David brings the
Ark of the Covenant
to Jerusalem
The first mention in the Old Testament of Jerusalem as the “City of David” is found in 2 Samuel 5:7: “David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.” In this account, David had been made king of the entire nation of Israel, and he led his army to take the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites (verse 6). Upon winning this city, David “took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces inward. And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him” (2 Samuel 5:9–10).
Though Jerusalem had already existed as a city, it became known as the City of David after David conquered it. During his reign in the city, David developed it into a much larger urban area. Later, the ark would be brought to Jerusalem, and David would make plans for a temple to be constructed under the direction of his son Solomon.
In the Old Testament, the phrase “City of David” is used of Jerusalem 45 times. In the New Testament, the phrase is found twice—although, in the New Testament, the phrase refers to Bethlehem, where David was born.
The practice of naming a city by the name of its leader was quite common in the ancient Mediterranean world. Heshbon was the city of Sihon, its king (Numbers 21:26). First Samuel 15:5 refers to the city of Amalek. Some cities took their names from a founder (Alexandria), from a notable characteristic (Jericho, the City of Palm Trees), or from a local deity (Susa).
Jerusalem has been known as the City of David for more than 3,000 years as God has continued to keep the memory of His servant David alive for many generations. There is also a close association between King David and Jesus Christ, the Son of David (Matthew 1:1). Both were born in Bethlehem and died in Jerusalem. Both came from obscurity to be kings. Both were devoted to God. Jesus was a descendant of David (Revelation 22:16) from the tribe of Judah, where David first reigned.
In fact, the City of David is the place where Jesus is to reign in the future. The final chapters of the Bible describe a New Jerusalemwhere God’s people will reign forever, marking the earthly City of David with an eternal honor.
Root of Jesse is a metaphor found in Isaiah 11:10: “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.” The term root of Jesse figuratively stands for the Messiah.
The “root” of a family is its progenitor. Jesse was King David’s father. We know from the genealogical records (Matthew 1:1–17 and Luke 3:23–38) that Jesus was descended from the line of Jesse and his son David. In Isaiah 11:10, the Hebrew word used for “root” (sheresh) implies a root that remains alive and sends up a shoot or branch; thus, the root of Jesse was a root from which more descendants could come.
When Isaiah began to prophesy, there was a current hope among the people that a glorious earthly king—the Messiah—would assume the throne of David. Through the prophet Samuel, God had promised David that his offspring would establish an eternal kingdom: “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. . . . Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–16). The messianic title “Son of David” traces back to this prophecy.
Isaiah’s use of root of Jesse expresses the promise of a messianic king who would be born of David’s family line and focuses Judah’s expectation of survival on a sparse, leaderless remnant. The prophet uses a similar metaphor—“a shoot from the stump of Jesse”—in Isaiah 11:1 to describe their future hope. This “stump” signifies the remnant of Jesse’s family that would barely survive. God’s judgment was coming on Judah, and the nation would be left with nothing but a seemingly lifeless “stump,” but there would be life yet. God promised to retain a remnant to carry on His work and the bloodline of King David. What seemed to be a dead, decaying stump would bring forth new life in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Quoting from the Septuagint, the apostle Paul referred to Isaiah’s prophecy in Romans 15:8–13. Paul specifically acknowledged Jesus Christ as the root of Jesse in whom the Gentiles put their hope: “And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope’” (verse 12). And in the book of Revelation, Jesus states, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).
Isaiah’s use of the phrase root of Jesse calls into focus the humanity of Jesus. The Messiah would possess human ancestry. It also underscores Christ’s humble origins. As a shepherd from Bethlehem, Jesse occupied a relatively humble station in life. King Saul often used the phrase the son of Jesse to refer to David in a derogatory manner (1 Samuel 20:27, 30–31; 22:7–8). The Jesse Tree is an Advent custom that originates from Isaiah’s prophecy of the root of Jesse. Instead of perishing, Jesse’s family grew into a branch that bore fruit in the form of Messiah: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1). During Advent, some use a Jesse Tree to represent the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
The Jesse Tree tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. Tapestries and stained-glass windows depicting a tree with Jesse at the roots and Jesus at the top branch were prevalent in the earliest displays. As pictorial representations, they allowed unschooled people to learn the stories in Scripture from the time of creation until the birth of Jesus Christ.
Today, families often use a Jesse Tree in place of an Advent calendar to teach their children about the Bible and the story of salvation at Christmastime. Each day of Advent, symbolic ornaments are placed on the tree, an act followed by a short devotional to explore and reinforce the biblical significance of each ornament. Several variations of Jesse Tree themes exist, including messianic prophecies, ancestors in the bloodline of Jesus, the promises of God, and important Bible stories.
