David and Diamond

David

Today's figure for the Jesse Tree is the "man after God's heart" and the epitome of the glory of Israel and the midpoint of sorts between the first covenant with Abraham to the fulfillment in the birth of Jesus. This was David, Jesse's youngest son, evidently from his old age. David lived in roughly 1000 B.C. (He is a definite "marker" figure for children learning timelines, like Charlemagne at A.D. 800.) He reigned as king for forty years. David was extremely talented and had all the virtues (i.e. manly qualities, from vir, Latin, "man") that one could hope for. The Bible said he was very good looking, strong, brave, hard-working, musically talented - he could dance and sing and play instruments - a composer and poet, a good friend, an oath keeper, an inspiring and charismatic leader, and above all, blessed by God. It is no wonder he is the great king at the high point of his people's glory. He was noted for his great and unflinching faith. When his brothers mocked him for questioning why no one stopped Goliath from mocking God, he didn't get distracted in an argument; he believed in God's providence and went ahead and did what needed to be done, and got the divine help he expected.

We know that David was a sinner, a shameful sinner. He committed adultery and murdered a man to take his wife. He got distracted by his lusts that led him to take too many wives, so that he was too busy to discipline his children properly in godliness. He was, somewhat by necessity, more focused on making war than building peace, and personally killed hundreds of men. But these sins and shortcomings show us that it was not for his commendable qualities that God blessed him, but it was by grace. David knew that and praised it in his psalms.

Verses for today:
Samuel and Kings and Chronicles and Psalms
I Samuel 18: 5, 14
Psalm 72
Psalm 132: 10 - 12
Isaiah 9: 6, 7
Jeremiah 23: 5, 6
Matthew 1: 6
Matthew 9: 7; 21: 9; 22: 42


Luke 3: 31
John 7: 42
Romans 1: 3
Hebrews 11: 32
Revelation 3: 7; 5: 5; 22: 16


Advent Calendars

Behnd one window was this picture of what appears to be a sleeping gnome who is all done with his Christmas preparations and and is resting up for festivities - lucky him.

and the storybook was this:

The hare (Hase) was uppity to the hedgehog (Igel) about his short legs, so the hedgehog challenged the hare to a race. The hedgehog and his look-alike-wife took places at each end of the race course to trick the hare, and were always at the end before the hare arrived. The hare demanded re-match after re-match until he exhausted himself, and after that he was more polite to the hedgehog.

Florida Christmas Decorations

Mom sent these pictures of her decorated palm tree and a Nativity table setting, and another with their Diamond Anniversary memento and a tiny metal candle-Creche I sent her in our Christmas letter. So suits the decor to the setting.

Just a note - This is the 60th post here, so it is also a diamond day. Thanks, everybody.