Unrestrained joy
2 Samuel 6: David…danced with great abandon before the Lord.
The Ark of the Covenant, Israel’s greatest religious item, has been kept at Abinadab’s house with faithful Eleazar serving as priest. Now, David wants to bring it to Jerusalem. One false start results in the death of Uzzah who carelessly treats the Ark with disrespect, but three months later the Chest of God is being brought into David’s City. The celebration is impressive and genuine. David, the newly recognized King of Israel, leads the way as all Jerusalem celebrates. I can’t help but think of the drum major of the great Tiger band from Grambling State University. No marching in military precision here! David, warrior and king, lays all that aside in unrestrained exuberance before God. However, it isn’t David’s abandoned drum major like dance in leading the Ark that impresses me today so much as his open heart before God. As I study David’s story I find that his life isnโt mistake-free. In fact, he messes up a lot, and sometimes in major league ways. Itโs his good heart that commands my attention. This man loves God with every fiber of his being. His drum major routine with the Chest of God opens for me a window to his very heart.
Take Away: The Lord loves it when we worship him with abandon.