2 Samuel 6:1-23
"Oh no! What is he doing? He looks like he's gone crazy," my friend tells me. We had been in her house, chatting about the latest news, when she looked out her window to find her husband David dancing like a mad man in the garden. "Doesn't he realize people can see him out there? Oh, what the neighbors must think of us now," Michal said, "My reputation has been ruined." I comfort her and tell her he must have a good reason, and we should go find out what he's so happy about. As we walk down the stairs and go outside, I remind her of the stress that David has been going through since he was appointed King of Israel.
King David led the Israelites across the countryside with the Ark of the Covenant in tow, with the goal of bringing it to Jerusalem; and as with every journey, they encountered difficulties. Along their journey, the men got tired of carrying the Ark on poles so they constructed a cart, pulled by some oxen. At one point, the Ark started to fall over because the oxen had stumbled, so Uzzah tried to help by reaching out to steady it. Since he acted hastily in his own strength, the Lord struck him down and he immediately died. This struck fear over the Israelites, so they stopped their journey and placed the Ark in the home of Obed-edom. They were unsure if the Lord would continue in His anger or bless the rest of the journey, so they stopped short. As it turned out, the Lord's blessing was still upon them, and He blessed the house of Obed-edom while the Ark was there. When David came to realize that the Lord was not still angry, he brought the Ark the rest of the way to Jerusalem.
"That's right," David says, agreeing with me as we join him in the garden. "I can see that the Lord has done great things for the house of Obed-edom, and I want those blessings for our house, too. My dancing is a praise to God for the great things He has done and has yet to do." But Michal was not convinced. She was too worried about her reputation, and was unwilling to be joyous with him. God saw that she was unwilling to learn from this situation, and punished her by making her barren, which ended her hope of raising future generations.
But David saw the lesson that God was teaching in this event, and he grew from it. He knew the Lord had good things in store for His people, and that he had been given a place of authority to lead them. If his wife had been by his side and praying with him through the situation, she would have grown in the Lord as well. Instead of maintaining independence in our relationships, it is important for us to help each other, and be involved with the circumstances of our loved ones around us. That is the only way we can grow closer to each other and to the Lord, and go on to influence future generations.
~ Kimberly Frantz
