11. The Royal Overture to the Christ-Song: King David
11. The Royal Overture to the Christ-Song: King David.
“The Lord is the Song!” (Genesis 15:2; Psalm 118:14; Isaiah 12:2).
The Song with a Body. There are a few ways to understand this recurring biblical passage… The Lord is the reason I sing. The Lord is Who I love to sing about. The Lord is the object of my singing. The Lord is Who we sing to. The Lord is the one Who inspires our singing. I sing because of the Lord, in honor of the Lord, in obedience to the Lord. Many translations put this verse as saying, “The Lord is my song.” But biblical scholars say that this passage could just as correctly be translated as, “The Lord is The song,” or even, “The Lord is the song of God.”
Jesus is The Song. So this important piece of Scripture captures the imagination as it makes clear that… Jesus Himself IS the Song. Christ is the divine song with flesh on. He embodies the Song of the universe. Jesus is God’s Song to the world. The life of Christ is itself a Song. The Christ-Song is a perfectly constructed piece of eternal music in the flesh. Just as a song is the composer’s method of self-expression, Jesus is God’s perfect and ultimate form of Self-expression. As our Savior, Jesus is the Song of Salvation. As the Redeemer, He is the Song of Redemption. As the Deliverer, He is the Song of Deliverance. As the Wonderful Counselor, He is the Song of Wisdom. As the Prince of Peace, He is the Song of Shalom.
Another I AM? Might we be so bold as to add another I AM to John’s gospel list? I AM the Song. The Lord is my song, He is The Song. This idea makes it practically sacramental. Christ’s claim, I Am the Bread of Life, for example, was fulfilled in the Eucharist when we literally welcome the Bread of Life, the broken body of Jesus, into our very being. Likewise, when we sing the Song of Jesus, when we participate in Jesus as the Song, He becomes a part of us, body, soul and mind. The Christ-Song is the spiritual music in our lives.
The Infinity of the Song. Just as music, God’s greatest gift to mankind and the very language of heaven, has an infinite number of possibilities, the Christ-Song has an infinite number of styles, applications, qualities, moods. So it makes sense that the life and mission of Jesus can be explored by taking a careful look at the elements of a song. To study the aspects of the Christ-Song in the Gospels begs us to explore the elements of a song, any song. Hopefully, this study of the elements of the Christ-Song will make Him unforgettable, much like When words are put to music, they become unforgettable. When the living Word becomes the lyrics to a song, much the same happens. Hopefully, embracing Jesus Christ as the Song will make Him unforgettable as well. The elements of the Christ-Song can be explored through the eleven elements of any song, including the Song’s overture that previews the Song that is to come.
“The David story anticipates the Jesus story. The Jesus story presupposes the David story… The David story is a gospel story. It’s a story that gets completed in the Jesus story.” (Eugene Peterson, Leap Over A Wall).
The Overture. David’s life was the God-song that anticipated the Christ-Song. His life was the musical piece that strongly hinted at the melodies and themes that would be heard in the Christ-Song much later. David’s life served as the musical preview that prepared us for the Song of Jesus, the son of David.
Hand-Picked. David was totally unique in Scripture, perhaps the Bible’s most famous character. David lived from around 1040 to 970 BC. We certainly know more about him than any other biblical character. He was hand-picked by God to be anointed as King while still a young shepherd; “And from that day on, the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.” (I Samuel 16:13). Raised a shepherd boy, the last of eight boys, the one everyone seemed to overlook, he became a renowned musician, a legendary poet, a fierce warrior, and the most beloved King in the history of Israel.
A Musician for Royalty. Young David’s skills as a musician were revealed early in his life: “Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear… ‘Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you, Saul. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again…’ And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.’ (1 Samuel 16:14-23). David’s musical talent never left him, and were the centerpoint of his entire life in many ways.
Hints of Jesus. David was a faithful worshiper of Yahweh, and, the highest accolade one could receive, he was “a man after God’s own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14). Was he a prophet? Yes. His psalms prove that. Was he a priest? Well, he led worship and offered sacrifices when the ark was brought to Jerusalem, wearing a priestly garment at the time. Was he a king? Unquestionably, the greatest king of Israel. David’s life certainly hinted at his distant relative, the Messiah Jesus, who was the ultimate Prophet, Priest and King.
The Sweet Psalmist. In a full life of major spiritual, political, familial events, how did he see himself? The biggest clue to his self-identity is in his last address to the people, his last official words before his death. There is a phrase in II Samuel 23:1 that has been interpreted two different ways. Both versions are interesting and instructive. In the first version, he called himself the “sweet psalmist of Israel.”
