“David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.
The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years:
he reigned seven years in Hebron
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.”  ( 1 Kings 2:12) (Thursday)

The Jewish scriptures we read this week in our lectionary describe the period of David’s life after his adultery and his murder of Uriah till his death and the succession of Solomon, his son. They recall the tragic death of his son, Absalom, (Tuesday), and his fear he has overstepped the will of God by calling for a census of his people.(Wednesday) The king faces the consequences of his sin and the pride that led to his fall. 

The reading for Friday from the Book of Sirach is a final appraisal of David, full of praise for him, dwelling on his achievements, not his failures. As a youth he felled Goliath , as a warrior he won battles and the praise of women who “praised him when they praised the Lord.”

He raised the standard of religious life in his kingdom: ” He set singers before the altar and by their voices  he made sweet melodies, He added beauty to the feasts and solemnized the seasons of each year.”

He passed on his wisdom to his son and urged him to serve God. 

The scriptures see mostly the triumph of God’s grace in David and not his sins. Only one line in its praise does the reading from Sirach mention his sin:

“The Lord forgave him his sins
            and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
            and established his throne in Israel.” (Sirach 47:11)

The Jewish scriptures have a wonderful way of telling the story and letting you see on your own what it means – and question what you read. A secular appraisal of David today, delving into his mind and the events of his life, would make the story of the murder and adultery the main focus for viewing him. Not so the scriptures.