While little is known from Scripture about the man Jesse, throughout the Old and New Testaments, he is associated with the Messiah and mentioned as an ancestor of Jesus Christ. In the book of Acts, Paul makes it clear once again that the “root of Jesse,” God’s promise to David, is indeed the Messiah and Savior, Jesus Christ: “After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised” (Acts 13:22–23).
Second Samuel 6:16
David danced with all
his might before the Lord and his wife
“despised him in her heart"
2 Samuel 6:14-22
And David danced
before the Lord with all his might,
wearing a priestly garment.
So David and all the people of Israel brought up
the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy
and the blowing of rams’ horns.
Michal’s Contempt for David
But as the Ark of the Lord entered
the City of David,
Michal, the daughter of Saul,
looked down from her window.
When she saw King David
leaping and dancing before the Lord,
she was filled with contempt for him
‘How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today,
going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his
servants as any vulgar fellow would!’”
David rebuked Michal, and the final verse of the chapter
notes that Michal had no children.
They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins.
Then all the people returned to their homes.
When David returned home to bless
his own family,
Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him.
She said in disgust,
“How distinguished the king of Israel
looked today,
shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls
like any vulgar person might do!”
David retorted to Michal,
“I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.
Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”
2 Samuel 11:1-12:15
Towards the beginning of his reign, the previously prayerful King David dramatically fell from grace. He had an affair with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who was one of his most loyal soldiers. To cover up the scandal, he then had Uriah killed.
It all began when King David was walking on his palace roof one evening. From there he spied Bathsheba, who was a beautiful woman, taking a bath. He sent for her and they slept together. However, Bathsheba then discovered that she was pregnant, which was a huge problem for the king.
He tried to fix things by encouraging Uriah to spend the night with his wife, so that he would think that the baby was his. When that didn’t work, he arranged for Uriah to be sent into battle – and positioned right on the front-line. When the army attacked the city of Rabbah, Uriah was then killed by enemy archers.
When Bathsheba learned of her husband’s death, she mourned for him. After the time of mourning was over, however, she joined King David at the palace. She became his wife and gave birth to a son. According to the Second Book of Samuel, however, God was not pleased with this shocking behaviour.
He therefore sent the prophet Nathan to the king, to set him straight. Nathan told him a parable about a cruel rich man who stole a poor man’s lamb. When David realised that this story was actually about him, he repented of his sin. It’s thought that he wrote Psalm 51, which is a prayer of deep repentance, at this time.
Preaching about David, Pope Benedict XVI explained: “The passage concerning him, taken from the Second Book of Samuel, presents to us one of the most dramatic conversations in the Old Testament. A burning verdict lies at the heart of this dialogue, with which the Word of God, uttered by the Prophet Nathan, exposes a king who had reached the summit of his political fortune but had also fallen to the lowest level of his moral life.”
He added: “Blinded by his passion for Bathsheba, he wrenches her from her husband, one of his most faithful warriors, and then orders his assassination in cold blood. This is something that makes one shudder: how could a man chosen by God fall so low?”
The pope concluded that all humans are capable of both great things and serious evil. Fortunately, David saw the error of his ways. As Scripture later says: “David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” (1 Kings 15:5)
This stained glass scene of King David’s scandalous relationship with Bathsheba is found within the church of Sacred Heart and St Teresa, in Coleshill. It’s part of a window that contains scenes relating to the Ninth Commandment, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife.” It was made by Gilbert Sheedy in 1950.
Here we see King David getting close to Bathsheba as her poor husband marches off to war in the background. However, she seems less enthusiastic about the whole thing. The comic-book style of this image is reflected in the other windows in the church (such as this and these), which illustrate all Ten Commandments.
Most people readily recognize that the Star of David, the national symbol of Israel, is apparent in the symbol. However, what is less intuitive is that the Star of David is NOT an additional or separate part of the overall symbol.... it is rather MADE by the combination of two other symbols.
Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- 12that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,15having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
You see, God has made ONE NEW MAN from TWO distinct parts.... Jewish and Gentile believers in ONE BODY of MESSIAH.. Many in the Church today feel that "we Gentiles" as the Church have somehow replaced national Israel and the Jewish people in terms of the covenant promises of God... and this has in turn affected how many read and interpret the Bible in regard to Israel.