The Ultimate Maestro. Music was David’s life, which he proved as he took it upon himself to organize the worship for the Temple he planned but did not build. He arranged the worship music to be led by 4,000 persons with instruments, 288 accomplished singers who would lead the services with their cymbals, harps and lyres, and 120 priests who would accompany the worship with sounding trumpets! David arranged the worship music as described in 2 Chronicles 5 this way, “The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: ‘The Lord Yahweh is good! His mercy endures forever!”
An Inspired Musical Tongue. After a dramatic life of tumultuous ups and downs, it appears he still at the end saw himself primarily as a musician of the Lord, the one who composed countless psalms for the God of Israel, worship songs in Scripture that continue to be revered and sung to this day. Because of his many psalms, we know he was a man who rejoiced, lamented, prophesied, praised, wept, raged, questioned, trusted, and revealed himself to be a thoroughly complex person who experienced deep emotions and profound insights. It seems that at the end of his life, David circled back and saw himself as the young boy playing his harp and singing for his sheep and for his Lord God. In his final words, David gloried in the fact that the Lord inspired him, that the Spirit of the Lord spoke directly to him, that Yahweh’s word was “on his tongue.” (II Samuel 23:2). In the end, David was confident that he had been an inspired mouthpiece for God.
David’s Melody of Exuberant Praise:
“… And David stripped down to his skivvies, and then with everybody looking on including his wife Michal, David did a dance. With trumpets blaring and drums beating… how they cut loose together, David and Yahweh, whirling around before the ark in such a passion that they caught fire from each other and blazed up in a single flame of such magnificence that not even the dressing down David got from Michal afterwards could dim the glory of it.” (Frederick Buechner, Peculiar Treasures, pgs. 26-27).
Chutzpah (hoots-pah) is a Yiddish word that long ago entered English usage. It is from the Hebrew word, “hutspah,” which means insolent or audacious. Chutzpah is a neutral word that can be either positive or negative. Chutzpah can be righteous or unrighteous, holy or unholy. It is an idea difficult to define, so there are a lot of synonyms for it, especially in the biblical sense: spiritual audacity; brazen gall; tenacious stubbornness; headstrong persistence; outrageous guts; shameless nerve; feisty assertiveness; brazen impudence; unyielding boldness; courageous spine; expectant defiance. The Holy Scriptures, both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, are overflowing with examples of holy chutzpah. One wonders not only if it’s a job requirement for saints and prophets, but also a faith requirement for all believers. In fact, God seems to love chutzpah in us when it is based on our ultimate trust in Him and His character, our unselfish motives, our yearning for justice and mercy. Chutzpah in front of others becomes holy when it is done in obedience to the Lord and is an outworking of our faith in Him. As Rabbi Schulweiss once said, “Spiritual audacity toward God finds a place of honor in Jewish religious thought.” The rabbis of old have always insisted that chutzpah is a valid expression of faith. Just a quick glimpse at the Gospels reveals that Jesus and His followers fully embraced the ancient Jewish ethic of holy chutzpah. When Jesus saw chutzpah in action, He usually said things like, “Great is your faith!” Maybe Christian scholar Dr. Brad Young said it best. “True faith requires bold perseverance. Sometimes it is expressed by brazen impudence. Faith can be defined as chutzpah. Persevere with unyielding tenacity.” (Brad Young, Jesus the Jewish Theologian).
Holy Chutzpah. If there was one quality David had in his personality, it was confident, brazen audacity. With Goliath he was indeed audacious. With his manufactured crazy routine, he was outrageous. In his dance before the Ark, he was shameless. In all this, he demonstrated holy chutzpah at its finest:
David Rejoices in Dance. David was full of joy as he escorted the Ark of God back to its rightful place in Jerusalem. The Ark represented the very presence of Yahweh, and it established Jerusalem as the religious center of Israel. David was thrilled that the Ark of the Covenant would be accessible for worship in Israel’s capital. So there was “great celebration” as they brought back the Ark. “David danced before the LORD, whirling about with all his might, wearing a priestly loincloth.” (2 Samuel 6). So David and all the people of Israel formed a riotous parade with shouts of joy and the blowing of ram’s horns. David wants to truly celebrate, to be raucous, boisterous, and loud in the celebration. So he appointed a choir of singers and musicians “to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of harps, lyres and cymbals.” Then he appointed a large group to march before the Ark and blow their trumpets loudly, as another group blew their shofars, their ram’s horns, with great joy. All of Israel was shouting and cheering as they brought the Ark to Jerusalem in their holy parade. What could David do in this environment but dance? He was twirling, skipping, dancing ecstatically to demonstrate his elation at having God’s presence brought to his home city, this historic chest containing the Ten Commandments and Aaron’s budding staff. Here it was, the Jewish holy relic, built at the foot of Mt. Sinai by Moses and his craftsman, the very Ark that brings the Lord’s presence as He reveals Himself between the cherubim on the Mercy Seat! How can one contain oneself with this miracle?
