Michal’s disapproval of David’s approach to worship

We all have different approaches to praise and worship. While some people choose to stand and raise their hands, others just nod their heads to follow the rhythm. Some choose to just tap their feet  and others choose to clap. However, there is another group of praisers and worshippers, who combine all the other approaches. Their approach is to glorify God with all of themselves. They sing, dance, raise their hands, tap their feet, clap, turn around etc. These deep praises and worshippers, care less about the people around but are focused on raising to God a sacrifice of praise and worship. If your approach to worship is different from them you might tend to conclude that they are overdoing it. The truth is, so far as they have God’s approval, the disapproval of men does not nullify their action. Our attitude towards the things we do are mostly as a result of our temperaments. Your temperament affects your behaviour. It is important that you know your temperament so that you don’t become very critical of other people’s actions.

As we identified in the previous post, Michal  was taken from Paltiel and restored to David. They seemed to be doing well. Michal joined the other wives of David and everything was going well. David’s goal was to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem,  the capital city of his new kingdom. The first attempt failed and a man called Uzzah died in the process. “When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.” (2 Samuel 6:6‭-‬7). David was angry and afraid at the same time (2 Samuel 6: 8-9). After three months, David tried again and this time, he was successful. Imagine the joy that would bring him. All that he wanted was to have the ark in Jerusalem and that became a reality. David was a praiser and a worshipper. According to 2 Samuel 6;14-15, David wore a linen ephod, and danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. (2 Samuel 6:20‭, ‬23)

David was not just clapping, tapping or raising hands, he danced with all his might. “When David returned home to bless his household, Michal, daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” (2 Samuel 6:20). Michal’s disapproval of David’s approach to worship might have stemmed from different reasons. First it could be as a result of temperamental differences. Second, Michal’s father Saul was also a king of Israel and he might have not openly danced like the way David danced before the Lord. Thirdly, Michal might have disapproved of David dancing before the commoners (the ordinary people). The best explanation to this is the second part of 2 Samuel 6:20. Michal complained that David was going round half-naked in the full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would. This accusation is quite deep, noting that it is coming from the first wife of the king. Michal did not just show her disapproval of David, she demonstrated that the people are mere servants and their children are slaves. She utterly brought up a class system in the society. 

What Michal might not have considered was that her own father was part of the same society until God appointed him as king. She forgot that David himself was a shepherd boy before he became a giant slayer. She missed the fact that when we come before God in praise and worship, king’s and servants alike have a mandate to worship in spirit and truth. How we do that depends on our approach to praise and worship. Michal fixed her eyes on power and authority over praise and worship to God. Her father Saul demonstrated a similar attitude throughout his life to the extent of taking the role of the prophet Samuel and offering sacrifices to God. Michal loved David by all standards but she hated his way of worship. She failed to appreciate their individual differences to worship, and accept that in praise and worship, kings and servants alike have the same mandate. 

The words of Michal to David shows the lack of dignity David demonstrated when he danced together with the people. In reply, “David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.” (2 Samuel 6:21‭-‬23).

Many people across the world act like Michal. They are quite critical and condemning when prominent people demonstrate their love for God publicly. Michal knew God. She might have loved God but her understanding of praise and worship was flawed. 

“Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” (Psalms 150:1‭-‬6)

Naomi has a son: Praise the Lord!

Have you ever encountered people who had nothing and suddenly had their lives changed? It may sound surreal but they are people who move from grass to grace in no time because they encountered their destiny helpers. Anyway, if you have not met one of such people yet, I believe I am one. God in His mercies called me out of my little community and led me to a place of grace. Left to my parents alone, I would still be living somewhere managing my life. But God’s mercy pulled me out and connected me to the right institutions and the right people. Over the years, I have come to understand that all these systems I have encountered were God’s ways to take me to where I have to be. Obviously, it didn’t happen overnight; it has been years but God is still leading me. 

If you ever wondered why God has not done anything spectacular for you, just know that living, having food to eat and clothes to wear is a daily provision of God we take for granted. You will appreciate all these better if you ever come across someone with a life-threatening issue. Naomi and her family experienced famine and as a means of escape, moved to Moab. By the time Naomi returned, she had lost her husband and her children. In her sadness, Naomi wanted people to call her Mara (bitter) instead of Naomi (pleasant). As we have seen, God didn’t leave Naomi alone. When Boaz accepted the challenge to buy out Naomi’s family possessions, he agreed to redeem Naomi and Ruth from every debt and be their provider.  

The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 4:14‭, ‬17)

The people in Naomi’s community testified to the massive change this made to Naomi. Ultimately, Boaz and Ruth gave Naomi a reason to rejoice. In Ruth 4:14, “[t]he women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!” God was gracious to Naomi and enabled Ruth to conceive. In Moab, while Ruth was married to Mahlon, she had no child. But when the guardian-redeemer married Ruth, a child was born. Once again, “[t]he women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17).

These women were probably the same people who exclaimed when Naomi returned. They saw her face, her appearance and the sadness around her.
“So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19)
But, when God’s mercy made a way for Naomi to be redeemed and then have a son, the same women praised God and named the son Obed meaning servant of God/worshipper. What the women didn’t know was that the name given to the son was going to go beyond Bethlehem. Obed was the father of Jesse and the grandfather of king David. As we know, David was a man after God’s own heart. He was a servant of God and a great worshipper. Most of the Psalms were composed by David.

God was not done with Naomi, through the genealogy of David, the ultimate redeemer of the world was born. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of men redeemed humanity from the clutches of sin and death.

Naomi’s restoration should remind us that God’s plans are bigger than ours. Whenever we need to make any move, we should consider this, “is this God’s plan for me?” Ask God to show you His perfect plan for you. 
As we lay our hearts before God, may he take away any form of Mara (bitterness) in our lives and give us Obed (worship)… Yes, we shall praise, worship and serve God for the rest of our lives. 

The Creator is worthy to receive glory, honour and power!

Alexander Graham Bell is well noted for inventing the telephone. His invention was patented on March 7, 1876. Bell was still very young and must have been proud that he had made a device that allowed humans to communicate over wires. The revolutionary technology of the telephone has gone through different stages and has transformed from a box device to a handheld tool that does not require wires to operate. In fact, in 2014, while on a Norwegian airlines flight,  I connected to the wifi and was chatting with friends down below. Is that not amazing! Now, we can be on earth and get messages sent to us from Mars, from the moon, under the water etc. The technology of the telephone has really advanced. Mr. Bell is accredited for the concept and creation of the telephone but we cannot credit him with the latest technological advances in telephony. I am sure, if Mr. Bell could be given a second chance on earth, he would be amazed that we make calls via watches, microchips (inserted into stuff) and via Bluetooth. He would have been wowed by the advances of what he started as a box device.

However, God’s creation has not changed over the 1000s of years the world has been around. Creation has not undergone production changes. Humans have not moved from walking creatures to flying birds; the tree still stand root down and branches up; the water bodies are still on earth and not in the sky; babies still need a male and a female to make (even if it is scientifically manipulated); dogs don’t behave like chicken and birds still lay eggs (they don’t push their babies out from wombs). The structures and systems in the world have gone through a considerable change. Our buildings have changed; our education systems have changed; scientific research has given humanity access to previously inaccessible places but the earth remains in its place. It has not fallen into space and neither has it moved further away from the sun and the moon. I appreciate all inventions and I honour all inventors but their works will always be modified! However, God’s creation has never changed!

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11)

Of course, humans are always looking for ways and means to change their look, appearances and all that. For example, as someone with typical African hair, it is possible to see me in the morning with my real hair, in the afternoon with extension and in the evening with a wig! I keep changing my looks but God who created all things has not changed and neither has he changed the appearances of His creation. When we consider all these and many more, our response should be praise, adoration and worship. Indeed, our God is the greatest Creator and his works bear witness. Let us join the twenty-four elders is Heaven to lay down our crowns (pride, our own honour)and sing this song: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11)

Praise Him from the heavens and the heights

My first flight experience was very fascinating. I was so amazed looking down from the skies and seeing the earth so small and everything looking so tiny. The sky was so bright and the moon lighted the sky in all its radiance. The stars seemed far away as compared with the moon but I couldn’t miss their light as well. The heavens were indeed declaring the glory of the Lord. As I sat in my seat, I was filled with so much praise. As morning came, the clouds began their humble parade. One, two, three and a gazillion of clouds hanging up there with nothing holding them but they were so perfect. As we ascended higher, the very white clouds below looked like a uniformed army ready to take charge. And as we descended, the mountains showed up in their radiance. In the sky, the heights looked so small but getting closer, I could get a better glance at the magnificent peaks and the beautiful vegetation that are around the height. Indeed, God is the Master designer!

