In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
So, obviously, I am not Fr. Mike Cassell who was
scheduled to preach today. I don’t know the details, but he called me on
Thursday night to tell me that he’s come down with some rather unpleasant
illness that precludes him from travelling. To be honest, immediately after I
got off the phone with him, I checked my computer files to see if I had a
sermon on these texts that I might be able to adapt for this morning. But I’ve
never preached on the seventh Sunday after Pentecost in the Mark cycle of
readings. When I looked at the readings though, I was immediately drawn to this
absolutely fascinating story about the Ark of the Covenant and David. So for
the sermon this morning, I’d like to reread this passage from 2 Samuel, and as
I do, I’ll stop periodically and make some comments about the text, putting it
in context, and also reflecting on what the lessons this ancient and holy story
have for us today.
David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring
up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the
cherubim. They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the
house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab,
were driving the new cart with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the
ark. David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs
and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
The first thing to consider in this passage is “why did
David decide to bring the Ark from Balle-judah to Jerusalem?” The story of the
Bible is an incredibly political one, and this reading is no exception. This is
a very early example of when humanity has used God for political expediency.
Given our current political climate around issues like abortion, marriage, and
immigration, this reading might help to realize that God is bigger than our
politics and will not be confined to our agendas.
David was doing something fairly radical in Israel- he
was establishing the throne of a dynasty in a royal city. Remember, Moses was
the leader of the Jewish people, then Joshua followed him, then the people were
ruled by a series of judges, and then, in order to be taken seriously by other
nations, Israel demanded a king. So Saul became the first king of Israel, but
it didn’t go as anyone had hoped. David becomes the anointed king and works to
centralize power in Jerusalem. But he has a problem.
The
older conservatives didn’t like these changes that David was making and he was
find resistance. And then David remembered the Ark of the Covenant- which was
seen by some Jews as the physical manifestation of God’s presence on earth and
contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments inside of it. The Ark was last
seen 30 chapters ago in the book of First Samuel. David, though, realizes that
if he brings the Ark to Jerusalem that these conservatives who oppose him will
be forced to at least tacitly recognize David’s new regime. The story of using
God for our own personal and political gains is not a new one, and as well will
see, often leads to our own demise.
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his
hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. The anger of
the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there because he reached
out his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God. David was
angry because the Lord had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah; so that
place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day.
Now, the
lectionary omitted those verses, but I think they are important to the story,
and by leaving them out, the lectionary commits the very sin that these
passages seem to be suggesting. The Ark of the Covenant wobbles as it is
carried by the oxen, and it’s about to tumble to the ground, so the proactive
Uzzah reaches out his hand to try to catch the Ark. He is immediately struck
dead for touching the Ark.
This is a troubling passage to some. It seems like a bit
of an overreaction by God, but we do see the idea consistently in Scripture
that people who venture into the realm of God are overwhelmed when they come
into the Divine Presence. A mentor of mine loved this story and he often said
that the point of this passage is that “sometimes you have to let God fall.”
And I think he’s right- we are not God’s protectors. Something that I’ve
wondered after all of the debates about same-sex marriage is “Why do people
feel the need to protect God?” Whatever you think about same-sex marriage, if
God thinks it is wrong, and that’s a really big “if,” then who is offended by
these marriages taking place? The only person that could actually be hurt by it
would be God. And I’m fairly confident that, as this text shows, God is quite
capable of handling God’s own affairs.
When we try to protect God, we commit idolatry; that is,
we take on the role of God. Sometimes you just have to let God fall and trust
that God will be able to get up. A faith that needs to protect God is actually
a fairly weak faith. Let God worry about protecting God’s dignity, and let us
instead do what we promised to do in our Baptismal vows- respecting the dignity
of every human being. God doesn’t need our protection, but victims of predatory
lending do, victims of domestic violence do, hungry children and those on fixed
incomes could, indeed, us our protection.
David was afraid of the Lord that day; he said, “How can the ark of the
Lord come into my care?” So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord
into his care in the city of David; instead David took it to the house of
Obed-edom the Gittite.
David isn’t pleased with the fact that God has now
disrupted his plans to gain political power through the use of the Ark. We
often say that we want to be in God’s presence, but often when we get there, we
run for safety. St. Augustine, when he was becoming a Christian, is often
paraphrased to say something like, “O God, make me a Christian, but not yet.”
One British theologian surmised that “Christianity has not been tried and found
wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.” This is a truth that David
was learning.