A Killjoy of a Wife. But when his wife Michal saw King David “leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for David.” Michal was disgusted with David for making a spectacle of himself before all the people. “How distinguished the King of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” David defended himself, and said “I was dancing before Yahweh, making merry out of pure enjoyment… And I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!” After this exchange, their relationship hit the rocks, and she remained childless (2 Samuel 6:12-23). It needs to be noted that David’s priestly loincloth was basically linen underwear worn by priests when offering sacrifices. (Exodus 20:26 and 28:42). The Lord instructed the priests to wear the loincloth over bare skin. But in his celebration before Yahweh, David didn’t worry about playing the shameless fool. He said he would engage in even more of this foolishness if it was called upon!
David’s Tent for the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was then placed in a special tent, a Tabernacle, that David set up in Jerusalem. And what did he do immediately after housing the Ark? David proceeded to continue the joy, continue the worship, continue the music! He appointed a group of Levites to bless the Lord with lyres, harps, cymbals and trumpets in front of the Tabernacle. And David gave to these musicians a special song he wrote, just for this occasion. This was the first time that the appointed musicians blessed the Lord with music in David’s musical program before the Ark, music to be offered daily in worship of the God of Israel. “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness,” began David’s song. “Let the whole world know what He has done!”
1 Chronicles 16. David’s song of Thanksgiving was written around 1040 BC, immediately following his placing of the Ark in the Tabernacle tent in Jerusalem. His song is a high point of praise in Scripture. It is quoted in many psalms, and it reveals David at his best, as “Israel’s singer of songs.” This song is ecstatic in praise of Yahweh, and shows the heart of David in his element, his joy in praising the Lord with exuberant music. David’s song is a heavenly mouthful. We’ll all be singing this song around the throne in Paradise. David’s song focused on who God is, and what we are to do in response.
In 1 Chronicles 16:34, David offers for the first time in the Hebrew Bible a lyric that is probably the most repeated refrain in Scripture: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His mercy endures forever!” The refrain “His mercy endures forever” became a centerpiece in the worship liturgy in the spiritual life of Israel. The refrain was repeated at Solomon’s dedication of the Temple, for instance, and in a number of other times in Biblical history. The Hebrew warriors even used that refrain as a war cry before battle, which eventuated in an Israelite victory. This affirmation of God’s mercy appears 34 times in the Psalms alone. According to author Michael Card, this refrain practically turned itself into a national motto. Circling back to this first song of praise, David is rejoicing in front of the Ark of the Covenant, which has the blessed Mercy Seat as its cover, where the Lord reveals His glory. God’s glory is His mercy. The light of His presence is found in His mercy. And God’s supply of unfailing love and compassionate loyalty is eternal, everlasting, forever. David wants to make sure all the people remember that His mercy will never run out, that mercy is a central part of God’s eternal character, His divine essence. It seems that often in David’s life, he saw his mission as reminding his people of God’s pure mercy.
Amen! Immediately after this amazing song is sung to completion, the people all declared, Amen! in verse 36. Yes! That’s the truth! May it be so! We agree! So be it! The people were one in heart with the words of David’s song. This is a high point in the history of worship with the people of Israel. To agree wholeheartedly with David’s song is not a light matter. It is the heaviest of matters… As heavy as the weight of glory. God’s glory.
“The historical David was a living prophecy of the true King yet to come. The divine promises made with respect to David’s messianic throne are fulfilled in the kingdom of Jesus, at once David’s descendant and his Lord.” (Patrick Henry Reardon, Christ in the Psalms).
David’s Melody of Lovingkindness. Soon after David established his kingdom, he asked a question that would delight his descendant Jesus… “Is there anyone in Saul’s family around here, so that I can show him mercy for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). David was eager to show kindness to the family of someone who was once his enemy! David and Jonathan had long ago promised a covenant of loyal love to each other, a promise that would extend to their descendants. Jonathan was David’s dearest friend in the world, his bosom buddy, and David wasted no time to show some of that loyal love to any descendant of Saul. It turned out that a disabled outcast, an exile, was actually a son of Jonathan. David’s quest was rewarded by locating this son of Jonathon who went by the name of Mephibosheth. This man was lame in both feet because of an accident when he was five years old in which his ankles never healed properly. David’s generous, unexpected love was unbounded. His integrity in honoring his promise to Jonathon was straight from the heart of God. Rather than clean house and ridding himself of anyone connected to his arch enemy Saul, David turned the tables and embraced Mephibosheth as one of his own. David restored to him all the lands of his grandfather Saul, and David assigned a worthy servant to manage the estate, assuring the farmland of providing support. David enabled Mephibosheth to thrive at a time when he was floundering without any means of support for a living. Then, David treated him like a prince, including him at the king’s table for all his meals, providing his daily bread. This event in David’s life was the gospel story in miniature, good news for the broken and rejected and undeserving.
