2 Samuel 6:16-22
Pull a David–bust a move!
Sometimes the best thing to do is cut loose. When God has given you a great victory, that is one of those times. But are you willing to risk humiliation to do so?
King David was. Here’s the situation: At thirty years old, David was crowned king of Israel. The Lord had gotten fed up with King Saul’s royal shenanigans–seeking advice from spiritists/mediums, disobeying his directives given through the Prophet Samuel, all in the name of preserving his position as king–so he was removed from the throne. David, who was a man after God’s own heart, had been anointed and installed as king, and God’s favor on him was immediately proven through victories over the Jebusites and the Philistines.
David wanted Israel’s most holy thing–the Ark of the Lord, a specially ornamented box containing the written covenant between God and his people Israel–brought to Jerusalem, the nation’s new capital. And when it finally happened, he wanted to celebrate and express to God his elation. Only, his wife Michal (who was a daughter of the deposed king Saul) was not so thrilled by his emotional display.
But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.
2 Samuel 6:16 NLT
Nor did she keep her contempt a secret.
When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”
2 Samuel 6:20 NLT
David’s jubilation was met with wet blanket sarcasm, and topped off with the accusation of him trying to impress the servant girls. But David’s conscience was clean. He knew for whom he danced, and why.
David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.”
2 Samuel 16:21 NLT
Furthermore, he was not worried about how undignified he appeared.
“Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”
2 Samuel 16:22 NLT
David knew that compared to God, anybody appears foolish. And his celebration reflected this humility.
Has God given you great victories? Has he delivered you from great danger or oppression? Don’t be afraid to lift your hands or praise him when other people might see. If you need to…dance, even. Pull a David–bust a move!
Questions for Group Discussion
- Why do you think David’s wife Michal was displeased by his dancing? How much do you think she was influenced by the fact that her father had been king before David?
- Do you ever find yourself identifying with Michal’s sentiment when it comes to expressing oneself before God?
- How can you be more like David in relating to God?
Challenge: Dance Like David
All you have to do is this one thing…
This might sound scary, but your challenge is to dance like David did in 2 Samuel 6:14–“with all his might”.
- Contrary to Michal’s remarks, David was not nude. He was just not wearing his kingly clothes. He did have on a linen ephod, and possibly other garments.
- David was celebrating God’s goodness. Make sure you are, too.
- Recording your dancing would be contrary to the intent of this challenge, so keep the smartphones in sleep mode.
