David was a king and a prophet as well (Acts 2:29-30). The Spirit of Jehovah spoke by him, and His word was in his tongue (2 Sam. 23:2). In his psalms he prophesied that from the beginning Christ was God (Psa. 110:1; Matt. 22:43-44) who became a man (Psa. 8:4-5; Heb. 2:6-9). He came into the world that He might do the will of God (referring especially to the replacement of all the sacrifices) (Psa. 40:6-8; Heb. 10:5-9). He trusted in God (Psa. 18:2; Heb. 2:13). He loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore, God anointed Him with the oil of exultant joy above His partners (Psa. 45:7; Heb. 1:9). He was hurt by one of His disciples (Psa. 41:9; John 13:18). On the cross He was rejected by God for our sins, His hands and feet were pierced, and He suffered the pain of death (Psa. 22:1, 14-17; Matt. 27:46); yet not one of His bones was broken (Psa. 34:20; John 19:36). The soldiers divided His garments among themselves, and for His clothing they cast lots (Psa. 22:18; John 19:23-24). While He was dying on the cross He thirsted (Psa. 69:21; John 19:28). God would not leave His soul in Hades, nor would He permit His flesh to see corruption; rather, God raised Him up, made Him ascend before God, and seated Him at God’s right hand (Psa. 16:8-11; 110:1; Acts 2:25-35). In resurrection He (with His human nature) was born of God (to become God’s Firstborn) (Psa. 2:7; Acts 13:32-35). After resurrection, He declares the Father’s name to His brothers (disciples); in the midst of the church He sings praise to the Father (Psa. 22:22; Heb. 2:12). Having ascended to the height, He led captive those taken captive and gave gifts to men (Psa. 68:18; Eph. 4:8). In ascension He was made a Priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec (Psa. 110:4; Heb. 5:5-6, 10). Now He is sitting in the heavens, waiting for God to make His enemies His footstool (Psa. 110:1; Heb. 10:12-13; 1 Cor. 15:25). At His coming back, all the angels of God shall worship Him (Psa. 97:7; Heb. 1:6). His throne is forever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of His kingdom (Psa. 45:6; Heb. 1:8). In the beginning He was the Lord who created the heavens and the earth; the heavens and the earth shall perish and be changed, but He shall remain forever and not be changed, and His years shall not fail (Psa. 102:25-27; Heb. 1:10-12).
Balaam was a prophet from Pethor, which was by the river, who was hired by Balak, the king of the Moabites, to curse the children of Israel (Num. 22:4-6). Inspired by the Spirit of God, however, he blessed Israel instead, saying, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel” (Num. 23:18-21). Again, he said, “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!” (Num. 24:2-7). He also predicted that Christ would come as a Star out of Jacob and as a Scepter rising out of Israel, and that He would have dominion (Num. 24:17, 19; Matt. 2:2). Because he loved the wages of unrighteousness, he forsook the straight way and fell into error (2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11).
In the Old Testament there was first the priesthood. After the desolation and failure of the priesthood, God raised up the kingship, and after the failure of the kingship, God raised up the prophethood. The prophets were a support to the kings. God’s original intention was to make the whole nation of Israel a kingdom of priests (Exo. 19:6). Because of the failure of the children of Israel in that they worshipped the golden calf at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exo. 32:1-24), God chose the tribe of Levi to replace the children of Israel as His priests (Exo. 32:25-26; Deut. 33:8-10). However, it was not the whole tribe of Levi but only the house of Aaron that was chosen to be the priests. When the tabernacle was set up at Mount Sinai, Aaron and his two sons were anointed and consecrated for the priestly service (Lev. 8). However, at the time of the two sons of Eli, the ordained priesthood of Aaron’s house became completely degraded (1 Sam. 2:12-17). God therefore raised up the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul and David (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13), thus bringing in the kingship.
When the kingship failed, there was the need of the prophethood for correction, adjustment, and restoration. When David killed Uriah, took his wife, and thus sinned against God, God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke him for his evil deed (2 Sam. 12:1-25). During the degradation of the people of Israel, there was no proper king or priest. Therefore, God called Elijah and Elisha to function as prophets. When the priests failed and the kings were ruined, the prophets were then raised up as a support to the priests and kings.