The Delightful Dance
“And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.”—2 Samuel 6:14-15
David was a worshiper. His heart was entirely focused on God. He cared not for what man thought of him, but devoted himself entirely to his Savior. David had become king and had conquered Jerusalem, making it the capital of Israel. Soon after setting up Jerusalem as his headquarters, he sent for the Ark of the Covenant, the visible symbol of God’s presence in the midst of His people. He led a parade of worshipers into the city, dancing before the Lord “with all his might.” He was wearing a simple linen robe, normally worn by priests (cf. 1 Samuel 2:18), offering sacrifices, having the trumpet blown in the midst of shouting. It was a tremendous time of blessing in Israel as the presence of the Ark shows God’s blessing upon David and upon his kingdom. And while most of Israel was celebrating, shouting and worshiping, Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, was not. She looked out from her window and saw David leaping and dancing before the Lord and “despised him in her heart”—v. 16.
David offered more sacrifices to God and then sent the people home in the name of the Lord, with “a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins”—v. 19. The food was for what was known as a festal meal, a time of celebration and remembrance of God’s presence among them. Especially fascinating, however, is the presence of a “cake of raisins,” which was considered to be an aphrodisiac. David apparently was sending the people home to celebrate and reproduce because God’s blessing was upon Israel!
David went home to “bless” his household, but Michal comes out to meet him saying, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"—v. 20. Her response, although telling, is prefaced by the narrator’s description of her when she came out. She was not referred to as David’s wife, but as “the daughter of Saul.” Her response reveals that she considered his act unbecoming a king, perhaps because she thought her father could have done better. David recognizes her contempt and says,
"It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD—and I will make merry before the LORD. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor"—21-22.
David became king because of his pure heart before God. Saul was rejected because his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord. And when Michal questioned David’s decision to dance, she revealed that her heart was the same as her father’s. David’s determined dance of delight brought him respect because he was seeking the glory of God and not of men. When we aim at the glory of God, we will receive honor and respect from other servants of God. But if we aim at receiving the approval of man, then we have lost the approval and blessing of God. Or as Martin Luther said, "Let the world, rather than God, be offended with me."
Michal was offended by David’s dance of delight because she didn’t understand true worship and what it means to know God. David’s act was a visible and tangible demonstration of an individual in love with God. What Michal despised about David, God valued. And while David went away honored, Michal receives this bone-chilling epitaph: “And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death”—v. 23. Her inability and unwillingness to worship earned her one of the most horrific judgments for a woman in the ancient world—barrenness. Not all barrenness is a judgment of God, but in Michal’s case, it truly was. She was barren because of her view and judgment on David’s worship, a sad judgment and ending to a confused and bitter woman.
God takes our worship very seriously, and He delights in us when we delight in Him. Or, as John Piper has said so succinctly, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.” How about you? Are you seeking satisfaction in the Savior? Are you doing your duty to delight in God? If so, then God will receive glory—He will be seen in you as the all-surpassing worth and delight of your life. May God give each of us a heart solely focused on Him so that we may overflow in worship and praise for the honor and glory of God. Amen.
David was a worshiper. His heart was entirely focused on God. He cared not for what man thought of him, but devoted himself entirely to his Savior. David had become king and had conquered Jerusalem, making it the capital of Israel. Soon after setting up Jerusalem as his headquarters, he sent for the Ark of the Covenant, the visible symbol of God’s presence in the midst of His people. He led a parade of worshipers into the city, dancing before the Lord “with all his might.” He was wearing a simple linen robe, normally worn by priests (cf. 1 Samuel 2:18), offering sacrifices, having the trumpet blown in the midst of shouting. It was a tremendous time of blessing in Israel as the presence of the Ark shows God’s blessing upon David and upon his kingdom. And while most of Israel was celebrating, shouting and worshiping, Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, was not. She looked out from her window and saw David leaping and dancing before the Lord and “despised him in her heart”—v. 16.
David offered more sacrifices to God and then sent the people home in the name of the Lord, with “a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins”—v. 19. The food was for what was known as a festal meal, a time of celebration and remembrance of God’s presence among them. Especially fascinating, however, is the presence of a “cake of raisins,” which was considered to be an aphrodisiac. David apparently was sending the people home to celebrate and reproduce because God’s blessing was upon Israel!
David went home to “bless” his household, but Michal comes out to meet him saying, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"—v. 20. Her response, although telling, is prefaced by the narrator’s description of her when she came out. She was not referred to as David’s wife, but as “the daughter of Saul.” Her response reveals that she considered his act unbecoming a king, perhaps because she thought her father could have done better. David recognizes her contempt and says,
"It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD—and I will make merry before the LORD. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor"—21-22.
David became king because of his pure heart before God. Saul was rejected because his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord. And when Michal questioned David’s decision to dance, she revealed that her heart was the same as her father’s. David’s determined dance of delight brought him respect because he was seeking the glory of God and not of men. When we aim at the glory of God, we will receive honor and respect from other servants of God. But if we aim at receiving the approval of man, then we have lost the approval and blessing of God. Or as Martin Luther said, "Let the world, rather than God, be offended with me."
Michal was offended by David’s dance of delight because she didn’t understand true worship and what it means to know God. David’s act was a visible and tangible demonstration of an individual in love with God. What Michal despised about David, God valued. And while David went away honored, Michal receives this bone-chilling epitaph: “And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death”—v. 23. Her inability and unwillingness to worship earned her one of the most horrific judgments for a woman in the ancient world—barrenness. Not all barrenness is a judgment of God, but in Michal’s case, it truly was. She was barren because of her view and judgment on David’s worship, a sad judgment and ending to a confused and bitter woman.
God takes our worship very seriously, and He delights in us when we delight in Him. Or, as John Piper has said so succinctly, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.” How about you? Are you seeking satisfaction in the Savior? Are you doing your duty to delight in God? If so, then God will receive glory—He will be seen in you as the all-surpassing worth and delight of your life. May God give each of us a heart solely focused on Him so that we may overflow in worship and praise for the honor and glory of God. Amen.
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