At the halfway point of Advent, we look at how the promise to David that his descendants would sit on a throne forever looked to have been forever lost, as domineering empires choked off the disappointing line of kings who came after him. The mighty tree of David’s line was chopped down, crashing to earth, its corpse rotting to dust. But a promise was made, of a coming Branch from the stump of this line of kings. And through Him, as the waters filled the sea, the earth would be filled with people who know the Lord.