Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20061029.htm

1 AND 2 CHRONICLES: GAINING DIRECTION OUT OF THE AIMLESSNESS OF APOSTASY
Part II: Gaining Direction From God's Work In The Reign Of David, 1 Chronicles 10-29
D. Learning To Heed God From The Heart In The Face Of False Criticism For Exhibitionism
(1 Chronicles 15:1-29 with 2 Samuel 6:20-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. True submission to the Lord can produce such complete obedience to Him that onlookers may wrongly conclude that such obedience is mere exhibitionism, or a false effort to draw attention to one's own self.
    2. The fear of such criticism can tempt the believer not to obey God so that he avoid such criticism.
    3. However, true obedience to God takes precedence over what false critics might think or say (as follows):
  2. Learning To Heed God From The Heart In The Face Of False Criticism For Exhibitionism.
    1. Due to a past failure to heed the Lord, David had learned through the tragic death of Uzzah that God's ark was to be carried on poles by the Levites in submission to the Word of God, 1 Chron. 15:1-2, 13; 13:7-12:
      1. 1 Chronicles 15:1-2, 13 reports David realized and admonished the Levites that, because of the failure of the priests and David alike to check and then obey God's requirements on properly carrying the ark on poles by the priests, the Lord had caused a "breach" of death to occur.
      2. We recall from 1 Chronicles 13:7-12 that this event was the death of Uzzah: he had put out his hand to steady the ark when the oxen that pulled the cart that carried it stumbled. Since the ark was not to be carried this way, leading to the crisis, God killed Uzzah, exposing the disobedience of all involved!
    2. Having learned from this error, David humbly obeyed God's Word, and humbly danced in worship before Him in keeping with the actions of a subject to His divine Master, 1 Chronicles 15:3-28:
      1. David sought to transport the ark of God in a Biblically correct WAY, 1 Chronicles 15:3-25:
        1. David again gathered all Israel to honor God in moving the ark from the home of Obed-edom, 1 Chron. 15:3, 25 with 13:1-4; Zon. Pict. Enc. of the Bib., v. Two, p. 658 with 2 Sam. 15:18.
        2. David gathered and directed the sons of Aaron (the priests) and the Levites ceremonially to sanctify themselves to carry the ark in the honorable way as God's Word taught, 1 Chron. 15:4-12, 13-15.
        3. David also directed them to lead the Levites to produce appropriate worship, 1 Chron. 15:16-24a.
        4. He even appointed Obed-edom the Gittite with Jehiah to be doorkeepers for the ark in realization of God's favorable treatment of Obed-edom for his proper respect for the ark, 1 Chron. 15:24b; 13:14.
        5. When the Levites began to move the ark, David led the leaders of the nation to do so with appropriate joy as loyal subjects of Almighty God, 1 Chronicles 15:25!
      2. God began to demonstrate His approval of this Biblically correct WAY of moving the ark by not slaying the Levites when they had carried the ark six paces, 2 Sam. 6:13; David and Israel's leaders thus sacrificed bulls and rams to God in appreciation of His approval of their effort, 1 Chron. 15:26.
      3. Deeply moved by God's clear acceptance of the WAY the ark was being moved, David wore a robe of linen like the priests versus donning his usual royal apparel, and danced in humble, submissive worship to God as His subject in front of the nation, 1 Chron. 15:27; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to 2 Sam. 6:20.
    3. Michael, daughter of Saul and wife of David, thought he was guilty of exhibitionism in doing so, and mocked his laying aside his royal robes to dance this way before all, 1 Chron. 15:29 with 2 Sam. 6:20.
    4. David refused to be swayed by her charge of exhibitionism, declaring that he was only expressing his true submission to God Who had elevated him to rule Israel for God's glory, 2 Samuel 6:21.
    5. David also predicted God would honor him opposite how Michael had mocked him for his humility, 6:22!
    6. In contrast to David and due to her false criticism of David's true submission to God, Michael was condemned to childlessness, a disgraceful status for a woman in her day, Ibid., ftn. to 2 Samuel 6:23.
Lesson: David learned through his failure to read and heed the Law that had led to Uzzah's death that he should humbly heed God's Word, and he displayed his submission to God in the way he worshiped. Michael falsely charged David's display as exhibitionism, so God blessed him and disgraced her!

Application: (1) May we heed the Lord as His subjects from the HEART to be blessed. (2) May we DO so regardless of false criticism of exhibitionism to the contrary! (3) Let us not criticize others of false religious exhibitionism, but let God judge the hearts of men in the end, cf. 1 Corinthians 4:3-5.