Day 15

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know. Psalm 139:13-14

At this point in the story of Israel, the king of Israel was a man named Saul. He was not following God’s will, and God wasn’t very happy with him. God told prophet and priest Samuel to step in and anoint someone to eventually take Saul’s place. 

God guided Samuel to Jesse’s home, where Jesse presented all but one of his sons. As we learned before, Samuel was a holy man who did God’s will even if it seemed strange to others. Samuel considered all 7 sons but knew that none of them were who God wanted him to anoint as the next king. Samuel asked Jesse to bring his youngest son, David, to him. Jesse and his other sons were confused. David’s brothers were older and strong. Some of them were warriors who had fought in battles. David was the youngest and spent his time as a shepherd herding sheep—surely David wasn’t the one God chose to be king!? As soon as Samuel saw David, he knew he was who God had chosen. Samuel anointed David, and someday, David would be king! 

There is so much written about David in the Bible. His story as king is fascinating! He established the capital of Israel in Jerusalem, where he placed the Ark of the Covenant. (The Ark of the Covenant was a large, beautiful chest that held the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments given to Moses, a golden vessel of manna from the Israelites' time in the desert, and the rod of Aaron. Since these were sacred items, they made the Israelites feel physically close to God.) 

David had a gift for music. He wrote prayers in the form of songs called “psalms.” Most of the psalms in the Bible are his. He wrote prayerful songs about battle and defeat as well as victory and joy. He wrote about the promises made to Israel, the coming Messiah, and his good and bad days as the king of Israel. While these psalms were written by David’s hand, they were also written with the help of God. They were used by the Israelites as prayers to be recited (or sung) daily. The Holy Family prayed David’s psalms just like we do today at Mass. 

David’s Psalm 139 reminds you that YOU are wonderfully made. God breathed life and love into your heart and placed you on earth with great purpose! David's song reminds us that life, and the life of those around us, is sacred. We are sacred because God sets aside human life from the rest of creation to share in His Divine Life. We become sharers in His Divine Life on earth through Baptism, and with our eyes set on heaven—we look forward to eternal life with our heavenly Father! David wasn't the oldest, tallest, or strongest of his brothers, but God chose him because of WHO he was.