“Dancing Before The Lord”
Sermon preached on July 15, 2012
By Rev. Dr. Deborah Lind-Schmitz
At Covenant Presbyterian Church, Madison, Wisconsin.
“David danced before the Lord with all his might” 2 Samuel 6:14
David Danced before the Lord with all his might! What was so scandalous about David Dancing
? Was it King David’s abandonment of all his trappings of Royalty?
His wife, Michal was embarrassed and shocked by his less than kingly
behavior. Michal called his behavior “vile”. Yet, the daughter of King Saul
grew up with a less than stellar image of the divine throne. Saul had his
episodes of torment which young David was able to sooth with his lyre.
The stories of young David are a mainstay of Sunday School. The young
shepherd boy sat under the star and sang to the flock songs of praise and
deep contemplation. So great was his reputation that all 150 psalms were
once attributed to David References to David’s talent occurs throughout
his life stages- as a child shepherd, young man in Saul’s court and now as
a mature King. Like many who have a musician’s soul, David expressed
his emotions in song, instrumental music and now in dance.
So, what makes this entrance into Jerusalem such an emotional and spiritual occasion?
The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant, the gold-laden box which
contained the Lord of Hosts, was surrounded by golden
winged cherubim/angels. Inside were believed to be the
“Ten Commandments” , the actual tablets etched on
Mount Sinai and possibly other items from the wilderness
journey, (Manna, Moses’ writings on parchment). The
chest itself was built in accord with sacred specifications.
The blueprints recorded in Exodus 25 have produced
some creative replicas that look something like this. Some
of you may remember the movie of Indiana Jones’ fictionalized search for the Ark. It was scary
to watch the supernatural explosion that arose out of the opened ark. In the movie, there was a
mixture of the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box and Revelation’s judgment day. So, take away the
special effects and what do we have? The most sacred words of God, if not God, himself, the
Holy History of Israel, from the wilderness to the Promise Land and finally with the anointed
King David. There is a lost and found nature to the ark.
In the narrative of Israel, it is unmentioned until the time of Samuel, who sleeps where the ark of
God was in the Shiloh temple. In 1 Samuel 4, the ark is captured by the Philistines,
subsequently causing so much pain and suffering that they give it back. The ark of the covenant
ends up in Beth-Shemesh where it is received with great rejoicing. However, seventy peak into
the ark , and immediately died. Not surprisingly the survivors commented, “Who is able to stand
before the Lord, this holy God?” So the ark is picked up by the people of Baale-Judah where it
remains until David and his troop pick it up. How does David approach the Ark of the
Covenant? With a joyful musical response!
David and all the house of Israel started dancing when they
first acquired the Ark. “They danced before the LORD with all
their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines
and castanets and cymbals”. (2 Samuel 6: 5). However, a
tragic interlude dampens the festive mood along the way.
Uzzah dies when he touches the ark as it topples. (2 Sam.6:
6-11, omitted in worship service)
Nevertheless, the journey toward Jerusalem continues. It
reminds me of Jesus’ insistence on entering the gates, regardless of the threat of death. The
people sing out songs of praise. Because they recognized the blessing of God in Christ.
A classic German theologian of Old Testament, Gerhard Van Rad,
“Wherever the ark is, Jahweh is fully present... This presence was
always regarded as bestowing blessing. It is characteristic that the
coming of the Ark to Israel let loose great outbursts of joy, even
leading to corybantic behavior before it.
By the time, the ARK of the Covenant enters Jerusalem all
pretentiousness is stripped away. The multitude of musicians are
reduced to a single trumpet and David has stripped away all his royal
robes and human cover-up. He leaps and dances in JOY.
Bringing the Ark into Jerusalem was another Leap forward. Finally, God would be glorified! All
the world could see the joy and know the blessing and power of God’s Presence.
What makes our hearts dance with the Joy? As a community of believers, we sing and pray
and praise God. But,why? The Ephesians passage reminds us that we are blessed by God
with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. But, most of all we are blessed in Christ. For
this reason we have “glorious grace, forgiveness of
sins, redemption, and hope in Christ. “ According to
Paul, this is the reason for his praise of God’s Glory.
In Christ you have been promised the Holy Spirit.
Paul in his own way, dances before God when he
writes the poetic praise. It speaks of his freedom in
Christ, and our liberation theology.
The blessings of God are no longer attached to an item like an ark or shrine, not necessarily a
sacred place, or a holy city. Our blessing is because of God’s Spirit in Christ and thus in us.
What has changed in Christ is the Spirit of God may cause you to rejoice anywhere, anytime.
With wild abandon, The Spirit of the Lord may even cause you to dance with joy.
A few years ago, a woman who brought her husband into town for dialysis, joined the
Wednesday noon lectionary bible study. She was soft spoken Methodist, overwhelmed by her
husband’s failing health and her recently diagnosed chronic illness. During the year, we looked
for God’s presence in the world around us. We were studying the blessing of Isaiah 55 verse
12, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song
before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands”.
The following Wednesday, this quiet woman could not contain her happiness and readiness to
share something. She pulled out pictures and explained,” I was so despondent and the weather
seemed stormy last week. Moreover, I noticed this row of
tall arborvitaes swaying back and forth. Then I saw them
move as if they were clapping hands and remembered
the Isaiah passage. All creation was praising God. I felt
this joy and peace that was indescribable. I was blessed
and I cannot contain my joy before God.
In her own way, she danced before God, unrestrained in
her joy. May you see the blessings of God this day and
be moved to sing and dance or pray with wild
abandonment. May your hearts dance with joy in the
presence of God.
July 15
7th Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 6:1-19
6David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.2David and all the people with him set
out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the
LORD of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim.3They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought
it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were
driving the new cart4with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark.5David and all the house of
Israel were dancing before the LORD with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines
and castanets and cymbals.
6
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God and took
hold of it, for the oxen shook it.7The anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him
there because he reached out his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God.8David was
angry because the LORD had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah; so that place is called Perez-uzzah,
to this day.9David was afraid of the LORD that day; he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come into my
care?”10So David was unwilling to take the ark of the LORD into his care in the city of David; instead
David took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.11The ark of the LORD remained in the house of
Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.
12
It was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to
him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom to the city of David with rejoicing;13and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six
paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.14David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was
girded with a linen ephod.15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with
shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.16As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal
daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD;
and she despised him in her heart.17They brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, inside the
tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the
LORD.18When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed
the people in the name of the LORD of hosts,19and distributed food among all the people, the whole
multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.
Then all the people went back to their homes.
Ephesians 1:1-14
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in
Christ Jesus:2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places,4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy
and blameless before him in love.5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ,
according to the good pleasure of his will,6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us
in the Beloved.7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight9he has made
known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,10as a plan
for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.11In Christ we
have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who
accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,12so that we, who were the first to set our hope
on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy
Spirit;14this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his
glory.------------------Sermon: Dancing before God
Key verses:
“David danced before the Lord with all his might”- 2 Sam. 6: 14a
Music Selections : The Call (Vaughn Williams), Lord, of the Dance, ‘Tis a gift to be Simple, David Danced,
and Free to Dance
.