Foolishness

In 2 Samuel 6:1-11, we find David returning to Jerusalem with the ark. The cart lurches, and Uzzah makes the mistake of touching it. David witnesses the man being burned to death on the spot. As a result, he is afraid and leaves the ark in the care of Obed-Edom the Gittite. After three months he hears of the blessings this household has seen and decides it is safe to bring the ark into the city.

Now, read 2 Samuel 6:12-23

David is overcome with joy as the ark is brought into the city. He can no longer contain himself and begins to dance before the Lord. He is completely consumed by his joy and love for God and behaves in a way that many, who are prim and proper, would consider foolish. In verse 16, we see that his own wife is filled with contempt for him at the sight of this display.

2 Samuel 6:16
As the ark 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.

I was not raised in a church that encouraged “foolish behavior” of any sort. Reverence for the Lord meant that we were to be proper at all times. At least, that is how the congregation seemed to feel about it. Raised in this way, the first time I experienced people dancing in praise, I was very uncomfortable. In some ways, I shared the opinion of Michal, as she watched David dance. No, I did not have the fear of being embarrassed by extension. I was not related to any of those present in any way, so it would not be connected to me. Yet, I was upset by their apparent lack of propriety.

My response was one of evasion. I left quickly, when the service was over, hoping nobody would give me cause for delay, or worse, ask me why I did not join them in their foolishness. Michal, on the other hand, decided to confront her husband on the matter.

2 Samuel 6:20-22
When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel had distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
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.”

I thank God that he has changed me. He has spoken to my heart, and revealed through His word, that this is not only accepted, but desired. God wants our praises. He is to be given the glory in all things. It is right to give Him praise. He deserves it. If its acceptable that we get excited enough to jump up and down over something as mundane as a sporting event, how can we not do the same for the Lord of Lords and King of Kings when he has saved us from hell itself?

“I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this…” If only we had the courage to respond in this way all of the time. Oh, we dance before the Lord. We find ourselves in the midst of worship. The Spirit begins to move. We are overcome with the joy of His presence and we praise Him. It is only right. But, are we always like this? It is easy to be a fool for the Lord when everyone else is doing it too.

What are we doing when we know that our own Michal’s are watching?