To Worship God
When someone does something differently from what someone else does, it can raise questions that can have disastrous effects. This is what happened in the life of ancient King David.
Please turn, with me, to 2 Samuel 6. There was a problem that David wanted to solve. The Ark of the Covenant, which was the outward symbol of God’s presence with the people of Israel, was not where it should be. It had been brought part-way some time before we break in on the story, but that had been disastrous. It had been put on a cart, pulled by oxen, and the ark almost fell onto the ground. Uzzah reached out to steady the ark and was zapped- as if God needed His representation on earth steadied by human hands! Discouraged, the ark was left where it was when that happened.
But, time heals, and a good plan doesn’t have to be more than temporarily interrupted. David knew the ark belonged in God’s city.
Let’s begin reading in verse 11 and read to the end of the chapter.
David was ecstatic about the movement of the ark. This time, he had carefully studied what was necessary and went about it with all due respect and propriety. And he was so excited; he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm about what was happening. So, here was this great king- one of the greatest- dancing with all his might, and singing. But his wife wasn’t as enthusiastic about it. Remember that David had ‘won’ Michal when he killed Goliath. Part of the prize was King Saul’s daughter. Sometimes, after winning something in life, people find out that the prize wasn’t all it as made out to be. This was the case with Michal. She was aristocracy; David didn’t have all the advantages of royal training. She looked down on him in what he did and actually despised her husband in her heart (v.16). David, obviously, didn’t do what was expected.
Before we proceed, I want to relate something I heard on Thursday. I heard an interview, on CBC, with Queen Noor of Jordan. In the interview, the discussion came up about a time that her husband, King Hussein, had gone to an Israeli home to comfort a family whose daughter had been killed in a raid by some Arab extremists. King Hussein sat on the floor with the grieving family. The interviewer commented that this is not what someone would expect of a king. Queen Noor declared that he did that, often, in Jordan and elsewhere, as he sought to identify with people where they were. But many would think it inappropriate for a king- a very good king, too- to sit down on the ground floor with someone.
v. 17- 22- in the end, David went home. He had blessed everyone else and wanted to get home to bless his family, but his wife wanted no part of it. She ‘lit into him’ as soon as he walked through the door, complaining and criticizing him for what he had done. In her mind, he had acted like some common person in the community. He had not acted in a dignified manner, as she would expect of someone in his station of life. David was not diminished by her criticism, but was clear that he would do whatever God wanted of him in the course of his serving of God. Notice what isn’t said, too. Notice that David, or God, never said that Michal had to worship God like David did. She simply had no right to criticize him.
Notice the last verse of this story- v. 23- notice what happened to Michal because of this. She was barren. She had no child. In a society where the value of a woman depended on providing children and where the value of a queen depended on providing a male heir, she was prevented, because she criticized David and his style of worship.
In our church, remembering that women, often, typify the church, do we want barrenness? Do we want the curse of Michal on us for the same reason that God put it on her? Do we want to be so ‘cool’ that God curses us? Or do we want to be critical of one another, and bring a curse on ourselves?
I grew up in a large Canadian denomination where, every Sunday, we sang songs- we didn’t worship- we sang songs. When I was 18 years of age, I changed my church home and came to the WCG, where we sang songs- we didn’t worship- we sang songs. Over the past 10 years, or so, I’ve been growing to be able to worship and I tell you, worshipping is better than singing songs. There is a difference between singing songs and worshipping. Singing is part of worshipping, but only uses part of us. In the past, most of our songs were songs ‘about’ God- that’s great in an outreach situation, where we want God’s story to be told. But worship involves singing more songs directly TO God, rather than singing ‘about’ God.
