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Reflect
Having captured Zion, David resolved to make it God’s city, and to establish there the chest containing the holy things that the Philistines had captured. He recognized the ark as a symbol of God’s throne, and bringing it to Jerusalem was a sign that he recognized God as the real king of the Israelites. The death of Uzzah seems strange to us, but David had failed to obey the stipulations for moving the holy things (Numbers 4:4–6, 15, 17–20). God took these actions of David with the utmost seriousness.
And then, David “danced before the Lord” (v 16). When I think of it, as a typically cautious and conservatively oriented Canadian, I could easily have taken the same perspective of Saul’s daughter Michal upon seeing my “leader” act the way he did. After all, are not leaders supposed to exemplify dignity and decorum? Surely David’s act of dancing with all his might while wearing a priestly garment was unbefitting for a king of the nation!
But God judges the heart while we judge appearances. When confronted by Michal about his outlandish display of exuberance – which was surely vulgar performance for even the servant girls – David’s unapologetic response exposed his real intention. His dancing was a reflection of a heart that was genuinely and authentically thankful to the God of Heaven’s armies.
There may be occasions when we evaluate the actions of others that might appear to us to be a bit absurd or inappropriate. Before drawing conclusions, let’s ask God to allow us to see their action through his eyes. He may confirm our sense of caution or he may correct us with the right perspective. Let’s be prepared for his response.
Respond
I must confess that I have judged others from a wrong perspective. God, please give me the patience to wait for your perspective as I live and work with people I love.
Jon Ohlhauser
Jon is currently Provost & VP for Academic Affairs at Crandall University in Moncton, New Brunswick. Jon holds a Ph.D. in Communication and has held various faculty and administrative positions in post-secondary education in Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick. He also served as a legislative speech writer in Edmonton, AB for a number of MLA’s. John is married to Jeneanne and has 7 children. Jon enjoys the challenge of living a healthy and active lifestyle and is currently a registered, competitive amateur boxer.