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!" 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, that I have danced before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in my own eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor." And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
2 Samuel 6:20-23 – NRSV
David has experienced a wonderful day in the presence of God. He has leaped and danced the ark of the Lord all of the way into the city of Jerusalem, and he has shared a wonderful meal with all of the people of God as a reminder of God’s providence. But David did forget about one thing – that the palace has a view.
David will grow an inordinate fondness for that view later, but it is others who avail themselves of its possibilities on this day. “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 6:16 – NRSV).
When David comes home, happy and ready to bless his loved ones, Michal awaits him. David doesn’t even make it to the door; Michal charges out of the house and attacks him out in the street in front of the palace.
“Don’t you know how to act like a king?”
“Don’t you know how to behave like a married man?”
“Don’t you know that we have appearances to keep up?”
Essentially, Michal guts David like a fish in front of the palace and in full view of his household. This tirade may cut David to the heart, but David’s reply cuts to the heart of the matter.
“It’s not about you!” is effectively the reply of David. “This day wasn’t about your husband, or your father Saul. The way that I dressed and danced didn’t have a thing to do with you, Michal, but it was all about the God who made your father king and then made me king. It’s not about you!”
“It’s not about me!” is the other thing that David made clear. “Yes, I am king, but before God I will abase myself because he is God. It’s not about me!”
“It’s about God! This day was about God, about his presence, his providence, his power in making this kingdom, this city, and this palace all possible, Michal. This day is about pleasing God, praising God, and parading God as a victorious king before his people. It’s about God!”
Michal is an easy target, isn’t she? But when you think about it, she is doing something that almost all of us have done at some time or another. She is upset with the worship leader. Have we ever fussed at the song leader, complained about the preacher, or found fault with the prayer leader? Have we ever griped that we’re not getting anything out of worship? Of course we have. And of course we want to get something out of worship. But when it comes down to it, worship isn’t really about us is it?
Worship is about our majestic king. Worship is about our gathering together so that the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of Humanity, the Spirit that Empowers us will come into our midst. Worship is about Immanuel, God is with us. And though there may be days when God blesses us with wisdom, or insight, or comfort, or an awareness of his presence, the important thing is that God is with his people. He should be our focus.
Does God see the boy doze? Yes, he is the feeling of safety surrounding that boy that allows him that peace. Does God hear the baby cry? Yes, and he exults in the wonder of that life and the beauty of that human being. Does God feel the ache in my heart? Yes, he can tell it by the slightest change in my voice, and he shares my pain with me. Does God know about my impatience with the words used in worship? Yes, and wants me to learn to be still and know that he is God. He can sanctify people, and he can sanctify even the inadequate language we use to talk about him.
Let’s make worship about God.
Imagine, if you will, that what David has done is lead Yahweh into Jerusalem like a conquering monarch coming to assume his throne. Imagine that God is enthroned as his people sing this song in his praise:
Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
Selah
God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.
God is king over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted.
Psalm 47 - NRSV
As we go about our day today, may we remember that the day is not about us, our ministry is not about us, but rather that our entire lives are about the God who loves us and saves us.
May God rule in our hearts, and his praises dwell on our lips, forever. Amen.
Ron
