Humiliated in My Own Eyes...

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "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!"

David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes."

2 Samuel 6:14 -16; 20 -22a

How we perceive things is often dependent on the attitude of our heart. The passage quoted today is an interesting exchange between husband and wife. David is clearly not ashamed to become a fool before his God. Michal is clearly ashamed of his behavior.

Whenever we attempt to do extravagant things for the Lord, there will be those who say that we are fools. We give too much. We sing too loud. We attend church too often. What believer hasn't heard these things said?

Notice exactly how Michal's disgust is couched, though. In verse 16 the scripture clearly states that she hated him in her heart when she saw him leaping and dancing before the Lord. She found his display of public affection for the Lord offensive. In verse 20, however, she does not indicate that it was his affection for the Lord that offender her - his spiritual extravagance. That admission would be nearly heretical. So she instead speaks as if she were jealous of his behavior before other women - disguising her true motive.

David's answer to her seems rather curt, depending on how you read it. I believe that David was merely stating the fact that he was going to celebrate before the Lord regardless of whether she approved or not.

In all likelihood those reading this are relating to David in this passage. If you even take the time to consider these things it is unlikely that you will be one to put a stumbling block before someone else. So if you are of the mind of David, stand your ground and lovingly but firmly insist that you have an obligation and a desire to serve the Lord in whatever way he calls you. You might even hit them with a little "You ain't seen nothing yet" like David did Michal.

If you are of the mind of Michal, consider carefully your arguments and motives. When you say these things; "You give too much", "You sing too loud", "You attend church too often", are you really in essence saying, "You are being too spiritual and it makes me uncomfortable"?

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

Romans 14:12 & 13

LORD-

Help each of us, regardless of our mindset, to seek to be
honest before
you. If we are 'dancing' before you, let us do it out of pure
love - never
contrived. If we are uncomfortable 'dancing' before you, let us
not
put any stumbling block before others who are - under any pretense.

AMEN

To obey is better than sacrifice...

“As with all sinners among men, this son of Amittai was in his wilful disobedience of the command of God – never mind now what that command was or how conveyed – which he found a hard command. But all the things that God would have us do are hard for us to do – remember that – and hence, he oftener commands us than endeavors to persuade. And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves, and it is in this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists.”

From Father Mapple’s sermon on Jonah
Chapter 9 of Moby Dick
Herman Melville

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Jesus – Luke 9:23

In a class I was taking some time ago, the verse Luke 9:23 was being discussed and the instructor asked why we thought it was that Jesus said we must take up our cross daily and not that we need to deny ourselves daily. I think it is because that cross which God gives us to carry differs from day-to-day, but the denial is always the same. The denial is one-dimensional – whatever keeps us from picking up our cross daily must be denied.

In reading the ninth chapter of the novel Moby Dick last night, I came across the passage I have quoted above and found it very insightful – especially the last line. Read that last line again. I think Melville’s character had the right idea when he relates this denial of ourselves to disobeying ourselves. God does not desire sacrifice, he desires obedience. In 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel states to Saul, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

If we would come after him then we will deny ourselves, not as a matter of sacrifice, but of obedience - obedience to Him, disobedience to ourselves. As he also states in John 14:23, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” We might come to believe that some of the things we prefer over Jesus need to be sacrificed in our lives; be they a home, a hobby, a person, an addiction, or whatever. If we sacrifice any of these for our God, the chances are we will either return to them later, or replace them with something else. If in obeying our God (in loving Him, according to John 14) we leave these things aside while disobeying our own desires, we will never miss them. In fact, when we follow Him first, there may be some of these things that he uses to his glory!

Lord-
Help me this day to realize that you truly do not desire sacrifice in my life, but obedience. The Old Testament rites of sacrifice were merely a shadow of the complete sacrifice which you made for us. As I deny myself, let it be out of loving obedience to you (and diobedience to myself) so that you may use that denial to your glory as I pick up my cross today!

If you get the inclination, the ninth chapter of Moby Dick is worth a read. The character of Father Mapple gives a great sermon on the Book of Jonah.

Listen...

He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.
Ezekiel 2:1 & 2

Have you heard from the Spirit of the Living God of late? Have you listened?

I read this passage this morning and found it interesting that God first spoke to Ezekiel and then sent the Spirit into him that he could listen. It so often seems to work that way in my life. If I am not listening, I can go long stretches without hearing the voice of God. If I listen and respond to the voice of God, it seems that he awakens my spirit to His Spirit and I begin to hear His voice all the time.

The other thing that struck me in this passage is the direct way in which God interacted with Ezekiel. He commanded Ezekiel to his feet, but then sent the Spirit into Ezekiel to raise him to his feet. If we, also, are willing to hear God’s commands and obey he will work in us to do what he asks of us (Philippians 2:13).

Gracious Father-
Let me hear your voice this day. Create in me the desire to spend time in your Word, where you often speak to me. Help me to be still before you at some time today and just listen so that I may hear.

Do not keep your sword from bloodshed...

"A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD's work!
A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed!”
Jeremiah 48:10

It has been the prayer of my heart of late that I may see clearly the work that the Lord has for me and that I may do that work in loving obedience; the obedience that comes from the grace of Christ which is so lavishly poured out in us!

I am not one which is given to praying much specifically in opposition to the enemy of the saints, particularly not addressing that old serpent directly. But the second stanza of this verse caught my attention this morning. Have I kept my sword from bloodshed is the question I ask myself. Have I spared the enemies which God has specifically asked me to slay?

Recollect the familiar story of Saul and the Amalekites from 1 Samuel 15. Verses two and three:

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' "

As we know, Saul failed to follow the word of the Lord precisely. He pretended he had, and might possibly have actually believed he had (See V13 and V20). In the same breath, by his own admission, he had kept some of the animals and the King, Agag, alive. As a result, the Lord took the kingdom of Israel from him.
Is there anything in my life that God has addressed as such? Is it possible that I am have lost my desire for the kingdom of God because there is something that God specifically told me to utterly destroy and I kept my sword from bloodshed?

Lord-
I know that there are things in my life about which you have spoken. Things which you have told me must be utterly destroyed. Help me this day to face these foes head on, not keeping my sword from bloodshed! The enemy has placed many stumbling blocks in my path, but I now agree to do as you have said, to follow your instruction precisely and destroy his works and his influences in my life.