David Danced before God

1. Story (based on 2 Sam 6)

• We’ve been learning about a person called David.
• What have we learnt about him so far?
• David was a shepherd.
• David was anointed king.
• Saul was jealous of him.
• Saul wanted to kill him.
• David ran away, and God protected him from all harm.

• Then one day, Saul and Jonathan were both killed in battle. David was then made king of Israel.
• David loved the Lord. He loved to sing and write songs of worship.
• One of the first things David did as king was to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem.
• Who remembers the Ark? 
• The priests carried the Ark into the River Jordan, causing the water to stop, so the Israelites could cross. 
• The Ark symbolized God’s presence.
• It was lost in battle and captured by the Philistines before, but they returned it to the Israelites. (1 Samuel 5-7:1).
• It stayed in a place called Kirjath-jearim for 20 years. 

• David tried to bring in the Ark on a cart, carried by oxen. This was not how God had told the Israelites to carry the Ark. Anyone knows how the Ark should be carried? On the shoulders of the Levite priests. Yes, that’s right. The Ark represented God’s presence, and in David’s time, not anybody, even David, could just touch the Ark.
• So King David tried again, this time, the right way. On the shoulders of the Levite priests. 
• There were trumpets and singing and dancing and shouting. All Israel came to see the procession bringing the Ark into the city of Jerusalem. It was a huge celebration.
• And right in front of it all was David. Yes, the king of Israel was dancing with all his might! And not just dancing, but dancing almost naked! David had taken off his crown, his majestic robes and fine clothes. He only wore a linen ephod.
• Can you imagine our country’s king dancing on the streets at our national day parade? Or the king of any country dancing … naked? It was unheard of. Some may say embarrassing or humiliating for the great king. But David didn’t care. He was so happy that he could bring the Ark back to Jerusalem, and he was worshipping God. He was leaping and dancing.
• Suggestion: show video of David dancing 
• The ark was brought into a tabernacle that David had prepared. David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. Then he blessed the people and gave them gifts of bread and cakes. And all the people went home after that. 
• Now, not everybody was as happy as King David. In fact, his own wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter, was not enjoying the celebrations with everyone else. She was looking out her window, and she didn’t like what she saw. The Bible says she despised David in her heart.
• When David returned home, Michal came to 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!”
• But David told his wife, “In God’s presence, I’ll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over God’s people, over Israel. Oh yes, I’ll dance to God’s glory — more recklessly even than this. And as far as I’m concerned … I’ll gladly look like a fool!”

2. LESSON:

• The Ark of the Covenant:
• The Ark of the Covenant was a wooden box, about 45 inches long, 27 inches deep and 27 inches high. It was made of solid gold.
• On top of the Ark is a gold cover called the “Mercy Seat”. There are two winged angels on both ends of the cover.
• The Ark is kept in the Holy of Holies, the holiest part of the tabernacle, where no one else could enter and no one can touch. Only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest can enter the Holy of Holies. He would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifices on the lid of the Ark, called the “mercy seat”, to atone for the sins of the people. The once-a-year sprinkling of blood would temporarily “cover” the sins of the people. 
• The Ark of the Covenant represents the Presence of God to the Israelites. It was like a throne for God to sit on.
• But the Mercy Seat of the Ark is also a picture of a Perfect Sacrifice that would come one day. By the shedding of His blood, this Perfect Sacrifice would take away the sins of the whole world.
• Today, we know that this Perfect Sacrifice has already come. Jesus was our Perfect Sacrifice. On the cross, He died for us and shed His blood, so that all our sins can be washed away. 

• Burnt offerings and fellowship offerings
• David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. 
• The burnt offering was an animal, either a bull, sheep, goat or pigeon, that would be burnt completely unto God. It represents Jesus, who gave His life wholly and completely as a sacrifice for us. 
• The fellowship offering reminds us that because of Jesus’ blood, we have peace and fellowship with God today.

• Celebration:
• Just as David and the city of Jerusalem were in celebration when the Ark was brought into Jerusalem, there were huge celebrations when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. People lined the streets and danced and cheered, waving palm branches.
• Of course now we know Jesus came to Jerusalem to die for all of us. He loved us so much, He wanted to give His life for us so that our sins can be forgiven and we can be together with God forever and ever.
• Now … isn’t that reason for us to dance and celebrate? We can worship and celebrate God’s goodness, greatness and holiness! So when we come together every Sunday, let’s not fold out arms, or do our own things. Instead, let us sing dance with all our heart like David did, because we worship such as wonderful Saviour, Jesus!

2. Suggested Activities:

• Memory Verse: 2 Sam 6:21 “In God’s presence, I’ll dance all I want to His glory!” (MSG)
• Song and dance: The Spirit of the Lord is within my heart
  (The original song lyrics state, “When the spirit of the Lord comes upon my heart.” Perhaps good to remind kids that God’s Spirit is already in us, today. Hence we should sing this song as “The Spirit of the Lord is within my heart, I will dance like David danced.”)