David Danced Before the LORD

INTRO

In 1 Chronicles 13, we talked about David and the ark, where one minor mistake – not doing what the Word of God said – resulted in Uzzah’s death. The house of Obed-edom experienced the blessings of God because the ark remained at his house for three months. In 1 Chronicles 15, the ark will be moved from the house of Obed-edom to a tent David erects in Jerusalem.

TEACHING

1 Chronicles 15:27: David and the Levites carrying the ark were dressed in fine linen. This time, the Levites were carrying the ark in obedience to God’s instructions. In Exodus 25:14, God gave instructions for how the ark should be carried. David, the Levites, and the singers gathered the people of Israel to worship God. It appears that David, wearing a linen ephod, was playing the role of the priest. Remember, our phrase for 1 Chronicles is Son of David. When you see David starting to play the role of king and priest, even for a season, you know he was pointing to Jesus, the coming Messiah.

1 Chronicles 15:28-29: The Israelites embraced that “God was back,” meaning they were reunited with Him. David joined in the celebration by dancing with the people in worship, while Saul’s daughter Michal watched and despised him in her heart. Why did she despise David? Michal came from “the old guard,” and she didn’t like how David embraced the ark. The word “despise” describes her anger at David. Perhaps she felt this was not how someone in authority should act. Maybe she believed David, as the anointed one, should not behave in such a way.

King Saul gave his daughter Michal to David after David killed Goliath. Over time, a great distance grew between her and David. David had other wives and was completely different from her father Saul. Michal’s mentality is similar to the Pharisees in their regard for Jesus. In Matthew 23:13-16, 23-32, Jesus pronounced woes against the Pharisees for “locking up the kingdom of heaven” by not going in themselves or allowing others to go in. Here, the Pharisees’ response was similar to Saul’s actions in the Old Testament, by neglecting the experiential nearness and presence of God in the lives of His people, and replacing it with a cold and distant form of worship. Under a religious spirit, the way to control a relationship with God is to not invite people into His presence. Michal was upset because her father had done everything to prevent the people from experiencing this while David invited them to join in the worship experience.

As we unpack 1 Chronicles 16, think of the spirit of control in Michal. She didn’t like what David did because they had never done it that way—dancing and clapping as they came into the presence of God. Why was David so excited that he celebrated by dancing before the Lord? Because he experienced the presence of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 16:1-2: They brought the ark of God to the tent and offered the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence, and then David blessed the people. Remember back in 1 Chronicles 13, when the ark rested in the house of Obed-edom for three months and the Lord blessed his family? When you are in the presence of God, you’re blessed. When you have freedom in Christ, you’re not looking out the window; you’re the one dancing in the streets.

1 Chronicles 16:3: David distributed to each Israelite a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. When Jesus interacted with people in the New Testament and they experienced the presence of God, it seems as though there was always a miracle with food. He fed the 4,000 and the 5,000, and He ate a meal with the people, which seemed to usher in God’s provision and presence. When you begin to understand Acts 2:46-48 to see how God designed us to have fellowship together with food, then this begins to make sense. God wants to bless those with the spirit of religion and break them from it so they can experience a relationship with Him.

Three times when David celebrated the presence of God, food was involved. In 1 Chronicles 12:39, they spent three days eating and drinking with David. Food was involved in this celebration in 1 Chronicles 16:3. Then look at 1 Chronicles 29:22, when David invited the people to contribute to the building of the temple, “They ate and drank with great joy in the Lord’s presence that day.” When David’s family experienced God’s presence, they did it with food.

1 Chronicles 16:4–7: David was so excited that he began to turn this experience into a Psalm. In verses 4-7, David appointed the Levites as directed by God. Compare his actions this time with the previous time in 1 Chronicles 13. Even though he was excited and rejoicing in God’s presence, he put the proper things in place. He appointed the Levites to be ministers before the Lord and to give thanks and praise to God. He named Asaph as the leader because David didn’t need to do this himself. He also appointed several other people to play the harp and lyre while Asaph sounded the cymbals.

The people were genuinely excited about the presence of God because they felt like they were starting all over again, encountering the living God anew. When you realize that you’re tapping into your first love, going back to Christ, falling in love with Him and embracing who He is, you will rejoice because of what He has done for you. David released the people to do these things. A spirit of religion will always control; a spirit of relationship with the Father will always empower.

According to verse 7, “David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives.” David appointed these Levites to be in charge and officially approved this song for worship of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 16:8–36: In verses 8-22, David recited Psalm 105:1-15. Verses 23-33 are reflected in Psalm 96:1-13. Next, you will see Psalm 106:1, 47, 48 as David decreed these songs for Asaph to make sure the people would never forget who God is and what He had done (vv. 34-36). The chronicler reminds us: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever” (v. 34). Why is this message so important? To those coming out of exile, they needed to remember all God had done. David encouraged them to praise God for everything He did for them.

CLOSING

Where are you personally? Are you willing to dance? Or are you sitting at the window? When you can decide that you’re free to dance, then you’ve understood what this means. If you can’t quite get there, ask the Lord to free you from this bondage that is not designed from the Lord.