Preached by Pastor Bryan Clark

Sunday, January 17, 2021

True Worship:  Michal vs. Uzzah (2Sa 6:12-19):  Jan 17, 2021.  This is our third Sunday on 2Samuel 6.  I love this story b/c it is so rich and vivid, and we want to explore every detail and see from diff angles.

After years of waiting, David has just become king in Jerusalem. He wants to bring the ark of God’s presence to Jerusalem.  Wants to be close to God.  2 tries

Round 1:  First half of chapter features Uzzah: how Uzzah ends up dead

Round 2:  Second half of chapter features Michal: how Michal ends up barren

Both were David’s fault: he set Uzzah up, he had mistreated Michal

Let’s look at both stories thru a lens of worship: capture big picture, deep narrative.   

Uzzah:  David’s heart is full of joyful, in the spirit of worship. He had good intentions, but God had given specific guidance that Uzzah was ignoring.  Uzzah ends up on the ground dead. David learns that you can’t just do whatever “feels right” in public worship. Worship is not just a “free-for-all” where you “have it your way” (Burger King). David has the spirit of worship, but fails (somehow) to truthfully portray who God is. 

Michal:  She sees David out there jumping around in his underwear (half-naked) and she is repulsed. Michal is concerned with royal dignity, proper decorum. She wanted things to be done right.  Lack the true joy of worship: no Joy b/c she too busy Judging (or visa versa?). I can get so focused externals and liturgy and mechanics and we miss the true spirit of the Lord. We dance in our living rooms when our team makes a touchdown, but Sunday morning is a big yawn.  

All about the truth of worship, but forgets the true spirit of worship

Uzzah:  no reverence:  fails to get the danger of God’s presence

Michal:  No joy:  fails to get the delights of God’s presence

Beautiful balance of this chapter:  2 warnings placed side by side:

Uzzah:  Spirit w/o the true portrayal of God. He ends up dead.

Michal:  True portrayal of God w/o proper Spirit for worship. Ends up barren

Jesus says it this way: We must worship in Spirit and in Truth.

We so easily fall to one side or to the other. But either side is equally deadly!

Super relevant: this is all about what we do and why we do Sunday morning

What does David do the same the second time around? Look for repeated terminology in the story

Same communal call.  6:5 all Israel were celebrating 6:15 All Israel were bringing up the ark.  Public worship. Why?  6:1 David again brought together 30,000. GNT: Once more David called together.  This is communal worship. Public worship. It’s is not David’s own little private show.  Who didn’t answer the call? 6:20 came out to meet him  She opted to stay home and watch from her window. She opted not to go in person. He could have. Able, but not willing.  Heb 10: Let us not give up meeting together

Same visceral joy. 6:5 celebrating with all their might 6:14 dancing with all his might. Rejoicing (12), Shouting. Blowing trumpets (15). Leaping (16)

This was every bit the joyful part as the first time around.  We want that full engagement of our heart, our emotions, our bodies. We want something of the leaping and dancing that we see here in David. 

Bodies: don’t just sit and absorb: sing, stand, sit, hold our hands, read in unison. 

In round 2, David will be far more careful, more cautious or order his worship in a way that honors God. An orderly approach to God does not suppress joy but stimulates it.  Chesterton: ‘while [Christianity] established a rule & order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild’ FH47

Trampoline. Bounce as high as you want and no one will get hurt.

Same sacramental presence  before the LORD  Occurs 6x in this chapter (5,14,16,17,21) “In the personal presence of and in the si