Prayer:
Video clip of Prince William dancing “Shake it out” at Taylor Swift concert.
‘How undignified!’ some may say. But William was in the moment and didn’t hold back from ‘shaking it out’ and getting his groove on, not worrying what others may think.
When David’s wife Michal scolds him for what she thought was indecent vulgar dancing, David replies I will celebrate before the Lord and I will become even more undignified than this…
When a woman poured a whole jar of expensive perfume on Jesus’ head (Mark 14), some of his disciples were indignant and ‘rebuked her harshly’. Jesus rebuked them pointing out the ‘beautiful thing’ she had done for him with her extravagant worship, holding nothing back.
How about us, do we worship God wholeheartedly, not worrying what others will say, or do we hold back, due to pride or because we are divided in our worship – our more exuberant worship being given to idols? Think of those people getting so excited at football matches – jumping up and down, screaming, singing, in what looks like ecstasy at times!
God deserves our complete devotion and worship. Are you willing to be ‘undignified’ for him? Will you give him your all, not holding anything back?
I don’t know where some of the conservative protestant churches got the idea that dancing was from the devil and they banned it, along with alcohol and rock and roll. You can see why Christianity got a label of being ‘boring’. But it is not meant to be boring! Passages from the bible like David dancing and the many psalms that talk of loud, joyful music are shown as appropriate wholehearted worship of the Lord. And the first recorded miracle in the gospel of John by Jesus, is where he turned water into wine. And I’m sure he got up and danced the wonderful Hebrew dances at celebrations.
Let’s hear a few verses from the psalms, some written by David.
From psalm 30…
I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths…you turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
From Psalm 95…
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
Psalm 98…
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the rams horn – shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Psalm 149…
Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. Let Israel rejoice in their maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds…Praise the Lord
It is not undignified to praise the Lord with loud shouting, song, instruments – (especially the harp it seems) and dancing. Even singing with joy on our beds!
Getting back to our story of David in the book of Samuel, we ask the question why was the King dancing so exuberantly in worship of the Lord?
Last week we heard that David had finally been made King over all of Israel. He went on to capture Jerusalem, taking up residence in the fortress and calling it the City of David. After another battle where David defeats the Philistines yet again, he decides it is time to bring up the Ark of the Covenant to reside in the city where he is now King.
The Ark of the Covenant had been built under God’s instruction by Moses (and a big team of craftsmen) in the wilderness (Exodus 37). The Ark was a symbol of God’s presence with the people. It contained the 10 commandments God had given Moses -reminder of God’s law, a container of manna – a reminder of God’s provision for his people, and Aarons budding rod – a reminder of God’s leadership and protection.
The ark had been carried by the Levitical Priests under the leadership of Joshua as the Israelites crossed the Jordan into the promised land.
The ark has not been mentioned since early in 1 Samuel. It had been captured at one point by the Philistines and in 1 Samuel 5 we read how the Philistines’ god- the statue ‘Dagon’ – had fallen on its face before the ark and they became terrified. The ark ends up back with the Israelites sitting in the town of Kiriath Jearim, and we read in 1 Samuel 7 that the ark stayed there a long time – twenty years in all.
Now David thinks it is time for the ark to come to Jerusalem. The first attempt resulted in disaster; you can read about God’s anger at the beginning of chapter 6. David should have enquired of the Lord before carrying out his plans and followed the Lord’s instructions of carrying the ark.
After the incident David pauses his plan and the ark is left in the household of Obed-Edom. His household is blessed and when David hears this, he decides that it is now time to continue the journey up to Jerusalem. This time the ark is carried and sacrifices and offerings of thanksgiving are made to the Lord.
‘All of Israel’, well perhaps thousands of Israelites, were marching and celebrating, no doubt with all the musicians as described in the first attempt at the beginning of chapter 6, where they were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, sistrums and cymbals. (v5)
In addition, on this second attempt we read that…
Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. (v14)
This was no pompous dignified royal parade. David was leading his people in unadulterated exuberant joy and worship before the Lord. It was a noisy and vibrant scene. He took off his royal robes that would have encumbered his freedom to dance. It says he was wearing a linen ephod. This was a short tunic, he wasn’t quite just wearing his underpants, but still many would think it was quite unfitting for a King.
