Let It Out!

LET IT OUT!

Last week in my sermon on showing appreciation, I had mentioned what Jesus said to the Ephesian church in Rev. 2 about how they had forsaken their first love and they needed to repent and do the things they were doing in the beginning. I talked about how we may need to rekindle the fire if the things of God were losing their appeal. It's important that we show appreciation to God.

That made me think of the biblical accounts where people were not restrained in showing their appreciation or excitement. They didn't allow certain factors to stop them from expressing their love, devotion and joy.

Perhaps we're too reserved when it comes to showing others that we love the Lord. Instead of being restrained we need to be willing to let it out once in a while. Let's see what we can learn from the ones who did that.

1) Dancing in my skivvies.

Remember that scene in Risky Business when Tom Cruise slid across the room in his underwear dancing to that Bob Segar song, "Old time rock and roll"? When I was a teenager we had some people over to the house and a girl was there that I was interested in. We were all watching this movie and when that scene came on my Dad blurts out, "Hey, that's what Derrick does".

Today I can say that was funny, but back then it was an embarrassing moment. Why? Because dancing in your underwear is not something you would want anyone to know...or see for that matter. And for the record, I did not dance in my underwear. But there was a prominent person in the bible who did something similar to that.

David had become king and he captured Jerusalem which would come to be known as the city of David. He went to get the Ark of the Covenant and bring it to Jerusalem but he made a terrible mistake in the way it was being transported. In Num. 4, God communicated that it was to be carried, but they had put it on a cart. Along the way the oxen stumbled and Uzzah, one of the ones commissioned to guide the cart, reached out and put his hands on the ark to stabilize it. That was a big no-no.

God told Moses that the ones carrying the Ark were not allowed to even look inside it because of the most holy things it contained-a jar of manna, Aaron's staff that budded, the two stone tablets with the ten commandments and later, the Book of the Law. The items and the Ark itself was most holy and not to be handled except by Levitical priests. That's why it was designed to be able to insert two poles along either side so it could be lifted and carried without touching it.

God struck Uzzah dead and David was upset over it. He had it brought to the house of Obed-Edom and it stayed there for three months. While the Ark was there, the Lord blessed the household of Obed-Edom. When David was told this he knew it was time to retrieve it and bring it to Jerusalem. David had learned his lesson; he had it transported correctly this time. This time there would not be death and heartache, but gladness and rejoicing.

2nd Sam. 6:12-16, "Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart."

Being able to transport the holy and precious Ark of the Covenant was a big deal. No wonder there was music and dancing going on. But we see that not everyone was in the festive spirit. Michal was the daughter of David's predecessor, king Saul. 1st Sam. 18:20 says she was in love with David. After David was victorious in battle against the Philistines Saul gave her in marriage to him. After the Ark of the Covenant festivities were over, David went home and encountered his not-so impressed wife.

2nd Sam. 6:20-23, "When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”