Image via WikipediaYears ago, a college friend brought me a recording of David Oistrach playing Brahm's Violin Concerto in D. I fell in love with the soaring notes; with the affirming orchestra; with the plaintive cry of the violin that echoed my discouragement; with the brass which urged me to move on. Needless to say, I played this piece so many times that I nearly wore out the record. The music spoke to me in a way that neither friends, nor family, nor books could.
Music is rational and yet transcends reason. I think that if music were our only evidence of God, the Creator, it would have been sufficient. There is no evolutionary necessity in music or in beauty. But anyway, back to King David. Initially, David came before Saul's throne because he was a skilled musician. When David played the harp, the evil spirits besetting Saul would flee. Maybe some music expresses God's soul.
Throughout his life David composed music and songs, known as psalms. In the concluding chapters of 2 Samuel, the author inserted one of David's psalms to summarize David's heart and monarchy. When I read those verses I felt that these were David's truest epitaph - his legacy. While it was true that he was a God-fearing king who valiantly lead his troops into battle, he was also a man who sought God's will. Though a sinful man, David never committed the biggest sin - the sin of neglecting to repent for wrongdoing before God. When David sinned, he brought it before God: he confessed and received forgiveness. While God did not remove the consequences of sin from him, God did assure David of renewed fellowship with Him.
For all of his achievements and victories, David, in his song of praise, exalted God who had been faithful to him. David had a sense of who God was and treasured Him above all else. David knew God as One who protected him from danger; as One who went ahead of him in battle to assure victory; as One who directed his life so that he might avoid moral pitfalls. For all that God was to him, David sang praises.
The harp sculpture stands at the entrance of the City of David in Jerusalem. With his harp, David sang "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge." 2 Samuel 22:2. How fitting a reminder it is to all who live in Jerusalem, that God is indeed the deliverer.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is the God of David, is the God of all who treasure and accept His Word.
David closed his life affirming God. 2 Samuel 22: 47 :
"The Lord ( Hebrew יְהֹוָה Jehovah) lives; and blessed be my Rock! Exalted be God (Hebrew אֱלֹהִים ('elohiym)), the Rock of my salvation (Hebrew יֵשַׁע (yesha`)!
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for yesha` (Strong's 3468)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 11 Apr 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H3468&t=KJV >
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'elohiym (Strong's 430)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 11 Apr 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H430&t=KJV >
Music is rational and yet transcends reason. I think that if music were our only evidence of God, the Creator, it would have been sufficient. There is no evolutionary necessity in music or in beauty. But anyway, back to King David. Initially, David came before Saul's throne because he was a skilled musician. When David played the harp, the evil spirits besetting Saul would flee. Maybe some music expresses God's soul.
Throughout his life David composed music and songs, known as psalms. In the concluding chapters of 2 Samuel, the author inserted one of David's psalms to summarize David's heart and monarchy. When I read those verses I felt that these were David's truest epitaph - his legacy. While it was true that he was a God-fearing king who valiantly lead his troops into battle, he was also a man who sought God's will. Though a sinful man, David never committed the biggest sin - the sin of neglecting to repent for wrongdoing before God. When David sinned, he brought it before God: he confessed and received forgiveness. While God did not remove the consequences of sin from him, God did assure David of renewed fellowship with Him.
For all of his achievements and victories, David, in his song of praise, exalted God who had been faithful to him. David had a sense of who God was and treasured Him above all else. David knew God as One who protected him from danger; as One who went ahead of him in battle to assure victory; as One who directed his life so that he might avoid moral pitfalls. For all that God was to him, David sang praises.
The harp sculpture stands at the entrance of the City of David in Jerusalem. With his harp, David sang "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge." 2 Samuel 22:2. How fitting a reminder it is to all who live in Jerusalem, that God is indeed the deliverer.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is the God of David, is the God of all who treasure and accept His Word.
David closed his life affirming God. 2 Samuel 22: 47 :
"The Lord ( Hebrew יְהֹוָה Jehovah) lives; and blessed be my Rock! Exalted be God (Hebrew אֱלֹהִים ('elohiym)), the Rock of my salvation (Hebrew יֵשַׁע (yesha`)!
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for yesha` (Strong's 3468)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 11 Apr 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H3468&t=KJV >
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'elohiym (Strong's 430)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 11 Apr 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H430&t=KJV >
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