His wife Michal, who observed him from a window, certainly thought it was shameful and embarrassing for him to behave so.
David had no such inhibitions as he was caught up in wholehearted worship of the Lord. His heart was full of devotion and as he arrived in Jerusalem and they set down the ark, they sacrifice to the Lord and then celebrate with a whole town picnic! David generously gives out bread and cakes of dates and raisins.
What a high David would have been on and no doubt looking forward to continued celebration with his family. But rather, he is met with derision from his wife Michal. She goes out to meet him and sarcastically says,
How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!
How quick we can be to judge sometimes, especially if someone’s expression of worship is very different from ours. As she looked out the window, Michal seemed to only see her husband behaving in a way she viewed as indecent. She failed to see how he led the whole nation in a celebration as they honoured God’s presence among them. She failed to worship the Lord herself. She was embarrassed.
Michal had once protected David against her father Saul and watched him with love from a window as he escaped, but now she seems to be bitter and has taken her eyes off the Lord. She had no doubt suffered with grief at the deaths of her family, plus David had had to leave her behind when he fled from Saul, and she had been given in marriage to someone else and then David called for her once he had become King and had other wives.
Her grief and bitterness have stolen her love for David and the Lord.
Not to be put off by her comments, David responds saying that he was celebrating and dancing for the Lord, not in a vulgar way for the slave girls or anyone else. His eyes and heart were full of love and devotion for God. He says he would become even more undignified than this, in honour of God.
David held nothing back in his worship.
Likewise, the woman who poured expensive perfume over Jesus’ head poured out wholehearted devotion as she worshipped Jesus. She held nothing back. This perfume was worth a whole year’s wage. And yet she spared none of it, didn’t keep some to cash in for a rainy day. She loved Jesus that much.
His disciples scold her for being so extravagant, saying the money could have gone to the poor. Jesus reminds them that they will always have the poor. We know Jesus cares for and wants us to care for the poor, but in this instance, he acknowledges and receives this woman’s worship as a beautiful thing.
So, I ask again, do you give your all in worship of Jesus? Or do you hold yourself back? Are you concerned about always looking so called ‘dignified’ in worship? Are you judgmental of others who may lift their hands, dance or wave flags maybe? Can you appreciate their devotion even if it’s not your style?
You may not feel comfortable dancing in the streets like David, or even raising your hands, but is your heart full of joy and devotion in worship?
We don’t have the opportunity to pour out a whole alabaster jar of very expensive perfume on Jesus’ head, but are you generous in your giving as an act of worship to God?
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been learning from David and how he behaved as one ‘after God’s own heart’. We’ve seen echoes of the greater King who was to come – Jesus. David loved his enemy Saul, he grieved and mourned and wept like Jesus and he was anointed by God to shepherd Israel. Today we’ve seen David’s wholehearted devotion to God. Next week we will see David’s imperfections, he was not perfect like Jesus. Jesus always showed full devotion and obedient commitment to his Father.
We often have a picture of a serious subdued Jesus. But like David, Jesus knew joy and we can only imagine him laughing and dancing before the Lord. The book of Hebrews12:2 tells us that Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. Jesus offers us abundant life filled with peace, love, and joy! Let us worship him with hearts full of joy for all he has done for us!
Let’s pray: Lord, we thank you for the example of David dancing with joy in worship before you. We confess that often we hold back and don’t give you our all. I pray Lord that your Holy Spirit would fill us to overflowing with the joy we can know in you and may we respond with wholehearted joyful worship. In Jesus name. Amen.
We started with a clip of Prince William dancing and ‘shaking it out’! Let’s now stand and sing and maybe even dance as David danced!
When the Spirit of the Lord is within my heart I will dance like David danced…