A Messianic Seal from the Christian church in ancient Jerusalem has been rediscovered after 2,000 years. This ancient symbol was found on Mount Zion. It is believed to have been created and used by the Jewish believers who called themselves Nazarenes in the first Messianic Church. Three companies -- Olim Creative Products of Tiberias, News About Israel (NAI) of Jerusalem, and Christian Floral Delivery of Colorado -- jointly announced the discovery of this ancient symbol, which has been copyrighted by NAI. It consists of three separate but integrated symbols: a menorah at the top, a star of David in the middle, and a fish at the bottom. In each of the renditions of the three-part symbol the star is created by interlacing the stand of the menorah with the tail of the fish. The Messianic Seal was found etched or inscribed on eight ancient artifacts. The artifacts were presented to Ludwig Schneider, editor in chief of NAI's magazine Israel Today, in 1990. They came from Tech Otecus, an elderly monk who lived as a hermit in the Old City of Jerusalem. Otecus said that in the 1960's he had personally excavated about 40 artifacts bearing the Messianic Seal from an ancient grotto located in the immediate vicinity of the Upper Room on Mount Zion.
What was once the main entrance to the grotto is now covered with a jail-like heavy wire mesh enclosure. Its door, leading down into the ancient baptismal place, is tightly secured with a heavy chain and lock. According to Schneider, the last remaining entry to the grotto was sealed shortly after he excitedly told the priests at the local monastery about the discovery of the Messianic Seal. Schneider photographed eight artifacts which were given to him by Otecus, and showed the pictures to the curator of the Israel Museum. "When he had carefully studied my pictures," Schneider recalled, "the curator immediately promised me that these artifacts and their unique symbol were an important find. He told me that the museum already had seen other artifacts bearing the same three-part symbol from some other sources he did not specify." According to Bob Fischer, president of Olim Creative Products and co-author with local historian and artist Reuven Schmalz of their book, The Messianic Seal of the Jerusalem Church, the ancient three-part symbol has, since 135 AD, been suppressed by various Israeli groups or agencies, such as the Israel Museum and Orthodox rabbis in the Old City of Jerusalem, while simultaneously being buried for these nearly two millennia by the church.
According to Fischer, at least two of the eight artifacts were obviously ceremonial pieces which may well have been used by James the Just, the brother of Jesus, who is said to be the first pastor of the church, or perhaps even by one or more of the Twelve Apostles. One of the eight artifacts is a brick-sized block of well-worn local marble. This piece bears an etched version of the Messianic Seal with a Taw (the last letter in the ancient Hebrew alphabet that looks exactly like a sign of the cross) in the eye of the fish symbol, as well as the ancient Aramaic lettering proclaiming the use of this artifact as a stand to hold a vial of anointing oil. The ancient Aramaic is transliterated as, "La Shemen Ruehon" (For the Oil of the Spirit). Another of the eight artifacts is a small, almost intact, vial which could well have sat on top of the marble stand.
Commenting on what he characterized as the "monumental importance" of this archaeological discovery, Fischer said, "Beyond the historical background of the Nazarenes, the first Jewish believers who founded the Jerusalem Church, the Messianic Seal itself proclaims to the world the pervasive Jewishness of Jesus Christ and the decidedly Jewish foundation and roots of the church founded in His name. The Messianic Seal of the Jerusalem Church," Fischer continued, "strikes at the very roots of anti-Semitism while proclaiming a compelling message that restores unity: Jew with Jew, and Jew with Gentile. The importance of this discovery cannot be minimized. The Messianic Seal is not only just the key to understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls, it can and should shake the foundations of the church and orthodox Judaism with its incredible message of unity and love. It breaks down barriers that have existed for millennia and points the way toward restoration."
Yes, this symbol does give us an understanding, visually, of how the EARLY church viewed itself. When we understand that this was a prominent SYMBOL for Messianic followers of Jesus (as opposed to the more modern Christian use of the fish by itself), we may infer their understanding that Gentile believers were grafted into and were spiritually a part of Israel by means of faith in Yeshua of Nazareth, the Son of God. Instead of just the Jewish people being the "covenant" people of God (i.e. ISRAEL), now BOTH Jewish and Gentile believers in the Messiah could be part of the SAME FAMILY of FAITH, the SAME INHERITANCE, and the SAME OLIVE TREE by the CROSS. Paul says that we (Gentiles) have been BROUGHT NEAR by the blood of Messiah... we are no longer STRANGERS and FOREIGNERS of the household of God (the Children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). Now, we are fellow citizens that are being fitted into the holy temple that is founded upon the prophets, apostles, and Jesus the Messiah Himself (who, if you have not taken the time to notice, are ALL Jewish).
This symbol may cut cross-grain with the notion that somehow the church has "replaced" Israel in God's operation and promises. Instead, God has called (the predominantly Gentile church) to come along side those of Israel who do not believe (yet) to intercede for them, witness to them of Jesus as the Messiah, help materially, and bless them till they find their restoration as a nation of priests unto the Lord. It vitally re-establishes the fact that the "CHURCH of Jesus" should be the strongest ally of the Jewish people and Israel itself--especially given the world tide against them. It reminds us that we are Gentiles grafted as a "wild" BRANCH into a Jewish vine. We did not replace the vine--and, more importantly, not ALL the Jewish branches have fell off either, only some... (Romans 11:11-24) Somebranches have remained, all throughout history, and many Jewish people today are embracing Jesus (Yeshua) as the true Messiah.