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. (Psalms 148:1)

I couldn’t help but to join the Psalmist to praise the Lord. Psalm 148 is a perfect praise for how I felt:
“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord.”

Whenever we are in doubt of the presence of a Creator, let’s consider the orderliness of creation. No automatic process could have been so smart to put everything where they need to be. The heavens and all that stay in the heavens are in the appropriate place. The fish is in the water, the animals are on land and some amphibians live in the water on the land. Imagine if humans were to live in water, we wouldn’t survive because our bodies are not fit for water living. We need special diving suits and oxygen tanks to go underwater for a while. No fish requires an oxygen supply down there! When astronauts travel to outer space, they have to wear a spacesuit and be in a spaceship because humans were not made for space. However the stars, the moon, the sun, the meteors comfortably hang up there because that is where they belong. God placed us exactly where we belong and that alone should cause us to give Him praise. Never wish you were anything else other than human, for if you were made a mosquito, you would probably have died on your first attempt to bite a human. Praise God for making you….you!

Let all creation rejoice!

There are countless times we’ve had to deal with life’s issues that the last thing we do is to rejoice. In fact, the challenges of life can make you so sad that praising God becomes a chore instead of a lifestyle. We live in a fast changing and a fast moving world and instead of relying on one another, loneliness has become a norm. We have been drawn so close by technology that we are more distant than ever. Such an irony! Life is lived virtually,  we work virtually, we check up on people virtually, we study and write exams virtually and sometimes we celebrate others virtually. I have attended weddings, churches, funerals, parties, launches etc. virtually. How do we come together to rejoice when we barely see each other?  Maybe we could learn from nature.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. (Psalms 96:11‭-‬12)

Imagine a party in the heavens, a celebration on earth, a jamboree in the sea, a matching band of the fields and the singing trees! It sounds unrealistic right? But, creation rejoices each day before the Lord. The heavens and all the hosts in it declare the glory of the Lord. They sing to the Lord a new song. Aurora borealis, the shooting stars, the stars, the moon and the sun rejoice in their radiance. In the depth of the sea, the waves give a signal and all the fishes jump in glory. The trees on the fields wave in celebration of the glory of God. The Lord deserves all praise and the Psalmist proclaimed in Psalms 96:11-13, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.”

When we understand that everything was made for His glory, we will be careful to take care of creation. Humanity has been given dominion over created things and we should not use our dominance to destroy but to preserve. Afterall, Genesis 9:3 confirms that the plants and the animals have been given as food: “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” However, we have also been tasked to be fruitful as well. If we want to see the trees in the field continuously rejoicing in the Lord, then when we fell a tree to make books, firewood etc. we should make sure that another tree or more trees are planted in its place. The party in the sea will cease if we only pour acidic contents into the ocean destroying living things in the sea. We might not enjoy the party in the heavens if our attitudes cause a depletion of the ozone layer putting humans, animals, the environment and marine lives at risk.

God will judge all our actions (Romans 2:6) and we don’t want to be in His bad books because of our attitudes. 

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psalms 96:13)

Dance with all your might

I love pressing the praise button once in a while. Sometimes, we get so involved with many things and we tend to lose sight of praise. All work and no play, they say, makes Jack a dull boy. I believe a Christian lifestyle without praise makes one a dull person. God’s praise should be part of our lifestyle including our health and well-being. Dancing is one way we praise God. Dancing itself is a form of aerobic exercise as it improves our flexibility and raises our heart rate. The higher the dance tempo, the better. 

Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14)

In 2 Samuel 6:14, David shows his praise moves with dance. The verse states that, “Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might.” David was indeed moving all his body including hands and legs. To dance with all of one’s might will not be nodding just the head, or tapping the feet. It would be all-encompassing. His dance was so spectacular that his wife Michal, despised him for dancing like any vulgar fellow: “As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16). David was a praiser and dancing was one of the ways in which he praised the Lord. 

When we praise the Lord by dancing with all our might, God gets the praise and we get our bodies active. Why don’t we try to press the praise button this weekend with a dance unto the Lord.

Do not take His glory!

