Eleventh Page: Hey Michal, What Are You Viewing Through the Windows?

Let’s hold the title in our mind as we begin the story some distance away from the palace windows in David’s city. The narrative that interests us at this time is found in the second book of Samuel (ch.6) and is further elaborated in the first book of Chronicles (ch.15).

It is about the Ark of God or Ark of the Covenant, and King David’s dual attempts to bring it home, where it belongs – among God’s people – from an accidental, temporary abode in the house of Obededom the Gittite.

This immediately raises the question as to why the Ark went away in the first place. The answer would have to trace a dark and dismal phase in Israel’s bloody history at that point and inevitably  bring to mind that very sad word Ichabod, “the glory is departed from Israel”. (This miserable state of affairs could be ascribed to some loose living and iniquitous conduct on the part of Eli’s sons which unfortunately went unchecked by the ageing prophet; but that is another story)

If you’d asked David, “how are you doing?” about this time, the answer most likely would have been “I’m good”.

He was king over all the tribes of Israel. God was with him. He had plenty to occupy his mind and time – a fistful of wives, unnumbered concubines, a football field of children; a pretty decent life for that age! Furthermore, he had some excellent friends, a great army, a brave commander and wise counselors. And he had just notched up victories here and there, and was settling down to enjoy some peace and quiet. Why, he’d built a palace for himself and other houses. The going was good. Surely he count himself blessed.

And yet there was this longing in him. For the things of God. For the Ark of God and the glory it represented.

Cut to the present. How about us?  Are we seeking the glory of God or are we just getting by for the most part, by the sheer grace of God and are content with it. Oh, how easily and effortlessly we avail it time after time and never take the trouble to gaze beyond to a glorious prospect. Is the covenant relationship with our God close to our heart, or is it mostly forgotten especially when the going is good?

It bothered David.

Being a blogger himself he wrote about it: Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.(Psalms 132: 3-5). Yes, David reached out to something more – to the Ark of God.

Is there a place in your life for the Ark of God? Do you care for the things of God or are you leading a contented self-centred life, typified by the quintessential Aussie attitude that says “I’m alright Jack”?

Getting on with our story, so David went about the business of bringing the Ark back.

It is one thing to have the right desire but when we are dealing with the things of God, it is wise not to adopt a cavalier approach, for God is holy. David learnt this lesson the hard way. As he says himself, the first time around “we sought Him not after the due order” (1 Chr.15:13).

There ought to be an order in matters pertaining to God. Otherwise the result will be confusion, with little edification (1 Cor.14:33). “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor.14:40).

One of the first lessons that David learnt was to

Leave it to the Levites (1 Chr.15:2).

They are the tribe chosen for God’s work. Don’t meddle in things for which you are not qualified or called – things that do not pertain to you!

His motives were right the first time too. He consulted with a man of God; he gathered the people and he undertook the task. But ultimately he had to abort the mission.

The big question is: Why?

Let us see if we can contrast the two attempts and note what else is it that David did differently the second time around that spelt the difference between success and failure.

He prepared.

Would it apply to our Sunday morning service? I once heard a Methodist pastor say that we should start the preparation for Sunday morning service right from Saturday evening, which indeed is the regulation for Sabbath. Inevitably, this will diminish our Saturday evening fever but we do need to ask ourselves how much importance we attach to the Sunday morning worship services (Heb.10:25).

Are they merely Sunday morning rituals, meeting places to chart out the week’s programme, Christian clubs and coffee fellowships or are they something more?

Preparation takes time. Do we take time to get close to Him, by reading His word, dwelling on it and internalizing it? Yes, David prepared a place for the Ark of God (1 Chr.15:1)

Then, he sanctified.

The first time also “David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets” (1 Chr.13:8), and they did it the second time as well (1 Chr.15:16).

What’s the difference?

There was a lot of song and dance the first time but no attention to sanctification. According to David himself “Because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us” (1 Chr.1513). How is our worship? Is there sufficient undergirding of prayer and sanctification or is it all a surface phenomenon not going deeper than our emotions?

Let’s move on.

As we read in the Chronicles’ account, a lot of people are called by name to do specific tasks in this mission. There were the choir conductors Heman, Asaph, and Ethan keeping time with cymbals of brass, another set of guys to do psalteries on Alamoth, yet another bunch to work – and excel –  on harps on the Sheminith. And there was the song director Chenaniah (Kenny’s Chrous?). Not forgetting the team that  blew the trumpets.

Everybody has a role.