Yes, God is loving and redeeming, but God is also
demanding and challenging. Living for God is harder than living for ourselves.
It is easier to be selfish than it is to be generous. It is easier to dismiss
others than to listen to them. It is easier to say the Creed than to live the
Creed. And so David throws the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Instead
of taking this demanding God who interrupts David’s perfectly calculated agenda
to the royal city, he instead leaves it with Obed-edom.
The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite
three months; and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. It was told
King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that
belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the
ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and
when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox
and a fatling.
Ah, but how quickly things change. I recall the exact
moment that I knew there was something special about St. Luke’s and that I was
called to be there. It was on the initial video interview with the Search
Committee, and I asked “What do you want me to walk away from this interview
remembering about St. Luke’s?” And one person answered, “God is going to do
great things at St. Luke’s. We’d like to have a priest to guide us, but either
way, God is doing to do great things here.” And you know what, that person is
absolutely right. St. Luke’s is doing great things, and we’re growing and
building toward something so grand that only God could have imagined it. And
this is a truth that was also found in the household of Obed-edom.
And David noticed this. He saw how, with God’s presence,
grand things were happening, and David realized that he had to have this power
in his royal arsenal. Again, David tries to use God, when in reality, God is
the one in charge.
David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with
a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the
Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
This is a short
reflection, but I wonder when was the last time that you danced before the Lord? Have you ever be so overcome with
joy that you either literally or metaphorically danced or shouted? It’s a
wonderful thing to celebrate, even if doing so isn’t always seen as “prim and
proper.” The next time you are moved to do so, dance.
As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of
Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before
the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. They brought in the ark of the
Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it;
and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord.
When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of
well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and
distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men
and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.
Then all the people went back to their homes.
Now, this is a strange turn in the story without more
context. Michal was King David’s wife. But to say that it was a good marriage
would be a stretch. Michal was Saul’s daughter and was married to David in a
political marriage. You can read more of Second Samuel later and get the fuller
story, but short version is that Michal seems to have truly loved David, but it
wasn’t reciprocal. She helped him when he needed it, and even deceived her own
father for him. And so David largely ignored her, though when it became clear
that she might serve a political purpose to him, he brought her around again.
So, even without this dancing, she probably had good reason to despise him in
her heart. But we have to extend the reading a few more verses to get the whole
story.
David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul
came out to meet David, and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself
today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any
vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!” David said to Michal, “It was
before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to
appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord, that I have danced
before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will
be abased in my own eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I
shall be held in honor.” And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the
day of her death.
Michal’s issue is that David was dancing to impress
others and that he was getting too comfortable playing the part of a
politician. Some commentators suggest that David’s attire that he wore when he
was dancing, the linen ephod, would have left little to the imagination in
terms of coverage. So her complaint isn’t that he is dancing, but that he’s
showing off. For Michal, honor is about dignified behavior; for David, it seems
to be about authentic worship. And it’s a debate that we continue to have
today- traditional worship versus contemporary worship styles. And the text
doesn’t tell us which is right. Michal dies childless, but that seems to have
to do more with the fact that David probably withheld the opportunity for her
to get pregnant than any sort of divine judgment on this debate.
Notice
that, at first, David’s response is “no, I was dancing before God.” But then he
admits- “but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in
honor.” In short, David is more concerned with pleasing his constituents than
he is being a fitting king. Again, David chooses the route of doing what serves
his goals best, and he’s not too concerned about who he leaves in his wake.
Of
course, King David is remembered as the greatest King of Israel, but as we see
in this, and other stories about him, he is a terribly conflicted character.
And that’s a good metaphor for us. None of us are purely evil, and none of us
are purely good. Most of us try our best to be good and faithful people, and
sometimes we fall short. But this story invites us to consider our motivations.
It is a
reminder that God does not exist for our agendas, but rather we are God’s
instruments. How do we invoke the name of God in our debates and discussions?
Do we only bring God into the conversation when we’re trying to win a fight? Do
we only bring God into the discussion when it comes to our idea of marriage and
ignore God when it comes to our homeless and hungry neighbors? Do we try to defend
God instead of doing the Godly work of defending the defenseless? Do we discard
God when God disrupts our agendas? Do we put more time into serving God or serving our image before others?
I’ll
close with one of my favorite prayers from the Prayer Book- Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you,
so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may
be wholly yours, fully dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray you, as thou
will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
