Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.King David gathered 30,000 choice men of Israel and took them with him to bring back the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.
(2 Sam. 6:16)
Although God had given them specific instructions on how to carry the Ark, they put it on a new cart instead. The Ark was picked up at the house of Abinadab, and his two sons, Uzzah and Ahio, drove the new cart.
As they traveled to Jerusalem, one of the oxen stumbled and Uzzah put out his hand to protect the Ark. Instantly he died and David became very angry and afraid of the Lord. Because of his fear, David decided not to take the Ark to Jerusalem, but instead took it to the house of Obed-Edom. There the Ark stayed for three months and Obed-Edom became greatly blessed.
When David realized the blessings associated with the Ark of God, he went again and brought the Ark to Jerusalem. There he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. David himself was so overcome with the love of God that he danced before the Lord with all his might while wearing a linen priestly garment. David and all the house of Israel shouted and celebrated with the sound of the shofar.
While the King of Israel and all those with him were shouting and dancing before God, and worshiping Him, David's wife, Michal, was observing all of this through a window. The Bible tells us as she saw her husband, the king, leaping and whirling before the Lord, that she despised him in her heart.
When David returned home after the celebration, he was met with great verbal abuse. His wife ridiculed him because of the way he worshiped God.
Don't Ridicule Others' Worship
Now the point I want to make is this: worship is not a spectator sport, and it can be extremely dangerous to ridicule the way someone else worships God.
Second Samuel 2:23 tells us that because Michal, the daughter of Saul, ridiculed David, that she had no children to the day of her death.
David had a relationship with God, but his wife, Michal, did not. Understanding worship is impossible without a relationship with God.
How's your relationship with God?
All rights reserved. Used by permission.