The Hobbit

More Undignified

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

So, I've been reading up on the OT.
The readings have now come to David.
I've always been intrigued by him.
Not many can claim to be "a man after God's own heart".

One of the things about David was that he danced and he sang.
Now, I don't know about you, but I perhaps have a very "jakun" mindset about how David used to sing and dance. But the story goes that the ark of the Lord was coming into the City of David.
And David, was so excited! He went down to Obed-Edom to personally see the ark come to the city. And he was rejoicing! (2 Sam 6:12)

Verse 14 tells us that David danced before the Lord with all his might. Now, bear in mind, David isn't some weakling. Or some guy who does ballroom dancing. (No offense to ballroom dancers. I'm a huge fan of it). This is a man who has gone into battle and fought thousands of soldiers. He probably looks something like this:

Ok, maybe not so scary. But you get the picture. I mean, David obviously must have been some kinda dancer if he danced with all. his. might.

So much so, that his wife, Michal "when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart" (v. 16). And when she speaks to him (he's the king, btw), she says "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!" (v. 20)

Michal is Saul's daughter. She was brought up as royalty. And now she sees the manner in which King David is carrying himself, and obviously has a distaste for it. I mean, hello! Imagine what this is doing for her image as the queen!

And this is David's reply: "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." (v. 21 - 22).

There's 2 things I ask myself:
1. Have I missed the point?
Michal had been blinded by the legalism of things. Getting caught up in how her husband, the king, was behaving rather than rejoicing that the Presence of the Lord was coming back into the city! This is such a significant moment! Finally, after many years, God is going to be reconciled to His people again. And. she. misses... it.

2. Am I willing to be more undignified than this?
You know, reading this passage, this video comes to mind.

Quest Crew... they're doing it for themselves.
But David, he danced in the Presence of God. "I will be humiliated in my own eyes". Half the time, if I'm really honest, I get lost during the worship. My mind travels to what I need to be doing after church. Who I forgot to call. Did I switch off my headlights? Where's my parking token? Or "Hmm... who shall I go for lunch with?"
And even when I'm "present", I'm thinking, "Can I agree with these lyrics? Is it Biblical? If they are, dare I sing it? Should I clap? I'm not really a clappy person."

Sigh... when did I become like this, huh?

So, God. I've come to the conclusion that You gotta help me.
To keep my eyes focused on You.
To dance the dance of life with all my might.
For Your glory.
For Your kingdom.
Amen.