Revelling

Jock Stein July 11, 2021 0 1

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2 Samuel 6: 1-5, 12b-19 (NRSVA)

1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 David 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. 3 They 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 cart 4 with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark. 5 David 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.

12b So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; 13 and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. 14 David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lordwith shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 As 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.

17 They 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. 18 When 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, 19 and 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.

David: the shepherd boy who shows modesty, courage, skill, potential.

David: the despot who abuses power and cannot handle his own family.

And David, today: the young leader who revels in each second of the dance.

When religion dries up and becomes a shrinking oasis, those of us who have stuck with it seldom find opportunities to revel so physically in God as David. Or rather, for those who club or ceilidh with good conscience before the Lord, apart from the odd Christian festival it is a private (not a public) acknowledgement that God deserves such revelry – a revelry which of course may be confused with paganism (think of Aaron and the golden calf, then you can understand David’s wife).

If you find yourself distant from dancing, for whatever reason, take the image of David from today’s reading into your prayer life, and your Sunday worship, and if God grants you a second or two of ecstasy, revel in it.

PRAYER:

God, I will take a few precious seconds in prayer to remember people whose lives are dry, and ask you to renew in them the spark of faith, in Jesus name, Amen.