Extravagance for an Extravagant King
Let’s dive into 2 Samuel 6:12-19
Quick Review Prior
The Ark had been taken of Israel some 20 years or so.
David and the Lord had a falling out on his capture of the Ark and trying to return it.
He stuffs the Ark into Obed-Edom’s house and decides to watch his house closely.
2 Samuel 6:12-19
“Now it was told King David saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a falling (calve). And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet. Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.”
Let’s look very closely at this.
It reads that he sacrificed an ox and calf every 6 paces. They measured it to be 12-15 kilometers from Obed-edom’s house to Jerusalem. If you sacrificed one of each every 6 paces for 12-15 kilometers, it would be around 5000 Ox’s and 5000 Calves. Totaling 10,000 sacrifices for 7.5 miles or so of walking. It had to look every bit of extravagant, and I’m sure to some it looked like it was pointless or “too much.”
Let me be clear, this is extravagant and it was done before the Lord. He found it pleasing. He found it to be lovely and rested into the city of Jerusalem. For the human eye, it must’ve been a sight to see! 10,000 altars being set up, being burned, the amount of smoke there must’ve been, the smell that must’ve took place, take it all in.
David was extravagant before the presence ever entered into the city. Sometimes we like to highlight how he danced before the Lord, yet there was actual preparation in an extravagant way before the dancing ever happened.
He spared no expense. It must’ve cost him a fortune for what he was willing to pay.
He didn’t do it to get God to show up. He did it for an extravagant God who deserved extravagant praise.
What would it look like to show up on a Sunday, with time already sacrificed before the King, where we collectively gather with all of our praise together? That we’re not solely coming to be poured into, but instead pour our hearts out before the King of kings together.
What a beautiful sight that would be!
Sometimes in my own life I can enter into places of worship distracted, I’ve entered depressed, worried, anxious, and I’ve even entered in on a Sunday or a worship night being frustrated with God.
This is where I’ve noticed there are times in my life where it will cost me something to worship Him. That I don’t have a right to stay in my yuck. I re-align with Who He is, the same way David remembered the value of the presence of the Lord and knew he MUST get the presence into the city, regardless of his offense!
David and God had their squander. David straightened up real quick when He realized the Lord was moving in Obed-Edom’s house. He re-aligned and got over himself and did it right, in an extravagant manner.
Being extravagant before the King will cost us something. This isn’t just for showing up on a Sunday, but worshipping Him on a Monday. He’s worth extravagance every single day. Sometimes we won’t feel it, and that’s ok. This is where we do what we know to be true, even when we don’t feel like doing it.
Our sacrifice of pushing past my silly thinking steps into the equivalent of offering Him the Ox and calf.
It may not feel extravagant in the moment, but as we see with David, it enters into gladness and thanksgiving.
It costs me nothing to show up on a Sunday and worship Him when I’m feeling good. I want to be there. I am happy to be there.
What about days when I’m sad, angry or upset?
What about when I don’t want to be there on a Sunday or maybe enter into my secret place out of exhaustion or maybe being overwhelmed?
What about when it’s a struggle and sometimes and my mind is clouded and I don’t feel Him draw near?
I’ve noticed when I show up, He meets me there as I am, and He’s not coming in with folded arms.
I’ve always been met by love
Yes come as you are, but don’t leave the same way you entered in…
The major difference between Michal (David’s wife) and David in this moment, David understood the value of what he was ushering in, Michal had lost the value or forgotten the importance of the presence of God.
A lack of celebration, or even an awareness, for His presence can reveal a hidden issue rooted in our heart….
It shows that I have taken the weightiness off His glory and the importance of seeing it rest in my household.
This can be as simple as feeling mundane showing up to church on a Sunday. It can even make me idolize people and words. “Well my favorite worship leader isn’t up there” - “Well their set list I’m not a fan of, it’s not worshipping the Lord how I like it to be.” - And before you know it, you’ve stepped into judgement and removed yourself from a place of worship and into offense, much like Michal.
We cannot afford to have a heart that has lost the value of His presence
Love the Lord your God with all your heart mind and would. The second is like it, love people.
So I encourage you, be extravagant for the King. Not to get Him to show up, but because of WHO HE IS.
