Friday July 13, 2007

1 Chron 16:37 - 18:17

David has finished constructing the buildings "for himself in the City of David."(15:1). Interesting how this phrase seems to run afoul of contemporary evanglicalese, which would incline toward editing this statement as, "...for the glory of God in the city of God." But the text apparently allows economy for glorifying humans; the text appears to find no problem of the man-centered attention.

Interesting how David is coming to think about the ark *after* he has built all these city elements. It's like the town mayor, a Christian, obsessing for years about economic development, buildings, water, sewage treatment, plowing the snow, and as he starts his fourth term, he's concerned about the town's lack of a church building.

Interesting to see David's commitment to the quality of what might be called the "externals." This is another evangelical no-no. It's not just that he is committed to the Moses/Toray prescription for how the arc is to be handled, but he is committed to excellent singers and musicians (v 16), ornamentation and excellent clothes, the works. The text even bothers to obsess over the small details, like David being dressed in "fine linen" (v27).

(v29): King David was dancing in such a way as to make his wife, Michal, despise him. What would prompt that? I think it's evident that David was dancing in a way that would make us blush as well, and want to go dissuade him from such "lewd" conduct. I suspect that God is starved for such utterly joyful worship from his people. (I know, God isn't "starved" for anything...just endure a moment of exaggeration to make an important point).

(v 16:7) David wrote a pslam of praise. I find this element of David's life fascinating, because he convicts me as a liar and sluggard. Time and again I've lied to God and myself about how I don't have time to praise him or pray to him today because I just don't have time. David, however, was a king, and kings are very busy people. Kings and presidents, good and bad, noble and ignoble alike, are much more busy than desk workers like the rest of us. It may appear that they simply give us orders and sit back waiting for the result, but the fact is that they give the orders and spend much time plotting/anticipating/worrying about how we're working and what we bring them back as a final product. Yes, the work of a king has its cushy elements, but it has it's huge load of stress, for if a nation goes to war and loses, the first casualty is the soldier, the second is the king.

David convicts me because he devoted so much of his life praising God, and his excuses for not carving out time would dwarf mine, if not for the fact that his excuses were just as vacuous as mine. David not only devoted his life to praising God, but to writing his prose down to inspire later generations (and, of course, primarily because the Holy Spirit chose to use him as a vehicle for dictating scripture).

16:3: David gave food to the people as an expression of celebration. Way cool -- the godly example of how to throw a party.