Uninhibited Worship

This past week as I was continuing in the process of reading the Bible through chronologically one of my favorite passages came about in 2 Samuel.  David was making his second attempt to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  The first attempt ended in tragedy when the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out grabbing the Ark to steady it.  This simple act ended Uzzah’s life because he broke the procedures for handling the holy pieces of God’s temple.  After a period of time David decided attempt a second move of the Ark to Jerusalem.  This time he had consulted God and followed the proper procedures for handling of the significant piece of God’s temple.  As he entered Jerusalem David danced before the Lord in unashamed fashion.   In fact, we read in 2 Samuel 6:14 that “David was dancing with all his might before the Lord.”  Not only was David dancing before the Lord but he, along with the whole house of Israel, were shouting before the Lord and blowing the ram’s horns.  They wanted everyone to know the full presence of the Lord was entering the city of Jerusalem.  They wanted to worship God with reckless abandonment.

After he had entered the city and offered the burnt and fellowship offerings, David sent everyone to their own homes.  Then scripture records that David went to his home where he was met by his wife Michal, the daughter of Saul.  I imagine that David was in a state of emotional and spiritual euphoria from the processional and offerings.  However, he was not met with favor when Michal greeted him.  Instead, she offered sarcastic remarks of “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” (2 Sam. 6:20 NIV)  Then the king responded to his wife with a cutting tone by saying, “I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.” (2 Sam. 6:22 NIV)

There are three things I glean from this passage which strike me as imperative for worship.  First, David was consumed with the Glory of God.  When we come to the point in our lives where we are more consumed with God than we are anything else or anyone else then we will worship God with reckless abandonment.  David was more consumed with God than he was his exploits, his position as king, or any of his acquired possessions.  What consumes you?  Secondly, David was concentrating of pleasing God more than anyone or anything else.  King David has been attributed as a “Man after God’s own heart.”  This in simple terms means that more than anything else David desired to please God.  While David had his weaknesses and failed at times, he earnestly sought to please God in all he did.  What is your heart’s desire?  Then finally, David was carefree of what others thought.  He did not allow the temptation of being limited in his response to God’s greatness and mercy from fear of human perception.  Too often we struggle with the fear of what others would say if we freely and unashamedly worship God.  David cast off this inhibitor and worshiped God with all his might.  What holds you back from worshipping your great creator with all of your might?

Oh to have the passionate pursuit of God as David regardless of what others say, think, or infer. 

Let’s worship our Lord with all of our might!

Pastor Ric