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28th June
2 Samuel 6:1-23. David establishes Jerusalem as the national centre of
worship
- This passage sees the return of the ark from Kiriath Jearim, where it
had remained during the reign of King Saul, to Jerusalem, the City of
David, to provide a public acknowledgement of the Lord’s rule over
David and the whole nation.
- The Lord’s reaction to a seemingly innocent act of reaching out
and touching the ark because one of the oxen stumbled appears severe, but
this was a clear violation of the Lord’s instructions for handling
the ark and reminds us that God’s standards are uncompromising.
- David's joy at the prospect of the ark returning to the City of
David could not be suppressed. We have several references in this passage
to total self abandonment in zealous worship where we read of the whole
house of Israel celebrating with all their might (v.5), David dancing with
all his might (v.14), and David leaping and dancing before the Lord
(v.16).
- Not everyone shared the momentous joy of the occasion. Michal, blind to
the significance of the event, despised and rebuked David for his
uninhibited expression of praise. For David however, loss of dignity and
self humiliation were totally unimportant considerations compared with the
importance of expressing his sublime joy in a way that was all
encompassing. There was just no holding back.
- To consider
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- The British have a global reputation for being rather stifled and
inhibited. When we are moved to express worship to our Lord does this limit
the full range of worship styles that may reflect our full range of God
given emotions? For example, we would expect that awareness of sin that
leads to repentance, or feelings of grief or despair to be expressed
differently to joy, thankfulness or exaltation.
- Is the reaction that this evoked in Saul's daughter Michal similar
to how we may respond to more lively forms of worship in our church today?
To judge others, in any context, but here in their sincere expression of
worship, incurs the Lord's wrath, and may lead to enmity and
division.
- Prayer
- Heavenly Father, we long for a relationship with you where we can
freely express our true selves with authenticity, whether in prayer, praise
or action. Help us to discard anything that would inhibit us from this.
Amen.
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