Please turn to Revelation 4. This is a beautiful picture of something that happened to John- the very aged John- in the last decade of the first century. This was about 60 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
v. 1- he was called forward and was told that he would be shown amazing things, even strange things, and future things. He was called into the presence of God. He was called into worship. He received an invitation, an opportunity, and a connection with God. Through this, for him and for us, heaven and earth met, and continue to meet.
v. 2- John said that he was ‘in the spirit’. He was under the Spirit’s power, was inspired by the Spirit, or was moved into a deep worship, as Peterson interprets it, in The Message. In this state, some amazing things happened in his life.
We could read the entire chapter, but don’t need to do that. Let’s read verses 9-11. Notice those who worship. What kind of state are they in? They are secure, confident, and have everything provided for them. They are not trying to hold onto what they have and are keenly aware of where it came from. Their ‘all’ is used in worship- there was no holding back.
Is this not supposed to be us, too? Is there any reason for us to be any less than they are? Last weekend, we studied The Lord’s Prayer in the Men’s Advance at Vendee. That model or outline prayer speaks of confidence in God who does provide all our daily needs, and beyond, really. It is filled with confidence in God. Are we not told to not fret and worry but that our Father will provide for us even better than he provides for the sparrows and the lilies of the field?
Matthew 6. 24- 34- what a confidence we have! Is this confidence, really, different from the angels of heaven who are in such a ‘wild’ state of worship? Not really. We are in the same state of security, confidence and being provided for as they are. We are secure in Jesus and know where our eternal home is. We are in a state of forgiveness, knowing that there is condemnation to those who are in Christ. We are in a state where we’re told that we are to ask and God will provide. (Now, let us not think of him as a vending machine, but let us recognize his incredible concern for us and that he will take care of needs, and more.) So, it could be us, there, with and like the angels declaring all that they are.
King David was a worshipper, like that. He was in touch with God and was willing to provide, to God, all that he had in the act of worship. So, he sang, and he danced, and he had instruments playing music.
How many have been to a symphony orchestra production at any time? Or to a chamber orchestra? How many have been to a hockey game- especially a professional hockey game? None of these environments is quiet. Orchestras can about blow you out of your seat, sometimes- not always. And, oh, the sound of the strings and the brass in a smaller orchestra. Or the roar of the crowd and the booming of the organ, or other instruments, at the hockey game! These are not quiet venues. Why do we think that church and worship are supposed to be quiet and easy? Again, think of nature. Sometimes, it’s very quiet, and we enjoy that. But that’s not always the state. We have electrical storms and the thunder can make us go under our covers, even as adults. We have rain that simply slashes at our windows. Then there’s the ocean waves- often calm, but not always.
Psa.19.1-6- talks about some activity that is not quiet, sometimes.
The great worshipper, David, wrote about worship in Psa.150; let’s read it together.
I don’t say that worship has to be loud, either. Don’t misunderstand me. But, worship, like work and play has to be a venue in which we can offer God our love using all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. This is the first and great commandment of Jesus Christ, as we looked at a few weeks back. We cannot say that we’re to give everything to God everywhere except in worship. That’s what Michal said, and she was barren. Many churches suffer the potential for death- worship may be one reason for that. It’s happened before. Michal died childless and unhappy. She was not productive. The same can happen to a church. God does not want passionless singing. He wants from our hearts.
I envision a church where people are free to worship. If you want to be still sometimes, you can be still. If you want to clap, you can clap. If you want to sit and listen and let music overwhelm you, you can do that, without any criticism. If you want to say ‘amen’, you can do that. If you want to quietly stand and sing, you can do that. This is the church that will be vibrant and growing, too. God seeks people to worship him. We exist to glorify God, after all. That’s central to our congregational purpose statement, not just because it sounds good, but because it’s true and reflects what we understand, from scripture, to be true.
I urge you- us- to look into scripture and to draw what God tells us about worship from there. I urge you to lay yourself on God’s altar- Romans 12- and to offer to God, yourself, in worship, even if it means you have to leave behind ideas that you may have drawn that you find are not from God. This is the Christian quest- to allow God to challenge us and to change us. It’s not always easy, but it’s always great!
