presence of power, and he knew exactly to whom he spoke. 5. I judge this oracle with its unconditional promise to David to be the most crucial theological statement in the Old Testament, but it is not the whole of Old Testament faith. This core statement of royal faith is a bold departure from the conditional character of the Mosaic “if” (cf. Ex. 19:4–6). Sound interpretation requires us to recognize that while the covenantal “if” is silenced in this theology, it has not been nullified. Therefore,
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