2 SAMUEL 22 (Ps. 18). King David probably composed this song around 1018 BC, near the end of his life. By the time he died around 1015 BC, he had been King for 40 years, and he passed away when he was 70 years old. Historians have hailed him as the greatest king of Israel. He was able to unite the separate tribes of Israel into one unified nation, he was able to secure peace with all his neighboring nations, and he maintained Israel as a God-fearing, God-centered nation. By the end of his life, after nearly 400 years of division and of disjointed tribes, he was able to enjoy the unified nation in the Promised Land under Yahweh. Finally, under David, the kingdom was one and at peace, and devoted to the Lord.
David’s Exultation. What begins as a picturesque song of thanksgiving develops into a victory song, and then concludes with his fervent reliance on God’s “everlasting covenant” with him and his throne. David starts by extolling God’s attributes, moves into the triumphant interventions of God, then exults with his messianic expectations for the future. David seems to sum up his life with an energy known only to David at his best. Here at the end, David undoubtedly once again embraced the truth he uttered long ago, that “Surely goodness and mercy (have pursued me) all the days of my life. (Ps. 23). The Orthodox Church has labeled Ps. 18, the identical song to II Samuel 22, as “the victory of David fulfilled in the Messiah.”
God’s Covenant with David. God made an eternal covenant with David, that salvation would come through his family line. God promised him that the saving Messiah would be a direct descendant and would establish God’s throne forever. The Messiah would be known down through Jewish history as the Son of David. During Jesus’ time on earth, when he was declared Messiah, it was often through that formula, the Son of David. “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (II Samuel 7:12-13). And David humbly accepted this covenant with God. “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have given this good promise to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight.” (II Samuel 7:25-29). And among David’s last words was this triumphant affirmation, “Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant arranged and secured in every part?” (II Samuel 23:5). Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One, proved to be the fulfillment of this ancient covenant between David and Yahweh.
2 SAMUEL 23:1-5. This Scripture passage offers insight into what was on David’s mind during his last days. “These are the last words of David: ‘David, the son of Jesse, speaks – David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. The Spirit of Yahweh speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue. The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: ‘The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of morning at sunrise, like the morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.’ Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success.” We find David speaking prophetically in this version of his last words. He at first rejoiced in his status before the Lord… He was raised up high by the Lord; he was hand-picked and anointed by the God of Israel; he was enabled by God to become the “sweet psalmist of Israel;” his tongue was filled with the words of the Spirit of Yahweh; he was even on speaking terms with the God of Jacob. David’s whole identity was wrapped up in his Lord. His last words are exultant in what God had done through him and for him. In his final words, David gloried in the fact that the Lord inspired him, that the Spirit of the Lord spoke directly to him, that Yahweh’s word was “on his tongue.” (II Samuel 23:2). In the end, David was confident that he had been an inspired mouthpiece for God.
The Poetic David. After rejoicing in the blessings of God, David then spoke with messianic purpose. He highlighted a “righteous ruler” in his family line, which we know would be fulfilled by Jesus Christ much later down the line, when He comes to earth to rule in perfect peace and justice. David poetically describes what the righteous ruler will be like: a morning sunrise, a cloudless sky, the sun’s rays gleaming on new grass after a rain. Beautiful imagery that describes the presence of Jesus in the world. David then prophetically refers to God’s everlasting covenant with his family. Because of this eternal agreement, out of David’s house will come salvation through the Messiah. Out of David’s line will come Jesus, known forever as the Son of David.
FINAL THOUGHT. Looking back on David’s life, it seems that it was David’s heart that set him apart. It wasn’t his artistic excellence in word and song, it wasn’t his physical beauty, it wasn’t his military valor as a warrior. Nor was it his astounding success as a king. There was something about his heart that caused Yahweh to accept David so intimately. Remember the Lord’s words at David’s early anointing… “Man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). That’s what God was looking for, and in David that’s what He found. Because of his heartfelt trust and confidence in Yahweh, David was unafraid to play the fool. Perhaps David is the greatest holy fool in all of Scripture. The only competitor for this would be his descendant, Jesus Christ. In this case, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. There is no question that Jesus was the Son of David. David was the song before the Christ-Song, the overture before the main performance.
“The single most characteristic thing about David is God. David believed in God, thought about God, imagined God, addressed God, prayed to God. The largest part of David’s existence wasn’t David but God.” (Eugene Peterson, Leap Over A Wall.)