2 Samuel 6:22
There is an interesting story recorded in 2 Samuel 6. David had been made king over all Israel, and one of the first things he did involved bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. For this to happen, he needed some men to move the ark on a new cart pulled by a team of oxen. When the oxen stumble, a man named Uzzah reached out to touch the ark in order to keep it from falling. The Bible says that God’s anger broke out against him and he died on the spot. David then becomes angry, but he learns something about God’s holiness and His character. It was an object lesson to reinforce the truth that we worship God on His terms, not our own. David later has the Levites bring the ark up to Jerusalem as God had specified in His law.
As the ark is finally being brought into the city, David was found leaping and dancing before the Lord. It was something that no doubt went against all cultural norms, especially for man such as the king of Israel. Michal, the daughter of Israel’s former king, sees this as an undignified display that was unbecoming of a king. But I love how David responds to her in verse 22: “It was before the Lord…and I will celebrate before the Lord. I will make myself more contemptible than this.” In other words, he says, “God is the One I’m dancing for, not you. I’m not concerned about my glory or dignity, but His alone.” David recognized that worship is for God, not our own self-esteem. Michal’s thoughts were self-centered, but David was passionate for the glory of God. We live for an Audience of One!
There are some powerful lessons about worship in this chapter. God is holy, and we approach Him as He has revealed in His Word. We worship Him through the way that has been opened up by Jesus Christ. Also, worship isn’t a matter of conforming to someone else’s standards. A life lived on the basis of what others think about me is a self-imposed prison. God looks upon the heart. We serve an Audience of One!
For more, read 2 Samuel 6:1-23; Hebrews 10:19-25
