Rev. David Holwick H The Life of David, #8
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
March 9, 2014
2 Samuel 6:12-15
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I. Dancing is dangerous.
A. It can get you in trouble.
It was Saturday night in the Golden Pine Restaurant and Helen
Bolling was clomping her feet on the floor to the loud music.
She is 65 years old.
A usually quiet woman, she cupped her hands and screamed to the
disc jockey to play "Cotton-Eyed Joe."
She loves fast dances.
This is an especially daring act in Pound, Virginia, because
public dancing is illegal without a permit and the Golden
Pine doesn't have one.
The owner challenged the law in court and got it thrown out for
being too vague.
The Town Council made some changes and enacted a new law.
The maximum penalty is a $500 fine.
Many of the local pastors thought the new law was a good thing
because dancing is a sin.
Tim Shephard, an evangelist at the local church of Christ,
said, "I can never see a time when dancing can be approved
of, especially with people who are not married.
"Dancing is one of those things that entices.
It imitates sexual contact."
#19376
I don't want any of you to go to Pound, Virginia, and tell them
about our church square dance.
We don't need any legal problems.
It's probably a moot point because most of us are lousy dancers
anyway.
I have been to lots of weddings and I have seen you in action.
A few of you are decent.
I remember the skit our high schoolers did a few years ago
at a church dinner called "The Evolution of Dance."
It portrayed dance moves down through the generations.
I was astounded at how good Josiah was, since he takes half
of his genetic makeup from me.
B. The original David was an awesome dancer.
1) He wasn't trying to impress a girl, but God.
2) And it got him into trouble anyway.
3) He didn't mind because nothing would stand in the way of
his praise for God.
II. David wanted to bring God close.
A. At this point he has solidified his control over the nation.
1) His opponents have been marginalized.
a) David wants to bring some healing to the people.
b) He also wants to put God at the center of their lives.
2) His solution is to bring God's Ark to the new capital.
a) The ark was just a chest, or a box, but it represented
the presence of God.
b) Up till now it had been kept in a tent to remind them
of their wandering in the wilderness.
1> It was time to give it a more permanent home.
2> So David prepared to bring it to Jerusalem.
B. David was dealing with a dangerous object.
1) It was not something to trifle with.
a) The Philistines had captured it and ended up having a
severe plague, so they sent it back.
b) In today's chapter, an Israelite named Uzzah tried to
steady the ark when the cart it was on hit a bump.
1> Uzzah was struck dead right there.
2> David was pretty ticked at that and it seems rather
harsh to us, too.
2) The key is that they weren't handling it properly.
a) It was designed with long poles to be carried by
men, not on carts. Exodus 25:13-15
b) And only Levites were supposed to hold the poles.
c) The Law was very explicit that no one but the high
priest should ever touch the ark itself.
d) You can't manhandle God like a piece of furniture.
C. The ark could bring good things as well as pain.
1) They decided to drop the ark off at Obed-Edom's house.
a) Lots of blessings fell on him.
b) David noticed this, reconsidered his irritation with
God, and made new plans to bring it to Jerusalem.
2) He took extra care the second time.
a) It was carried instead of carted. 1 Chron 15:15
b) The Levites handled it correctly. 1 Chron 15:2
c) They made an abundance of sacrifices, one every 6 steps.
1> That's a lot of sacrifices!
2> It wasn't out of fear, but to honor their God.
III. God's presence is something to celebrate.
A. Over 30,000 people joined the procession.
1) Interestingly, this is the same number as the army that
had lost the ark to the Philistines. 1 Sam 4:10
2) The worship wasn't just for the professionals.
a) Ordinary people took part.
b) They put a lot of effort into it. 6:5
B. The people made a lot of noise.
1) Their musical instruments would have been loud.
a) Trumpets and cymbals and lyres and harps.
b) Many were percussion instruments.
1> It is not a matter of noise in and of itself.
2> God wanted it done skillfully. 1 Chron 15:22
2) Are loud instruments like drums are out of place in worship?
a) Some think it is a pagan practice and unbiblical.
b) But even worship in heaven will be loud. Rev 14:2-3
C. They danced their heads off.
1) The people, especially David, were showing their enthusiasm.
a) God was real for them, and they celebrated being able
to experience God.
b) It was like some "mosh pits" I have seen at Christian
concerts - everyone jumping around with their arms
in the air.
2) It was joyous but not very dignified.
a) David was uninhibited like everyone else.
b) He wore a special robe called an ephod which was
probably similar to a poncho.
1> The more he moved, the more it flapped around.
IV. Exuberant worship is not always appreciated.
A. David's wife Michal [mee-chal] took offense at him.
1) She probably thought he should act more like royalty.
2) David defends himself by saying he is dancing for
God's benefit, not hers.
a) (Her barrenness may have been due to his shunning her.)
B. Some believe the whole concept of praise is unseemly.
Even C.S. Lewis had issues with it.
He once wrote,
"When I first began to draw near in my belief of God,
and even after I had become a Christian, I found a
stumbling block.
And that stumbling block was the demand so clamorously
made by all religious people that we should praise God.
We all despise the man who demands constant assurance of
his own virtue, intelligence or delightfulness.
We despise still more the crowd of people who surrounds
every dictator, every millionaire, and every celebrity
... simply to gratify the demands of these people.
I read in the Psalms 'O praise the Lord with me.'
It was hideously like saying, 'What I want most is be told
that I am good and great.'
That doesn't sound like that could be God.
I tried to sort it out and finally came to this conclusion.
It is in the process of being worshiped that God
communicates His presence to humans."
#64383
C. We are not exactly a dancing church.
1) Our tradition is a little more subdued.
a) Pastor John Grove noted this in his recent revival.
1> We are more Presbyterian than Pentecostal.
b) We don't tend to dance or shout or make a lot of noise.
1> And this is not a bad thing.
2> Every culture has its own style.
2) Quiet worship can be just as genuine as the loud kind.
a) It's not about outward form but the inner reality.
1> Excitement can be faked or manipulated.
2> Even some energetic Christian concerts seem to
be aping the world more than praising God.
b) Genuine worship must keep the focus on God.
V. David's song holds the key. 1 Chronicles 16:7
A. a parallel passage records a special song used this occasion.
1) It reveals why David felt God should be worshipped.
B. The psalm focuses on all that God has done for them.
1 Chronicles 16:9-11...
"Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful
acts.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek
the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."
1) If God is distant or powerless, you won't praise him.
2) But if you think he can reach down and help you,
you will do what David says, and seek his face.
C. At the center of praise is salvation.
1 Chronicles 16:35-36...
"Cry out, 'Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver
us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may
glory in your praise.'
Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting
to everlasting."
Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD."
1) To unsaved people, the whole idea of praise is rather
hokey.
2) They love to mock "holy rollers" and over-the-top
exuberance, just like Michal did.
3) But if you have admitted your deep need for God, and
appreciate all he has done for you, you'll have a
deep desire to praise him.
a) It might even give you some "happy feet"!
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#19376 “Dancing Outlawed In Virginia Town,” Chris Kahn, Associated Press
writer, http://www.infobeat.com/, April 16, 2001, Don Johnson
Illustration Collection. [The issue in Pound became moot when
the club lost its liquor license for other reasons.]
#64383 “C.S. Lewis Had Issues With Praise,” adapted from an illustration
in Rev. Coy Wylie’s sermon “When You Feel Like Dancing…”
preached on June 13, 1999. [Kerux Sermon #10539]
http://www.cornerstonebc.com/sermon.htm. The original source in
C.S. Lewis’s writings is not given and I have not been able to
locate it.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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