David Dance Before Di Lord

Trumpets dey blow. People dey shout for joy. And for di front of di procession, one king dey dance for street with all im strength, e no care who dey look. But somebody dey look. From one window for up, one woman dey look down, and she no dey smile.

David don be king over all Israel now, and Jerusalem na im city. But one thing still remain. Di ark of di covenant, di gold box wey hold di tablets of di law and stand for God presence among im people, don dey one house for di small town of Kiriath-jearim for many years, people almost forget am. David want make God dey di centre of im kingdom. So e gather thirty thousand men wey dem choose, make dem go bring di ark come house.

Dem put di ark for one brand new cart wey oxen dey pull, and two brothers, Uzzah and Ahio, di sons of Abinadab, dey guide am. Ahio waka for front. And David and all Israel celebrate before Di Lord with everything wey dem get: lyres and harps, tambourines, rattles and cymbals. Na parade, na festival, na homecoming. Then dem reach one threshing floor. Di oxen stumble. Di cart shake. Uzzah stretch im hand hold di ark of God.

And di music stop. Di Bible talk say di anger of Di Lord burn against Uzzah because of im error, and Uzzah die there, beside di ark. Since then, readers don find dis moment hard, and dem don struggle with am honestly. Wetin di story make clear na say di holiness of God no be something wey person go handle anyhow. David vex, then fear catch am. How di ark of Di Lord go fit come meet me? e talk. E no carry am go front again. Instead, e make dem carry am go di house of one man wey dem dey call Obed-edom di Gittite, wey dey near there.

Di ark stay with Obed-edom for three months. And something begin happen. Di Lord bless Obed-edom and im whole household. Di news reach di king. Di Lord don bless Obed-edom and everything wey e get, because of di ark of God. Di presence wey be like danger before, na im be di source of every good thing too. So David go bring di ark up to Jerusalem again, dis time with joy, and dis time with care.

Dis time, dem carry di ark for shoulder, no be for cart. When di people wey carry am don waka only six steps, David stop di procession and offer sacrifice. Then e dance before Di Lord with all im strength, e wear simple linen ephod, priest cloth, instead of im royal robe. Shout and trumpet fill di air. Dem bring di ark enter di tent wey David prepare for am, and e offer sacrifices and bless di people for di name of Di Lord. Then e give every person wey dey there, men and women, bread, one portion of meat and one cake of raisins make dem carry go house.

But Michal, Saul daughter and David wife, don watch from window as di king dey jump and dance, and she despise am for her heart. When David come house to bless im family, she meet am with contempt. See how di king of Israel carry imself with honour today, dey uncover imself in front of di slave girls of im servants, di way shameless fool dey uncover imself! David answer, Na before Di Lord I do am, di one wey choose me. I go celebrate before Di Lord. And I go make myself even lower pass dis one.

Why things scatter di first time? Di law of Moses don already give instructions. Na Levites suppose carry di ark for their shoulder with poles, and di book of Numbers warn say even dem no suppose touch di holy things. Na with cart di Philistines send di ark back dat time. When di book of Chronicles tell dis story, e show David imself dey explain di difference: di first time, no be di Levites carry am, and we no seek God di way wey e command.

David dance before Di Lord. You go find am for Second Samuel, chapter six. God dey holy, and na im still dey give every blessing. David learn to come near am with care, and to celebrate am without holding back. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When you dey worship God, wetin dey worry you pass, to do am di way God want, or wetin other people go think?