4 February 2022
He placed singers before the altar,
to make sweet melody with their voices.
He gave beauty to the festivals,
and arranged their times throughout the year,
while they praised God’s holy name,
and the sanctuary resounded from early morning.
The Lord took away his sins,
and exalted his power for ever;
he gave him a covenant of kingship
and a glorious throne in Israel.
From Ecclesiasticus 47:2-13, NRSV
In today’s reading we hear words from the Jewish scribe Ben Sira in praise of David. This is one of a series in which the writer praise “men of renown”. He recalls David’s childhood when he played with lions and bears and slayed a giant. He goes on to outline David’s military victories, particularly his defeat of the Philistines. Alongside these famous achievements, the author also praises the significant ways in which David helped to develop and enhance the liturgical celebrations of his time and which have been followed ever since. The author does not shy away from the fact that David sinned, but celebrates his forgiveness and the establishment through David of a royal covenant for the people of Israel.
- Why do you think David took responsibility for enhancing the liturgy?
- What difference can it make when liturgy is carefully prepared and celebrated?
Give thanks for all who contribute to the enhancement of the Liturgy in your own places of worship.
Image King David playing the harp in ancient Israel.
Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration
