The “Annunciation by El Greco,” subject of today’s Gospel…

In this regular feature I meditate* on Bible readings for the Sunday coming up, as determined by the “RCL.”  Those readings for Sunday December 21 – the Fourth Sunday of Advent – are 2d Samuel 7:1-11;16, followed by what would normally be the psalm-reading; in this case either Canticle 15 (the Magnificat) or Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26.

For more on those psalm-choices, see On the psalms up to December 21.  The New Testament reading is Romans 16:25-27, followed by the Gospel, Luke 1:26-38.  The full readings are at Fourth Sunday of Advent.    Here are some highlights.

As to the First and Second Books of Samuel, the International Bible Commentary (IBC) noted they covered the same time period as First and Second Kings, but with different emphases.  Second Samuel follows the death of King Saul and the rise of David as King of Israel.

Today’s reading is about “the latest” in a long line of covenants or contracts between God and His Chosen People.  The contracts began with Noah, then on to Abraham, then came up to the Contract with Moses.  This latest contract was between God and David (and his line, on to Jesus).

2 Samuel 7:1-11;16 begins with David saying to the prophet Nathan that he will “build a house for God.”  (Up to then God had been “staying in a tent” since the days of Moses, metaphorically anyway.)   But that’s followed by God appearing to David (via Nathan) and saying – basically – “You think you’re going to build a house for me?  I’ll build a house for you!”

I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went…  Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.  Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.

This was a matter of considerable importance.  It’s why Matthew and Luke included genealogies to show Jesus was David’s direct descendant.  “Both aim to establish a direct descent of Jesus from David, and thus [His] legal inheritance of the throne of Israel.”  (Genealogy of Jesus – Wikipedia, which added that the two genealogies appear markedly different.)

Since the reading from Romans 16:25-27 is so short, it can be included in its entirety:

Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith – to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever!  Amen.

For a further explanation of this concluding section of the Epistle see Romans 16 Commentary, which “waxed poetic” on Paul’s unique ability to maintain the difficult balance between being wise as a serpent yet harmless as a dove.  (Referring to Matthew 10:16.)  Note also that except for the “Amen” at the end, that was all one sentence.  (Paul was basically a lawyer – a “rabbinic” lawyer anyway – and certainly wrote like one.  See 2 Peter 3:16.)

Turning to the Gospel reading, Luke 1:26-38 tells of the Annunciation, of the angel Gabriel to Mary, that she would bear Jesus.  That is, the Annunciation is “the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, marking his Incarnation.”  See Annunciation – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  Today’s Gospel begins, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary….”

Which is of course “the reason for the season!”

The upper image is courtesy of Annunciation – Wikipedia, noted above, which added that the painter El Greco, (born Doménikos Theotokópoulos; 1541-1614) “was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance.”  He lived and worked in Spain from 1577 until his death, and his nickname (“The Greek”) was ostensibly a reference to his birth-place, but he was actually “born in Crete, which was at that time part of the Republic of Venice.)

As to the “RCL,” see Revised Common Lectionary, and also Revised Common Lectionary – Wikipedia. 

*  On the subject of meditating on the Bible, see for example Psalm 1:2, “Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on His law day and night;”  Psalm 77:12, “I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds;”  Psalm 119:15, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways;”  Psalm 119:23, “The evil have been sitting and plotting against me, but I have been meditating upon your commandments;”  and Psalm 119:48, “I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.”

Incidentally, Psalm 119 – where three of the five quotes above came from – “is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible…    It is the prayer of one who delights in and lives by the Torah, the sacred law.  With its 176 verses, Psalm 119 has more verses than 14 Old Testament Books and 17 New Testament Books.”  See Psalm 119 – Wikipedia.

As to both Samuel and Kings, both “sets of two books” were originally one book – actually one “scroll” – and both scrolls were so long that they had to be cut in two, for ease of handling and reading, eventually in the local synagogue.  See for example Books of Kings – Wikipedia. 

As to Romans 16 Commentary – Commentary Critical and Explanatory, vis-a-vis the New Testament reading for today, the author noted in pertinent part:

In every age … there have been real Christians whose excessive study of the serpent’s wisdom has … at times [excited] the distressing apprehension that they were no better than wolves in sheep’s clothing.  Nor is it to be denied, on the other hand, that, either from inaptitude or indisposition … many eminently simple, spiritual, devoted Christians, have throughout life exercised little or no influence on any section of society around them.  (E.A.)

Which may be another way of saying:  “If it was easy, anybody could do it!!“

The lower image is courtesy of a “fellow blog” at afterthealtarcall.com/2012/12/05/seven-scriptures-to-remind-us-that-Jesus-is-the-Real-Reason-for-the-Season.  The blogger (Ms. Holmes) has a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism from the University of Georgia, “has lived in the metro Atlanta area since she was six years old and considers Atlanta her home.”  Her home page lists professional experience “writing and working for an assortment of newspapers, magazines, websites and other publications,” as well as a commitment to her church, having served as “Sunday School teacher, Vacation Bible School and play director in addition to serving on numerous committees.”

Mary’s Magnificat

“(Le magnificat)”

“James Tissot – Brooklyn Museum”

In this regular feature I focus on the psalm-reading for the upcoming Sunday, and try to post that meditation-on-a-psalm by the Wednesday leading up to that upcoming Sunday.  I also meditate on and highlight the psalms in the Daily Office Readings (DORs) for the week leading up to that Wednesday posting.   (Confused about “DORs?”  See What’s a DOR?)

That means this week the highlighted DOR psalms will be chosen from the The Lectionary – Satucket readings from Wednesday December 10 through Tuesday December 16.  (And at this point there may be some readers asking, “What, the psalms again?  Why pay so much attention to the Psalms?”  For the simple answer to this question, see On the psalms.)

The Lectionary has two choices for Sunday December 21, either Canticle 15 (the Song of Mary also known as The Magnificat) or Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, discussed further below.  The DOR psalms are from the readings for Wednesday December 10 up to Tuesday December 16.

Here are some highlights from those past-week Daily Office readings.

From Thursday December 11, Psalm 37:14 and 17:  “The Lord laughs at the wicked, because He sees that their day will come,” and “The little that the righteous has is better than great riches of the wicked.”  On the note of God having a sense of humor (He “laughs at the wicked”), see On the readings for Pentecost (6/8/14), citing Psalm 104:27: “There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, which [God] made for the sport of it.”

From Friday December 12, Psalm 31:5:  “Into your hands I commend my spirit, for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.”  Jesus quoted that verse on the cross, at Luke 23:46:  “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’   When he had said this, he breathed his last.”  (See also Acts 7:59.)

The readings for Sunday December 14, included Psalm 63, known to some as “Patton’s psalm,” a psalm at once both “humble and defiant.”  See On Patton, Sunday School teacher.  They also included Psalm 98:1, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.”  On that note see On the DORs for July 20, which asked the musical question:

How can we do greater works than Jesus if we interpret the Bible in a cramped, narrow, strict and/or limiting manner?   For that matter, why does the Bible so often tell us to “sing to the Lord a new song?”   (For example, Isaiah 42:10 and Psalms 96:1, 98:1, and 144:9.)

Or use the Search-box above right and just type in “sing Lord new song.”

And finally, the DORs for Monday December 15 included Psalm 41:1: “Happy are they who consider the poor and needy!  The Lord will deliver them in time of trouble.”  Note also the GOD’S WORD® Translation, which reads, “Blessed is the one who has concern for helpless people.  The LORD will rescue him in times of trouble.”

Either way, that sentiment is particularly appropriate at this time of year.

As to the psalms for December 21, the first Lectionary choice is Canticle 15, also known as the Song of Mary or the Magnificat, which begins, “My soul doth magnify the Lord…” 

As noted in Magnificat – Wikipedia, the text of the canticle is from the Luke 1:46-55, “where it is spoken by the Virgin Mary upon the occasion of her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth.”  When Mary greeted Elizabeth – “pregnant with the future John the Baptist” – the child (John) moved within Elizabeth’s womb, and when “Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith, Mary sings what is now known as the Magnificat in response:”

Mary’s Magnificat, celebrated only in Luke’s Gospel, [is] distilled from a collection of early Jewish-Christian canticles [and] patterned on the “hymns of praise” in Israel’s Psalter…   Mary symbolizes both ancient Israel and the Lucan faith-community as the author/singer of the Magnificat…  The canticle echoes several Old Testament biblical passages [including] the Song of Hannah, from the Books of Samuel (1Samuel 2:1-10).  Scriptural echoes from the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings complement the main allusions to Hannah’s “magnificat of rejoicing” in l Samuel 2:1-10.

The alternate choice is Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, which begins in a similar vein:   “Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing; from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.”

Psalms 89 – Matthew Henry Commentary summarized Psalm 89 like this:

Many psalms that begin with complaint and prayer end with joy and praise, but this [psalm] begins with joy and praise and ends with sad complaints and petitions…   It is uncertain when it was penned; only, in general, that it was at a time when the house of David was woefully eclipsed; some think it was at the time of the captivity of Babylon, when king Zedekiah was insulted over, and abused, by Nebuchadnezzar…  (E.A.)

And the International Bible Commentary (IBC) said this psalm illustrates faith’s perplexity:  “Nowhere is the paradox of faith and sight, divine promise and human experience, more pronounced.”  Further on the IBC said the psalm as a whole alternated the “glorious revelation” of God with the “ugly reality” of everyday life.

But the verses in today’s psalm focus on the positive.  Verses 3-4 read:  “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant:  ‘I will establish your line for ever, and preserve your throne for all generations.'”  And verses 25-26 close on a positive note for the line of King David (seen below):  “I shall make his dominion extend from the Great Sea to the River.  He will say to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.'”

The upper image is courtesy of Magnificat – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 

Re: “Happy are they who consider the poor and needy!”  See also Deuteronomy 15:10,  Ruth 2:19,  Psalm 82:3,  Psalm 82:4,  Proverbs 14:21,  Proverbs 29:7, and  Daniel 4:27.

Re: canticle.   A”hymn, psalm or other song of praise taken from biblical texts other than the Psalms,” derived from the “Latin canticulum, a diminutive of canticum, ‘song.'”  See Canticle – Wikipedia.

The lower image was prompted by the web article King David misunderstood says Yale scholar, with the rest of the headline reading:  “Politician, psalmist, adulterer and more.”  The Old Testament scholar in question is Doctor Joel Baden, whose work – including his The Historical David: The Real Life of an Invented Hero – “ruined King David” according to some Yale divinity students. 

Baden said as a result of his research he “found someone more animated than the glorified felt-board action hero many have come to know.”  He added that even though David was an authentically-important historical figure who literally changed the course of history, that glorification came at a price:  We’ve since lost sight of David as a real-life “living breathing human being” with all our inherent faults and flaws.  Baden went on to say of his methods:

The starting point is the biblical text itself.  I try to understand not only what the biblical authors were saying, but why they were saying it.  That is to say, what was their purpose in writing these stories the way that they did?   I take very seriously what they actually wrote: what they included (and didn’t include)…   The second important step is to view David not as a character in the Bible, but as a living, breathing man in the early first millennium BCE…  The portrayal of David I put forward in the book is thus a combination of these two approaches:  a close reading of the biblical text filled out with the background of the ancient world as we now understand it.   It is an attempt to find the real David moving beneath the veneer of the Bible’s own interpretation of his life. (E.A.)

Which is pretty much what I’m trying to do in and with this blog, under the theory that the Bible was not written by super-heroes who aren’t remotely like us, but rather that it was written by people just like us –  “with all our inherent faults and flaws” – but we digress…    

I.e., the lower image itself is courtesy of File: Gerard van Honthorst – King David Playing the Harp.  The artist (1590-1656) was a “Dutch Golden Age painter” who early in life visited Rome, where he found success “painting in a style influenced by Caravaggio.  Following his return to the Netherlands he became a leading portrait painter.”  See Gerard van Honthorst – Wikipedia.

St. Andrew, by  Georges de la Tour…

As noted in On the readings for Advent Sunday, November 30 was the First Sunday of Advent, which means that on Sunday December 7, most churches will be celebrating – and using the readings for – the Second Sunday of Advent.  However, on that same December 7, churches with “St. Andrew” in their names (like mine) will be celebrating the Feast Day of St. Andrew.  (For more on this saint – whose name means “manly” – see On St. Andrew, the “First Apostle”.)

Thus the readings for Sunday December 7 – when celebrated as the Feast of St. Andrew – are Deuteronomy 30:11-14, Psalm 19, Romans 10:8b-18, and Matthew 4:18-22.  For more on the Season of Advent, see Advent Sunday.  For more on Psalm 19 – what some call a “masterpiece of poetic literature” and another call “the greatest poem in the Psalter” – see On the Psalms up to December 7.  For the complete readings, see St Andrew, Apostle.  

Here are some highlights.

The reading from the Old Testament is Deuteronomy 30:11-14:

Moses said to the people of Israel:   Surely, this commandment … is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?”   Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?”  No, the word is very near to you…

Here’s the background for what the International Bible Commentary (IBC) called a “recap” of the original covenant – or contract between God and His People – from Deuteronomy 29:1 to 30:20, and specifically of Moses’ “appeal to commitment” from Deuteronomy 30:11 to 30:20.

The Book of Numbers ended with the Hebrews on the plains of Moab and/or the territory of Gilead, east of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee, what is now the nation of Jordan.  They were about to enter The Promised Land after their escape from slavery in Egypt, and after 40 years wandering in the Wilderness and numerous battles and other adventures.  But as Asimov said, Deuteronomy doesn’t “advance Israelite history but purports to be a series of addresses [“sermons” if you will] given by Moses on the eve of his death.”  (Moses getting to the edge of the Promised Land but not allowed to enter was discussed in On the readings for October 26, with a note on the “Transfiguration, where Moses … realized a centuries-old dream.”)

Asimov said these addresses “recapitulate the events of the Exodus and restate key portions of the law as it was received from [Mount] Sinai.”  And the IBC said of 30:11-14:

It is natural to emphasize the remoteness of truth and wisdom in daily life and the difficulty of achieving them [see for example Job 28:12 and following].  But God’s law was accessible to every Israelite [see also Psalm 19:7-11, part of the Psalm reading for this Sunday].  In Rom[ans] 10:6-8, Paul uses these words to illustrate the character of the new covenant, based on Our Lord’s incarnation and the free offer of the gospel, in the power of the Spirit, all of which bring the word … very near.

(Page 279, emphasis and ellipses in original.)  Which brings up the New Testament reading.

In Romans 10:8b-18, Paul quoted Moses in this Sunday’s OT reading:  “‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);  because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  The emphasized part supports a theory that being in a particular “club” or denomination will neither “save” you nor get you to heaven.  (Or as has been said, “there are no denominations in heaven.”  See the notes for About the psalms.)

Paul continued that theme in verse 11: “The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.'”  In doing so Paul quoted Isaiah 28:16, “this is what the Sovereign LORD says:  ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.‘”  See also verse 13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  Here Paul cited Joel 2:32, “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;  for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.”

And Matthew 4:18-22 tells of Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee and seeing brothers Simon and Andrew, and saying to them (in the King James Version, the one God uses), “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  But see also On St. Andrew, the “First Apostle”, which noted the different spin given in John 1:35-42 about that first meeting:

The next day John [the Baptist] was … with two of his disciples, when he saw Jesus walking… The two disciples [followed] Jesus[, who] turned, saw them following him, and asked, “What are you looking for?”  They answered, “Where do you live, Rabbi?” … “Come and see,” he answered…    So they went with him…  One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.  At once he found his brother Simon and … took Simon to Jesus.  [E.A.]

Which brings up the question whether this difference in testimony should shake your faith.  After all, if Matthew and John can’t agree on how Jesus met Andrew and Peter, how can you have any faith in the rest of the Bible?  The shortest and best answer comes from a theory that the Bible wasn’t written by “giants” but by people just like us.  See for example On Harry Truman:

I liked the New Testament stories best, especially the Gospels.  And when I was older, I was very much interested in the way those fellas saw the same things in a different manner.  A very different manner, and they were all telling the truth…   That’s why I always hesitated to call a man a liar unless I had the absolute goods on him.

In turn the Good News is that if the Bible was written by people just like us, we too can accomplish miracles just like Jesus and the rest of the Bible-writers did.  See John 14:12, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”  (Emphasis added.)

 The upper image is courtesy of St. Andrew – Georges de la Tour – WikiArt.org, with notes:  “Artist: Georges de la Tour; Start Date: 1615; Completion Date:1620; Style: Tenebrism.”  See also Tenebrism – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, “from the Italian, tenebroso (murky), also called dramatic illumination, [a] style of painting using very pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and dark, and where darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image. The technique was developed to add drama to an image through a spotlight effect…”

As to this fifth book of the Bible, see Book of Deuteronomy – Wikipedia, which added:

The book consists of three sermons or speeches delivered to the Israelites by Moses on the plains of Moab, shortly before they enter the Promised Land.  The first sermon recapitulates the forty years of wilderness wanderings which have led to this moment, and ends with an exhortation to observe the law (or teachings), later referred to as the Law of Moses;  the second reminds the Israelites of the need for exclusive allegiance to one God and observance of the laws (or teachings) he has given them, on which their possession of the land depends;  and the third offers the comfort that even should Israel prove unfaithful and so lose the land, with repentance all can be restored.

(Note that the emphasized portion applies to us “even to this day.)  See also Book of Numbers – Wikipedia.  The notes from Isaac Asimov, as to the end of Numbers and Deuteronomy in general, are from Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (Two Volumes in One),  Avenel Books (1981), at pages 190-192.

The promise of John 14:12 was discussed in Quick summary.

The lower image is courtesy of The Raising of Lazarus (Rembrandt) – Wikipedia, with the caption, “The Raising of Lazarus, Rembrandt. Oil on panel. 37 15/16 x 32 in. (96.36 x 81.28 cm). Late 1620s or 1630-32. Los Angeles County Museum of Art.”  The article added:

The painting shows the moment Lazarus re-awakens from death and rises from his tomb as Christ calls him.  Lazarus is in the darker half of the painting while the figures at left are far more illuminated.  Mary and those assembled look on in amazement as Lazarus comes to life.  The painting depicts a parable of spiritual life, the miracle of the hardened sinner receiving first grace (sorrow for sins committed in order to seek penitence and redemption).

Which leads to one final word to the wise:  “Kids, don’t try this (miracle) at home!“

C.S. Lewis (of “Narnia”) on Psalm 19: “one of the greatest lyrics in the world…”

This regular feature focuses on next Sunday’s psalm, and – normally – on highlights from the psalms in the Daily Office Readings (DORs) for the week leading up to that upcoming Sunday.  But in this case Psalm 19 is so important that I spent the whole post on it.

At this point there may be some who ask, “What, the psalms again?  Why pay so much attention to the Psalms?”    For the simple answer see About the psalms.

*   *   *   *

As noted, Psalm 19 is widely considered to be a “masterpiece of poetic literature,” and  C.S. Lewis (shown above) considered it to be “the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.”  The psalm begins, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.”  For the full text see Psalm 19 – For the director.

As noted in Psalm 19 – Bible Teaching Notes, the first six verses of the psalm “speak of God’s general revelation of Himself through nature,” and in these verses “David represents the universe as a cathedral in which the sun is the preacher bearing witness to the existence and glory of God.”  And as noted in Treasury of David—Psalm 19 – The Spurgeon Archive:

This song very distinctly divides itself into three parts…  The creatures show God’s glory, 1-6. The word showeth his grace, 7-11.  David prayeth for grace, 12-14.  Thus praise and prayer are mingled, and he who here sings the work of God in the world without, pleads for a work of grace in himself within.

The International Bible Commentary (IBC, 569) said the psalmist – according to tradition, David – may have been influenced by the fact that in the “ancient Near East ‘sun’ and ‘justice’ were thought of as belonging together; e.g. Shamash, the Mesopotamian sun-god, was considered to be the upholder of justice and righteousness.”  See also Shamash – Wikipedia:

The attribute most commonly associated with Shamash is justice.  Just as the Sun disperses darkness, so Shamash brings wrong and injustice to light.  Hammurabi attributes to Shamash the inspiration that led him to gather the existing laws and legal procedures into code…

And see also Code of Hammurabi – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, but we digress…

Getting back to Psalm 19, here’s what Wikipedia says:

The psalm considers the glory of God in creation, and moves to reflect on the character and use of “the law of the LORD.”  A comparison is made between the law and the sun, which lends a degree of unity to the psalm…   Like the Sun, the law is able to uncover hidden faults, and nothing can hide from it.  As the Psalmist meditates on the excellencies of the law, he feels that his sins have been laid open before God’s word, and asks for forgiveness and help.

See Psalm 19 – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  Or as the IBC said, the first six verses are a hymn in praise of God in nature, while verses 7 through 14 are a hymn in praise of God’s law.  Note that verse six ends with an ode to the sun; it “goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again; nothing is hidden from its burning heat.”

Moving on to the law of the LORD, verse 7 said it “revives the soul” and “gives wisdom to the innocent.”  Of God’s statutes verse 10 said that they are “more to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold.”   Verse 11 adds, “By them also is your servant enlightened,
and in keeping them there is great reward.”

Verse 12 asks, “Who can tell how often he offends?  Cleanse me from my secret faults.”  I addressed that subject – “secret” or unknown sins – in On Ecclesiasticus (NOT “Ecclesiastes”), which cited Ecclesiasticus 5:5:  “Do not be so sure of forgiveness that you add sin to sin.”  The post also discussed “Holier than thou”, along with self-righteousness and hypocrisy.

On that note, Psalm 19:13 added, “Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me.”  And finally, the psalm ends with the well-known verse 14:  “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.”  Wikipedia said of this verse, and the psalm:

Verse 14 is used as part of the conclusion of the Amidah, the main daily prayer in Judaism…   As the author spends time thinking about God’s demands, he realizes that his own actions and thoughts fall short of this law that he loves.   The author prays to be kept from sins of ignorance as well as deliberate sins [and] that his words and thoughts be pleasing to God.

See Psalm 19 – Wikipedia, and also Amidah – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, referring to the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy recited at each of three prayer services in a typical weekday: morning, afternoon, and evening.  “The prayer is recited standing with feet firmly together, and preferably while facing Jerusalem,” and ends with this concluding prayer:

My God, keep my tongue and my lips from speaking deceit, and to them that curse me let my soul be silent, and like dust to all. Open my heart in Your Torah…  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Eternal, my rock and my redeemer.

The upper image is courtesy of C. S. Lewis – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, which said Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) “was a novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, and Christian apologist.  Born in Belfast, Ireland, he held academic positions at both Oxford University (Magdalen College), 1925–54, and Cambridge University (Magdalene College), 1954–63.  He is best known both for his fictional work, especially The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain…   Lewis and fellow novelist J. R. R. Tolkien were close friends.”   See also Psalm 19 – Bible Teaching Notes:  “The Psalm is considered to be a masterpiece of poetic literature.  C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘I take this [Psalm 19] to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.'”

The lower image is courtesy of Psalms – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, with the full caption:  “David Playing the Harp by Jan de Bray, 1670.”

As to David playing the harp, see David – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, which noted the account of First Samuel, Chapter 16, which told of Saul, the first-ever king of Israel, being tormented by an evil spirit.  In turn it was suggested that “he send for David, a young warrior famed for bravery and his lyre playing.  Saul did so, and made David one of his armor-bearers. From then on, whenever ‘the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play.  Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him,’” as illustrated above.

One final note:  the usual post on the psalms up to December 7 would have included this:

For those who already appreciate the psalms – and rightfully so – my usual practice is to review the next Sunday’s readings on the Wednesday before, including the individual Sunday-psalm noted above, and also to review the psalms from the DORs for the week ending on the Tuesday just before that “prior Wednesday.”  For example, The Lectionary  psalm for Sunday, December 7, is Psalm 19, discussed further below.  The Daily Office psalms are from the readings for Wednesday November 26 up to Tuesday December 2.