I would start by saying that I have read hundreds of christian books, listened to even more christian sermons and read the bible over the last 30 years and I thank each person, knowingly and unknowingly, who has sown into my life. My sermons are an amalgamation of all I have learnt.
• David made the decision to be in the presence of the Lord
• David loved God’s presence – Psalm 27:4
”One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.”
• David set aside time to be in the presence of God – 2 Samuel 6:1
“Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.”
• We need to have a heart like David that seeks the presence of God. And when David brings the ark into the City of David we can see how he reacts to the event in 2 Samuel 6:13-14
“And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. Then David danced before the Lord with all his might and David was wearing a linen ephod.”
• David went six paces then sacrificed. Six is the number of man. We as ‘man’ can only go so far, in our own strength. We need God and here he sacrifices.
Worship
• As David ushers in the ark, he dances. He is worshipping God. Dancing is an outward expression of worship, using your body to communicate your heart the same as:
o Raising hands or waving a flag
o Kneeling or laying prostrate
o Singing or playing an instrument
• David’s expression was for God. He danced before the Lord, there were many people there but they were not his focus. God was.
Fully Involved
• David danced with all his might. This is not a half-hearted act. He was fully committed to the moment. When we worship in whatever form we should also be fully committed. No:
o Mind wandering
o One eye on the clock
o Scheduling it in the commercials
• Make the decision and do it with all our might. David was so free he didn't care what was happening around him. He was into it.
• The bible in Hebrew reveals it as:
o Force
o Boldness
o Loud
o Power
o Strength
Wear an ephod
• One of the misconceptions about David dancing is that he did it naked or in his underwear. This isn't accurate. The bible says that he wore a linen ephod.
• An ephod is what the priests wore. Why does the bible tell us what he wore? To show that he was in the dress, attitude and physically manifesting the act of ministering to the Lord.
• Our call is to worship and minister to the Lord. He took off his kingly robes:
o forget the fact that you may be a Pastor, Prophet, Teacher, Evangelist, Healer, Apostle, Leader or how well schooled we are in the Word of God.
o forget what the world thinks of you be it in reverence or scorn, your status or position
o forget our religion
• When all is said and done it is about us and God.
Result
• When we overflow with God, we overflow with others. We cannot help but give. David gave to:
o The children of Israel – 2 Samuel 6:18-19
“And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men to everyone a loft of bread, a piece of meat and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.”
o His household – 2 Samuel 6:20
“Then David returned to bless his household...”
• David like Moses was manifesting God. Moses’ face shone with the glory of God and David’s act of giving shone with the glory of God.
• We become givers of our:
o Time
o Money
o Ourselves
Comparison
• We have Michal and Michal was watching the ark of the Lord entering the city. 2 Samuel 6:16
“Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord and she despised him in her heart.”
o There is a lot we can get from this scripture:
From the Hebrew word we see she looked down from the window at David. To look down is never a good view, looking down at something. It is a lofty position and a lofty attitude. She placed herself there. When we place ourselves in a lofty position, we have a much higher chance of being critical from this position.
A good example of this, one that happens in my house is on a football Friday night. Looking from an armchair position at the action going on the field and the critiquing is flowing.
She was in the wrong place at the right time. She should have been down with the people. You would have to ask yourself – what sort of relationship did she have with God that she is not down there celebrating, participating in the festive occasion.
On one hand you have the Ark of the Lord and the other you have David dancing. What was she thinking to be even bothering with David?
In this scripture she is called Saul’s daughter not David’s wife. She despised David for his display and like her father she was more concerned with the thoughts of the people than of God.
o 2 Samuel 6:20
“... And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, ‘How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!’”
o Michal was a chip off the old block.
o She judged David from her value system as Saul’s daughter. She may well have heard her father speak ill of David. Like it or not, David is her husband and her king.
o Note to parents here: Don’t be critical of others in front of your children. It creates in them a value system of unsympathetic and fault-finding judgment.
o Where David, out of his heart of worship blesses others, Michal out of her judging heart challenges David on his behaviour.
o Michal had an expectation of how a king should behave. An expectation can be a very precarious thing. Unmet expectation = disappointment + judgment.
o Michal’s past was turbulent. Given to David, then another man, then back to David. Not good, however if we don’t release our ‘not good’ past it will give us a ‘not good’ present which will lead to a ‘not good’ future. As pastors my husband Trevor and I must let things go, some examples...
A church member owed Trevor money and just wouldn't pay.
We gave food to a church family in need and the father came and abused Trevor.
I was abused in the street for asking a church member’s wife if she wanted to be on the music team.
We were given some wood for our fire and they came when we were out and took it back.
Trevor took calls in the early hours of the morning to help someone day after day only to have them tell him he knew **** nothing.
We have been criticised and judged on what we wear, what we own and what we eat.
If we didn't let those things go, we would not make it.
o Hebrews 13:17
“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
o It is unprofitable to be a grief to our leaders. An example I experienced was of a boss I had who was a Jehovah’s Witness whose behaviour during the course of being my manager, was critical, immoral and at times illegal. I spoke to God about it many times but felt in my heart to submit to her as to God. I believed it was important for me to be in the act of Godly submission, despite my circumstance. She did not remain my boss, and I was moved into a better position.
After-effects
• There are repercussions and the outcomes will follow our choices. David was declared by God himself as a man after His own heart. Pretty nice title. And they are written for everyone to see for thousands of people.
• Michal, it was stated died childless. She bore no fruit. The quickest way to kill off your own fruit is to make the choices she made.
o Focus on others from a lofty position.
o Don’t participate just sit back and judge.
o Speak your opinion despite that you are only a spectator.
o Place expectations on others that they can’t or won’t fill.
• David on the other hand, his choice was all about the presence of God.
o Worship with all his might – ministering to God
Imagine this scene:
Michal looks out the window and sees David and the Ark coming into the city. Excitedly she races down the stairs into the celebrations. She grabs a flag from a worshipper and joins her husband in dancing and praising God. She enjoys and aids him in the act of giving to the people, to their household and in the festivity of the occasion she also received from her husband, the fruit of his limbs. She bears a child and it is through this line the King of kings is born.
It did not happen this way but it could have.
Put first the presence of God and seek Him with all our might. Amen!
