the Key of David

The O Antiphon for this week is:

    

      O KEY OF DAVID and Scepter of the house of Israel, who opens and no one shuts, 

      who shuts and no one opens:

Come, and bring forth from prison the captive who sits in darkness

and in the shadow of death.

      Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

This is not the most familiar of references from the O Antiphons.  But the Old Testament has a lot of references to keys and what they represent.  It is simplicity itself at one level: one needs a key to attain something that is hidden or secured.  Likewise a key is frequently necessary to gain freedom from captivity.

Isaiah 22:22 reads: I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open.

In like manner, Isaiah says in chapter 42:7."...To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

In some ways, while not the most transparent of titles, it may be one of the best.  Christ releases the people of God from their bondage to sin and unlocks the treasures of heaven to a poverty-stricken Creation.