Even the doorkeepers were assigned by name – Berechiah and Elkanah (1 Chr.15:23). Hang on, well, nearly everybody! Obed-edom and Jehiah seem to have been left out. Jobless!

But thankfully, not for long. When it was found out that their names were missing in the list of assignments, they were promptly made doorkeepers for the ark (v.24), additionally.

Ah, no one can say I don’t have a role in the business of God. I am merely a spectator, an on looker.

If you’ve got a name brother, you’ve got a job to do.

If nothing else, you can become a doorkeeper. You may not be able to sing, or lead or play any instrument, but surely you can keep the door! No special training needed. You’ve just got to be vigilant no doubt but you’ve got to let the people in and not turn them away! But mind you, it is no mean task. “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God….(Ps.84:10).

Every man is called to do something (1 Cor.7:20,24). Just look for your name in the roster. It is bound to be there!

There is something more.

One characteristic that stands out in this whole exercise is joy (1 Chr.15:16,25). Time and again in the book of Psalms David makes references to worshiping the Lord with gladness and making a joyful noise.

Indeed we are called to be people of joy. If the Lord has done great things for us – and there is little doubt He has – our mouths ought to be filled with laughter (Ps.126:2). Not the kind of plastic smiles pasted on the faces of professional hostesses, but genuine bubbling over from grateful hearts.

Let us look at the scene again.

With all the music and dancing by their brethren, a set of faithful Levites are bearing the Ark on their shoulders (1 Chr.15:15). No bullock cart this time. It is personal, it is physical and it is hard work.

But note that there is something strange happening in verse 26(1 Chr.15): “God helped the Levites”. What manner of help it was, we don’t quite know but it seems that when we do God’s work, He eases our burden. Didn’t Jesus say, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt.11:30)?

Yes, when you do God’s work, God does your work. Isn’t that encouraging?

In the same verse 26, it says, they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

Sacrifice

That about completes the list of the elements of worship (for I think that is what the passage is about) we see in this chapter (1 Chr.15)

Desire / yearning

Selection

Preparation

Sanctification

Singing and dancing with music

Working – carrying, keeping

Sacrifice

With Joy, running like a thread through every aspect.

Before we bring up the conclusion and revert to our evocative title, it is instructive to focus on one guy, namely Asaph. He is, shall we say? CM – Chief Musician (1 Chr.16:5). When we look into the book of Psalms we note that king David, no mean musician himself, submits his devotional creations to this man. No doubt Asaph was versatile and multitalented. He could certainly match David Psalm for Psalm in all dimensions as evidenced by the dozen ( no.50 and 73 to 83) in the Bible that bear his name.

Such a great man, but in the few occasions we see him described in the Bible, he is doing just one thing – making a sound with cymbals. Look at 1 Chr.15:9 again: “So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass.”

Zechariah and his team were working away on psalteries on Alamoth (1 Chr.15:20); Mattithiah and company were excelling with harps on the Sheminith (1 Chr.15:21); Shebaniah, and the other priests were blowing away on the trumpets (24). And what is our Chief Musician doing?

“But Asaph made a sound with cymbals”(1 Chr.16:5).

He wasn’t the kind to flaunt his talents to the applause of many. He was quite content just to sound the cymbals. In this process of keeping time and maintaining the rhythm, there is no doubt that he was holding the whole orchestra together. Definitely heard but not necessarily seen.

Are you making an impact or are you merely an impresario?

It is interesting that even Asaph’s descendants were associated with cymbals. Check out Ezrah 3:10. “And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.”

Yeah, Asaph might not have been the self promoting kind, but he had the privilege of serving God. Let’s read 1 Chr.16:37:“So he (David) left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required.”

These musicians were also prophets.

Excuse me!

“Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service, of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals…” (1Chr.25:1)

Chew on that the next time you strum your guitar in the church.

And Asaph’s generation was blessed and they multiplied. From an hundred twenty and eight mentioned in Ez.2:41, Nehemiah 7:44 ups the number to an hundred forty and eight, in a short span of time.

And what was this great musical association doing, besides singing, playing and prophesying? Again Nehemiah provides the answer.

“Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God.(Neh.11:22).”

Hear that, Choir!!

And that is not all. Down several generations, note who was called upon to lead the thanksgiving:

“And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer (Neh.11:7)

If ever you took singing and music in church lightly, think again.

Let’s conclude this little aside with a quote from the man himself: “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God”(Ps.50:23).

 

Okay, time to turn our attention to Michal, David’s wife. Looking out through the palace windows, she catches a glimpse of all that is going on as the Ark of God is brought in with much rejoicing.

Singers singing

Trumpets blowing

Psalteries sounding

Harps straining

People rejoicing, and

The Ark of God coming

But, what catches her attention?

 

(credit:  sfacatholic.blogspot)

 

King David dancing!

 

And the first chance she gets,  she blurts out:

“How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! (2 Samuel 6:20)

And in so saying Michal managed to turn a glorious day into a complete anticlimax, by her

impetuousness.

All it takes is one thoughtless, reckless remark to deflate the spirit from an emotional high and leave it withering and wilting. Some wives excel in this skill and it appears David’s wife no.1 was the mother of them all!

Talk about timing!

It has to be just right to cause maximum havoc to your husband’s ego and peak your sense of schadenfreude (or may be its reverse, feeling miserable when others are celebrating)

Michal got it pat.

In fact, perfect, just as David turns around to bless his household. We all know people who boast of their propensity to speak their minds without pausing to think. Not only verbalizing their thought process instantaneously but even being proud of their unbowdlerized outburst. They can take a tip or two from Michal – a noteworthy forerunner!

But really, if what is going on in your mind is not worth talking about, it is better to keep quiet. After all no one asked Michal’s opinion on the day’s happenings!

But come on.

What she is accusing her husband of is a delicate business; let us not overlook the facts.

It was not as if “the emperor was in his new clothes”, something her father actually was at his rare prophetic performance (1 Samuel 19:24); apparently Michal was unaware of this fact or she might not have sailed into her husband in such a facile fashion.

Well, David might not have been arrayed in regal finery as he danced with his subjects, but he was dressed alright, “clothed with a robe of fine linen ……… David also had upon him an ephod of linen” (1 Chr.15:27).

The problem then, was in the perception. Magnifying what was no more than a minor wardrobe misjudgment – if indeed it was even that.

Living in a large palace but having a rather small mind. Some people get so distracted by habiliments, by hairdo, by whatever and miss the bigger picture, lose their perspective.

Far from receiving a well deserved applause for a worthy mission gloriously accomplished, David gets a blow below the belt.

And he reacts.

“And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.

And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor”( 2 Samuel 6:21-22)

Not exactly words dripping with grace,what?

Michal managed to get the worst out of her husband, by a few ill chosen (well chosen, from her perspective!) words. Some people are very good at this. They are habitually critical; they have to find fault. Cavil is their second name. If they don’t spoil the day for someone, sleep deserts them at night.

But sadly, in this process they thwart blessings that are due to them, as happened in the case of Michal. David turned around to bless but a marauding Michal stopped him in his tracks.“Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death”( 2 Samuel 6:23).

Note that David didn’t curse her. She brought it upon herself. Speak in haste; regret at leisure – life long.

Ah, but we are skipping the sequence of events, aren’t we? What triggered Michal’s intemperate outburst in the first place was the view from the windows. “And 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 dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart (2 Samuel 6:16).

But we shouldn’t be in a hurry to short change Michal. One could argue that David should have been more careful. After all, in occasions like these not everybody is tuned in. Not everyone is on the same page. Some are mere onlookers and they come with their baggage of cultural and other sensitivities. Sure, you cannot please them all but why not avoid ruffling them if you can help it at all? Why cause unnecessary distraction from what is really important?

Oh, but it wasn’t as though Michal didn’t have a choice. There were glorious scenes going on. The ark of God was coming into the city of David, but she didn’t have a heart of worship;  her mind clung to what struck her as inglorious, shameful.

Many a time we are guilty of something similar when we look through the  or for that matter into an IPad!

We miss “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy”(Phil.4:8) and get enticed by the inglorious, the abominable, the disgusting.

But what were Michal’s options? She could have shut the window if she did not like the scene and turned away (Psalm 119:37). But sometimes we persist, just to see what comes next? “The eye is not satisfied with seeing” (Eccl.1:8)

What is our channel of choice? Something that will uplift us, edify us and ultimately bless us or something that brings out the worst in us and destroys our peace of mind? It is good to check ourselves and exercise control, rather than be led by our wandering mind. Titillation when allowed to advance untethered, can easily cross the boundary. Watch out.

It is a battle between the mind and the will. Spirit and flesh. You might want to shut the window but the devil sidles by asks, “Are you sure you want to shut down?” planting doubt in your mind, as he has been doing with successive generations beginning with Eve.

So, what are we watching?