“Undignified”
Oct. 17,2004
2 Samuel 6:12-23
Intro: Ark has been gone from Jerusalem. It had been captured in battle by the Philistines. While in their possession, their false idol was struck down and a plague fell upon them. They sent it back to Israel where it was basically neglected until David restored the proper symbolism and worship associated with it.
The Ark represented the presence of God.
It was his covenant with his people and he received their worship as they looked upon and cared for the ark.
We will pick up the story with David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem.
“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.”
2 Samuel 6:12-13
I. The presence of God should cause us to worship and rejoice.
David presented God with an offering as a symbol of worship as the journey began. He did so because he knew he was in the very presence of God.
We are called to give God an offering of sacrifice as well.
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life— and place it before God as an offering.”
Romans 12:1 (The Message)
Our lives are to be a sacrifice to the presence of the living God.
We must learn to give up our view of our self and our self-focus for a God-focused life.
Worship of God calls for a complete sacrifice.
Illus: The Chicken and the Pig
A chicken and a pig were walking down the street one day when they saw a group of children who looked like they hadn’t been fed in a while.
Moved with compassion, the chicken said to the pig, “I have an idea! Let’s give those children a nice breakfast of ham and eggs.”
The pig contemplated the chicken’s suggestion and said, “Well, for you that’s just a small commitment. For me that’s a big sacrifice.”
Worship can’t be about the small commitments. It’s about total sacrifice.
Jesus said, “If anyone want to come with me, he must forget himself, carry his cross, and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24 (Today’s English Version)
Worship is losing yourself in Jesus.
David also rejoiced in the presence of God.
Somehow we think of worship as solemn and dignified and reverent. Most of the time we aren’t worshipping we are looking for a coffin!
God calls us to rejoice in his presence.
“Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!” Psalm 66:1 (NIV)
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!”
Psalm 118:24 (NIV)
“Celebrate God all day every day. I mean revel in him!”
Philippians 4:4(The Message)
God desires our worship to be sacrificial and joyful, not superficial and mournful.
Does that mean anything goes? Of course not. God is a God of order and desires our worship to be appropriate.
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”
1 Corinthians 14:33(NIV)
“But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”
1 Corinthians 14:40 (NIV)
II. The presence of God should cause us to worship personally.
David is leading the nation to worship, but he is personally worshipping God.
“David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might.”
2 Samuel 6:14(NIV)
An ephod was a linen garment worn by a priest. It was an article of clothing specifically worn to indicate the presence of God, by people who had a special relationship to God.
It was probably a short skirt or apron type garment.
David is wearing this as a worshipful act before God, while he danced. Doesn’t sound very kingly.
David was wrapped up in the presence of God and was focused on God the eternal king rather than himself the temporal king.
If worship is about drawing attention to ourselves, it is not worship. Legitimate worship draws attention to God.
This is exactly what Jesus criticized the religious leaders of his day about.
“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.” Matthew 23:5-8
**Picture of phylactery; carried scriptures in it. Literal interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:8
The human problem of worship: we take ourselves too seriously and we don’t take God serious enough.
David was not focusing on who he was, but who God is.
III. The presence of God is offensive.
David’s wife, Saul’s daughter was offended that her husband, the king, danced before God.
“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… 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!” 2 Samuel 6:16 & 20
Michal was focused on the external events, not the internal heart.
Saul, Michal’s father, was removed as king because of his self-important view. Look at scripture about his removal as king:
“Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told,
‘Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor…’” 1 Samuel 5:12(NIV)
“Samuel said (to Saul), ‘Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.” 1 Samuel 5:17(NIV)
Seems like pride and ego run in the family.
David was unapologetic for his worship.
“David said to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
2 Samuel 6:21-22
David was willing to lay himself aside to honor and glorify God.
David understood the true value and measure of worship.
Real worship says, “It’s not about me; It’s all about him!”
