Like with many things in life, there are two extremes to avoid when it comes to God’s holiness. The first extreme is to treat God’s holiness flippantly, and act in ways which fail to treat God with the respect he deserves. The second extreme is to recognise God’s holiness but try to place God at a distance, to ignore the effect God’s holiness must have on our lives. If the first extreme is a plague in the Church today, we must carefully avoid reacting with the second.
While God’s holiness can be lethal, God’s holiness also brings great blessing. God’s intent is not to destroy his people, but to bless them. While Uzzah’s death came from a lack of respect for God’s holiness, the blessing on Obed-edom showed God’s desire to bless. David’s reaction to God’s blessed holiness is rejoicing, even when this is viewed as unseemly. Our own reaction to God’s holiness should be the same – respect for his lethality, rejoicing in his blessing.
After Uzzah’s death for touching the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark remained in the household of Obed-edom for three months, where God’s blessing poured out on Obed-edom and his household (v.11).
David heard that God had blessed Obed-edom and family because of the Ark’s presence, and so went down to resume the original plan of bringing it up to Jerusalem (v.12). David brought the Ark up “with rejoicing” (v.12); not a solemn affair like Queen Elizabeth’s funeral but a pageant of celebration like King Charles’ coronation.
This time, it appears that they followed the correct handling procedures (v.13), and sacrificed an animal to God.
David danced before the Ark as if his life depended on it (v.14). Wearing only a linen ephod, David led God’s People in praise and shouting to the noise of trumpets as they brought the Ark into Jerusalem (vv.14-15).
Not all looked favourably. Saul’s daughter Michal, David’s first wife, saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart” (v.16). Such was not seemly, fitting, or proper in her eyes. Her father King Saul would never have stooped so low, like a commoner.
Yet even so, the Ark arrived at its new home, in a tent King David prepared for it, with burnt offerings and peace offerings to celebrate God’s special presence arriving in the new Israelite capital (v.17).
God’s blessed holiness was not just for David’s benefit, but everyone’s. So David blessed all God’s People there in God’s name, and distributed food to all great and small so they too would share in the celebration of God’s presence (vv.18-19).
King David wanted to share God’s blessings with his household too, but returned home to contempt and sarcasm from Michal. “How the king of Israel honoured himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” (v.20)
Michal thought the outward appearance of King David mattered, just as her father had been very fixated on outward appearance. She thought David’s behaviour was scandalous and crass, like 2am on Courtenay Place.
But King David was not performing for the ladies, he was performing for God. “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 celebrate before the LORD” (v.21).
Better to be a fool before Michal than a fool before God. David is king, yes, but God’s servant, and showing humility as God’s servant by dancing before God is true dignity (v.22). God clearly agreed with his servant, since Michal had no children to carry on her name before she died (v.23).
There is a lesson here for us. We rightly recoil from “worship” which is nothing of the sort. Me-centric. Irreverent. Entertainment. Not the reverent worship due to a holy and lethal God.
But we should also recoil from “worship” solely based on outward forms. Propriety. The Done Thing. The external appearance.
Our worship of God must be reverent and follow the instructions God has given us. It should also not be joyless. It should not be so caught up on outward appearance, that there is no inward reality.
God desires that we worship him decently and in good order. As God has taught us to worship him. He also desires that we worship joyfully, and not coldly. God’s presence should move us.
It should matter that God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins, to conquer death and all earthly powers. When we worship, we are worshipping the God who has blessed us beyond measure, not an abstract arm’s-length concept. We are worshipping the God who is present with us, by his Holy Spirit, pouring out his blessings and blessed holiness on us, who do not deserve it.
We may not dance in the pews (we might subtly sway), but we shouldn’t be still inside. Does God’s holiness move you? Does God’s blessedness move you?
