Prophet David King of Israel
Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Wood Panel
7" x 9.5"

This icon of Holy Prophet and King David was the latest commission. In an earlier post for another icon of this saint we spoke a bit about King David as a prefiguration of Christ. Today, with lenten season underway, it is fitting to speak about the Psalter - the book from the Old Testament with many of the Psalms attributed to King David.
The Psalter is, by far, the largest single element in the Church’s Divine services in the Orthodox Church. The Psalms have become for the Church, as for ancient Israel, a book of prayer and praise. This book is used in daily cycle of prayers and during the Great Lent the reading of the Psalter are arranged so that the its entirety is read through twice in a week.

The function of the Psalms has been well stated within the pages of the Orthodox Study Bible. It tells us that "they [the Psalms] (a) foretell coming events; (b) recall history; (c) frame laws for life; (d) reveal what must be done to obey God's word; (e) are a treasury of good doctrine; and (f) help overcome the passions that exercise dominion over our soul, through the power of poetic expression to capture and gradually transform our thoughts."

St. Basil the Great says this about the Psalms: “When the Holy Spirit saw that the human race was guided only with difficulty toward virtue, and that, because of our inclination toward pleasure, we were neglectful of an upright life, what did He do? The delight of melody He mingled with the doctrines so that by the pleasantness and softness of the sound heard we might receive without perceiving it the benefit of the words, just as wise physicians who, when giving the fastidious rather bitter drugs to drink, frequently smear the cup with honey..." (1)

On the scroll held by the Saint these words can be read: "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust". The text is taken from Psalm 90 (91),which speaks of the warfare the Church wages against the devil and his angels, and names God and our hope in Him - our salvation.

Icon Symbols: King David is shown in royal raiment wearing a precious crown, adorned with pearls and gold. Colors of Christ's clothing are mirrored in the clothing of this saint, who is His prefiguration. With left hand he holds a scroll, and with the right he is directing our eye to the presence of God, represented here with a blue mandorla.