A few years ago, I heard a preacher say, “Give all thanks to God and give me the fans.” The truth is, whatever we have, do, receive, give and produce as workers of God, we should give all glory and “fans” to God. Definitely, we will surely be praised by men for achieving a feat but we should let God be glorified in our victories. It is easier to accept that we have achieved something and deserve to receive praise. As servants of God, we should be aware that whatever we are blessed with, or we are able to do, God made it possible. He works through us for His own glory. Therefore, He deserves the praise, worship and the fans.

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.(Psalms 115:1)

When we get to understand that we are vessels of God’s grace and that His light shines through our lives to bring salvation to all men, it should make us humble and hungry for more of His presence. Whenever it feels like men are ascribing the praise meant to God to us, we should be quick to return the praise back to God. In fact, we should constantly remind ourselves of Psalms 115:1, “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” We have been endured with virtues from God for His praise of His glory. God works through us but we do not work through God. He gives us grace to excel in our lives and ministry. 

We should understand that we are not on our own. We are connected to a divine source that powers us for victory. Just as the light bulb needs electricity or a battery to shine forth, we should know that when we shine out to the world, we have been powered by a source. We have received from God those virtues that have brought us to the limelight and we need to stay connected to our source. If the light bulb sees itself as a powerful illumination tool, it will soon fade out if the source of its shine is taken away. We are products of love and faithfulness and we should let the world know that our God deserves all the praise, glory, honour etc.

Praise the Lord: Sing to the Lord a new song

Psalm 96 is a famous psalm of praise that invites all the earth to sing a new song to the Lord: “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

The theme of worshipping or praising God with a new song runs throughout the Bible. Sometimes all that we need is to make a melody to the Lord, sing of His goodness, mercy, love, compassion, holiness, glory, splendor, fame, strength etc. 

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 42:10a)

Today’s verse focused on the same theme of praising God with a new song. Isaiah 42:10a invites us to: “Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth.” Sometimes, the only thing we need is to sing praise from within our Spirit. The Lord is good and He is Lord over all things. 

What is your praise song for today?

Sing to the Lord, all the earth

One of the biggest weapons of praise is music. In fact, whenever we sing the praises of God, we invoke the presence of God. I  have come to realize that God does not judge us based on our voices. We tend to be very critical about the quality and the nature of our voices. God is interested when we sing praise from a grateful heart. The songs of praise, worship and adoration ascend to heaven as a testimony for us. 

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. (1 Chronicles 16:23)

Today, let’s continue with our atmosphere of praise and sing songs of praise to our God. People from all nations, tribes and tongues are invited to sing to the Lord. It is a universal call! We have been called to proclaim his salvation day after day. This repetitive process should be our way of life. On a daily basis,  we should declare the salvation of the Lord. If you are just like me and doubt the quality of your voice, let this assure you: God is not judging us for the way we sing. He is interested in hearing us pour out songs of praise to Him. He understands all languages and you do not necessarily have to present songs of praise in English if you are not comfortable with English. It is better to praise in a language you are comfortable with. 

Remember  we have been called to praise and worship and, singing is one of the ways we do that. Let’s us join the Psalmist to sing to the Lord:

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.” (Psalms 96:1‭-‬13 NIV)

Joyful praise

Imagine a church meeting with people from all nations, and people groups praising and worshipping God. This may sound too surreal but not impossible. At the end of the age, we will all gather before the throne of God and present our worship (Revelation 15:4). This awesome day will not be a one time event. It will be an eternal experience for those who spend eternity with God. Must we not practice thus on earth? Sure we can! So let us give it a try. 

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. (Psalms 47:1)

The Psalmist states in Psalms 47:1 that “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” This psalm presents two ways all nations can praise God: clapping our hands and shouting for joy. Of course these are part of the many ways we can praise God. Let’s call these two strategies a joyful praise. Today, in your own space, practice giving a joyful praise to the Lord. Clap your hands in praise and adorable and shout with cries of joy. Imagine if people from different nationalities take part in this exercise today, we will be practicing what we will be doing in eternity. We may not gather in one place, but we share one goal: that is to praise the Lord with joyful praise. 

When we understand the way of worship in eternity, we will always encourage cross-cultural worship. Remember that the neighbour you do not want to be close to because of linguistic barriers could be probably a member of the heavenly choir. So, we better get used to each other on earth as we will be together for eternity. Irrespective of the praise pattern for your church, never look down on other denominations. Together, we are raising a joyful praise to the Lord. Imagine bringing all the melodies together, we create a joyful shout of praise to the Lord. Let’s keep praising and let’s encourage one another to praise. We are raising a heavenly chorus.