It’s Finally Friday…and I’m Pastor James St. John.
Each morning, I put on my noise-cancelling headphones and listen to a passage from the Bible. A couple of days ago, it was a reading that included 2 Samuel 6. David had decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the City of David. We’ll pick up the story there…
12 It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing, 13 and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted calf. 14 David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.
2 Samuel 6:12-16 (NRSV)
If you don’t remember, Michal had been promised to David, by Saul before he had begun to pursue David to kill him. Ultimately, Saul was killed, David became king of Judah and requested Michal be brought to him, as promised. She became his wife, after years of being married to another man.
The passage we are reading may give some indication of her disposition, or it may give us insight into her attitude towards David in general. Whichever is the case, when I heard/read the passage, it immediately came to mind that this can be a tragic illustration of the life of believers within the Church.
As a pastor and worship leader, I have years of observations and insights concerning the practice of corporate worship, (i.e. congregational singing, praying, reading, etc.) that takes place on Sunday morning. It may seem overly simplistic, but the majority of people fall into two categories: participants or critics. David and Michal are great representative examples for us to think about.
First, let’s look at Michal.
No doubt, the parade of worship that was taking place in the street was both boisterous and demonstrative. This obviously disturbed Michal and brought her to her window. For some, that is the tragic picture of their attitude toward worship. It is a disturbance to their routine. It is an annoyance and interruption. I’m not going to expound on that, just let it simmer here for a bit.
In the midst of this interruption, Michal observed her husband, there in the middle of the crowd of worshipers. He was dressed in a linen garment, identified as an “ephod.” This was a priestly garment that carried great significance in the worship of the Israelites. He was dressed for worship. Not only was he dressed for worship, though. The scripture says he: “danced before the Lord with all his might.” This scene should have delighted Michal, honestly. It did not. She despised David in this moment. I confess, there have been times in my life when I have “despised” those who I judged as too demonstrative in their worship. I deemed it distracting. I judged it to be self-centered. Michal’s attitude was wrong…and so was mine.
We cannot really draw authoritative conclusions about the source of Michal’s disdain, but we can certainly look into our own hearts and ask the Lord to help us ferret out what is at the root of our disturbance or despising. Maybe Michal was looking down on David and thinking, “Look at him, dressed up and dancing, putting on a show in front of everyone, when I know he’s not perfect.” Maybe the sting of being uprooted from her former family was still stinging. Maybe she was having a bad day. Whatever the case might be, this was more than a passing problem. The same is true in our own lives when we are critics, rather than participants.
20 David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!” 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—I will dance before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be humbled in my own eyes, but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
2 Samuel 6:20-23
Continuing our look at Michal…
Jealousy…maybe that was at the root of her disdain for David, here. She is basically calling her husband a fool and shameless for his lack of decorum and care before those who were of a lower stature than he was. David’s response sheds some light on the duration of the issue, calling all the way back to his anointing as king in her father’s place. More than a disturbance of her peace on this day, this quite possibly revealed and ongoing feud…a root of bitterness. Was she mad at the Lord, or David, or both? No doubt, in our own lives, bitter circumstances and bitter attitudes toward the church (as an institution), towards the Church as a people, toward the Lord can keep us as critics rather than participants in worship.
The result for Michal was continued bitterness and misery, as summarized this way, “and Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.” That sad testimony is one that serves as a warning and wake up call for all of us. The path of the critic is continued bitterness, disturbance and despising what is central to all of our lives: to love God and enjoy him forever. Corporate worship is one way we do that.
Now, David…an imperfect king, for sure…an imperfect man, we know…described, however, as a man after God’s own heart. He becomes an illustration of a participant for us. What does that mean? Let’s just get in step with what the scripture says about it:
- David was rejoicing (v. 12)
- David was sacrificing (v. 13)
- David was leaping and dancing (v. 14, 16)
- David joined others worshiping (v. 15)
- David blessed others in the Name of the Lord (v. 18)
- David shared the bounty with others (v. 19)
Rejoice in the Lord, always (Philippians 4:4). Bring a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15). We could review a long list of scriptural reminders concerning worship in the life of the Christian. All of them are calls to participation. Not one of them is an invitation for evaluation or criticism. All of them are centered on the Lord, who is worthy of our worship at all times, in every season, in every circumstance, often in spite of our current circumstance.
There are three key takeaways, as stated by David in response to Michal that will serve as a closing to this post.
- It was before the Lord, who chose me… – Participation is easier when we remember our place. God will be God. I am chosen. For what? To love Him. Worship is an expression of that love.
- I will dance before the Lord. – Participation is a decision. To keep our eyes turned toward Him in worship is a decision. I am chosen. I will choose to worship Him.
- I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be humbled in my own eyes. – Think back to the simple statement: David danced before the Lord with all his might. The heart of David’s statement here is a necessity for genuine worship to take place. It is a refusal to exalt himself, as king, as respectable, as worthy of glory, even in his own eyes.
- By the maids…I will be held in honor. – David recognized something that we all need to recognize: participants are too busy worshiping to criticize and compare. They will, however, respond to being led in worship. David was a worship leader. He recognized that…and ultimately saw himself accountable to God for that. Likewise, participant or critic, we will lead others along one path or the other. I believe we are accountable to God for which path we take and where we lead others.