Everybody loves a party. Everybody loves to celebrate. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. We celebrate Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Christmas, and Memorial Day. We even celebrate the goodness of tacos every October 4th on National Taco Day. We celebrate pretty much any big event that has significant meaning to us. And as we do celebrate, we join with others to make the event memorable and fun. So what do your celebrations look like? Great food is a must for all celebrations. More than likely some festive music will be present. Maybe some dancing and games. And of course, it would all be in vain if the people that were doing the celebrating were not really “into it.” You see, you can have all the elements of a celebration but if the people are not celebrating, it’s all in vain.
You’ve more than likely seen this at work. You’re at a pool party that is really jumping. Lively conversation, tasty food, fun music, people dancing together, tons of screams and splashing coming from the pool…and yet there they are. One person sitting in the corner like a wallflower. They have a glum, long face and it seems they would rather be anywhere else on the planet besides here. You wonder to yourself how in the world somebody could be so sour and indifferent amidst all of this fun and revelry? I mean come one, this is one the best parties you’ve been to in a long time and you’re having a blast! How can you be having so much fun while someone 15 feet away is having such a miserable time? Now take this scenario and spin it to the last time you were at church. Why do some people seem to be really connecting with God as others are just sitting there, indifferently sipping their coffee and scrolling on their phone?
Today as we meander through 2 Samuel chapter 6, we find a big party. And when I say big, I mean big. Like to the tune of 30,000 people. (2 Sam 6:1) There is tons of live music with tambourines, cymbals, harps, castanets, horns, and lyres. The people are singing out loud and shouting. There is festive dancing in the streets. What a scene this must have been. And just exactly what is the cause for this glorious and grand celebration? The wedding of a royal family member? An inauguration for big politician? A country’s independence? Nope, this whole party was for God. People were simply celebrating the goodness of God.
When was the last time you saw a celebration like this for God? Maybe last Sunday at your church? At my church we had a stage full of musicians and musical instruments. We had horns, flutes, drums, guitars, pianos, trombones and clarinets. We had about 10 people that stood on that stage and sang loudly to the Lord. The people in the congregation were signing to the Lord as well. Some people were holding up their hands to the Lord as they sang, yearning for the presence of God. There was clapping and shouts of praise. It seems we had almost every single element of David’s big party in 2 Samuel 6. (minus about 29,500 people…but that would be hard to social distance) But I have a question for you that’s as big as David’s celebration. As you attend church and sit in the middle of that big celebration…are you really celebrating God?
You see, it’s very easy to be in the middle of the celebration and miss the celebration. You can be in the midst of the party and not be partying. It’s quite sad to say, but every Sunday I see people that seem to be attending the wrong party.
Are you truly celebrating God today? Are you so exuberant in the gift of life that you are singing to the Lord? Are you so excited to be alive today and able to serve God that you are constantly humming a song to Him? Are you celebrating the goodness of God in the one place that will radiate into the rest of your life…deep in your heart? You see, David was celebrating God in his heart and it radiated out into the world around him. Oh, what a picture it is to see people that truly celebrate the goodness of God in their heart.
At the close of our chapter though, we see an interesting conversation between David and one his wives, Michal. Recall that she was the daughter of Saul and David married her way back in 1 Samuel 18. As David leads God’s celebratory parade into town, Micah sees him worshiping God and dancing his heart out. We’re told that:
“David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod.” 2 Samuel 6:14
David had taken off his royal robe and all that denoted him as a king and was in the trenches celebrating God with other common worshipers. Michal did not like this. She criticized David as “vulgar and shameless” as he danced before the people he was supposed to be ruling over. You see, in the midst of the party, Michal could not party. Her heart could not and would not celebrate. A heart that was so bitter it also demanded that others leave the party and cease their celebrating. David’s response to her was one of fervor for the Lord.
“and I will celebrate before the Lord.” 2 Samuel 6:21b
Simple, declarative, and firm. David in his heart was bound to God and a heart that is truly bound to God will celebrate God. Folks, I pray today that no matter what path God has you on, you can truly celebrate God in your heart. That regardless of your circumstances, you can sing, dance and shout to the Lord in your heart. God is good. He is merciful, He is just, He is faithful, and He loves you more than you will ever comprehend. He loves you so much He sent His only Son here to die for you. So you could be in His presence for eternity. God is so worthy of our praise, worship, and celebration.
Today, choose to celebrate God. Refuse to let the wallflowers at the party dictate how you celebrate. Rise up and dance before the Lord with all your might.
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