We as Gentile believers in the Jewish Messiah have been BROUGHT NEAR, MADE MEMBERS of the COMMONWEALTH of ISRAEL (the HOUSEHOLD OF GOD), by our faith in Jesus. Jewish believers in the Jewish Messiah have been BROUGHT to true fulfillment of the LAW by their faith in Jesus as well. Both groups (as Paul says further in Romans) are under the condemnation of sin and both groups need salvation by faith in Jesus, the Messiah, based on His atoning work. We are one family now by this common faith-- what Paul also calls the "One New Man". It is the ONE NEW MAN that this symbol of the "early" (predominantly Jewish) church so clearly illustrates. We as Gentiles believers have become a PART of the same heritage that Israel has... our spiritual roots are NOT in Rome, Tulsa, Colorado Springs, or Constantinople... IT IS IN JERUSALEM!
Though Gentile believers are not called to live Jewish or Hebraic lifestyles culturally in this age, our identity as believers in Jesus is forever tied to ISRAEL and the Jewish people.. and as the FULLNESS or MATURITY of the GENTILES is being witnessed, we need to be ever watchful of what our role should be as the Church in this hour to Israel and the Jewish people (Scripture has much to say about this). It also reminds us that the Gospel is to the "Jew" first ... and that we are nearing the time of history when the LORD is going to lift the veil off Israel and Jewish people as a whole-- the coming day when "all" Israel will be saved. The full return of all of Israel to their Messiah should be a primary prayer focus for the Church of Jesus...
An image of a mother pelican
with her chicks
is carved into the capital
on top of a pillar at the Cenacle,
the upper room
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem
where tradition holds that Jesus shared
the Last Supper with his apostles
and instituted the Eucharist.
It is the only artwork in the entire room, and it is singularly appropriate because it is a symbol for Jesus and the Eucharist.
Mother pelicans lay their eggs in a nest, and after the chicks hatch, the mothers leave the nest to hunt for food, return and feed the chicks. Many birds feed their young with worms. Pelicans usually live near the water, and their prey tend to be small fish, frog tadpoles, crayfish or salamanders.
In times of drought the marshes and streams might dry up, or something might cause the fish in the lake to die, and the mother pelican is unable to find food. Her chicks are delicate, need to be fed daily, and without food are quickly in danger of starvation and death. Faced with this crisis, the mother pelican uses its beak to poke holes in its breast, which causes blood to come out, and the chicks are nourished with their mother’s blood. The mother dies and the chicks survive.
Christians see parallels between the mother pelican and her chicks and Jesus and his followers. The mother pelican represents Jesus, the chicks represent us. The chicks dwell in the safety of the nest, believers dwell in the safety of the Church. The mother is the head of the nest, and Jesus is the head of the Church (Eph 1:22). The mother has an intense concern for her chicks and it goes against her nature to allow any of them to perish, and Jesus has a great love for us and wants none of us to perish.
When food is in short supply, the pelican pierces its breast with its sharp, pointed beak, and the side of Jesus was pierced by a sharp, pointed lance (Jn 19:34a). Blood flows from the pelican’s breast, and blood flowed from Jesus’ side (Jn 19:34b). The mother’s blood is drink for her chicks, and the blood of Jesus is “true drink” (Jn 6:55b). The mother gives her life that her chicks might live, and Jesus laid down his life that we might live (Jn 15:13). The mother’s blood saves the lives of the chicks, and the blood of Jesus is salvation and eternal life (Jn 6:54) for those who receive it. Because of these striking similarities, the mother pelican and her chicks have come to represent the Eucharist, as well as redemption and salvation.
- Advertisement -A depiction of a mother pelican and her chicks frequently is on display in places associated with the Eucharist: the doors of the tabernacle; the front of the altar; a hanging in front of the lectern or ambo; a stained glass window in the sanctuary area; the decorative design on a chalice, chasuble or cope; or on the ends of pews.
The Blessed Virgin Mary
is honored as the Mother of God
because she conceived and gave birth to Christ, who is the incarnation of God the Son, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. It is fitting to honor Mary as Mother of Jesus, following the birth of Christ. When Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, we are not only honoring Mary, who was chosen among all women throughout history to bear God incarnate, but we are also honoring our Lord, who is fully God and fully human.
Since the first centuries of Christianity, the Church customarily has regarded the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God for a simple, logical reason;
By the power of the Holy Spirit, she conceived Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Since the divine Person, God the Son, assumed, or took on, human nature, she is the Mother of God in the fullest since: "What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ" (CCC 48