither be the ending nor the beginning. Eventually, they are just nothing. In the church life, we need some Davids, some stronger ones to conclude certain situations and open up other situations. We need someone to close the fathers' generation and to open up the kings' generation. We must be strong; we must be the eighth son; we must be David.
David was a man after the heart of God (1 Sam. 13:14). God Himself told Saul that He would replace him, for He had found a man after His heart. In his whole life, David did nothing wrong, except one great thing: he murdered a man and took his wife. In one act David committed two great sins, murder and adultery. God Himself condemned this. The Bible says that David did right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of his life, except for this one thing (1 Kings 15:5).