Fruitful Worship VS Barren Criticism

Fruitful Worship VS Barren Criticism

2 Samuel 6:20 – 21

20 But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” 

21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord. 

   This was a good day.  The Ark of the Covenant had been sitting at a man’s farm for years, but David arranged to have it brought back to the Tabernacle.  This was the second try, and David made sure everything was done according the Scriptures.  David was so full of joy that he set aside his kingly robes and wore a plain linen ephod and in his joy he danced before the Lord. 

   2 Samuel 6:16 says that she despised him in her heart when she saw him in the procession, and in verse 20 she lashed out at him: "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

   Michal was David’s first wife and daughter of Saul, the first king of Israel.  We do not know why her heart was so full of bitterness, but here she confronts David about dancing in public.  Now I doubt David was wearing a robe that revealed too much to the women in the crowd.  I have a hard time picturing David “flashing” the young women that day.  A plain ephod was just an ordinary, common man’s robe, not a robe with a miniskirt as some have described it.  1 Chronicles 15:27 says he wore the same type of robe the Levites and the singers wore.  Michal makes it sound like he was dancing in his Fruit-of-the-Looms. 
   I think Michal’s complaint was that David the King had set aside his kingly robe and his kingly dignity and danced in public.  Here she, as Queen, had to watch her husband, the King, dance with abandon IN PUBLIC!  David had laid aside his royal robes and dressed as a common man in the procession.  Michal looked down from her window and saw David dressed like everyone else and dancing.  She let her bitterness well up in her heart and she lashed out at David. 

   But when David heard those biting words of sarcastic criticism, he didn't let it ruin his day.  He answered her, "It was before the Lord."  David’s heart was full of joy and let his joy show and danced for the Lord God.  He was not dancing to honor Michal, he was not dancing for the crowd, he was dancing to worship God.

   When we worship God for His sake, some people won't like it.  If there is a root of bitterness in them they will not feel the joy of worshipping God.  David did not let Michal’s criticism ruin his worship and we should not let criticism ruin our worship. 

   I am not saying that everything should be allowed in public worship.  I remember a woman who took her guitar and began singing while the pastor was still preaching.  This was disruptive and she should not have done that at that time.  At another church a woman had a flag about 3’ by 4’ and kept waving it during the sermon.  David’s reason to worship in public does not justify this type of interruption during the preaching of the Word.   David’s dancing wasn’t inappropriate to the setting or context. Someone who acts inappropriately at a meeting can’t simply justify it by saying, "It was before the Lord."
   Sadly, Michal’s bitterness caused a rift between herself and David and she never had children.  I imagine David set her up with her own rooms in the palace and she spent the rest of her life alone with her bittern thought.  This is a physical result of having a bitter heart.  She was physically barren where many bitter people live barren lives.  They have no close relationships either with God or with people.  Hebrews 12:15 warns us:

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
   If you have a bitter root growing in your heart, deal with quickly and get it out of your life.  Better to dance before the Lord than to look down from the windows of our bitter hearts and criticize others for their worship. 

Stephen Cram                          April 21, 2013                   Colossians 2:8

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ.