King of Fools
Day twenty-five of a month for prayer and fasting and calling out to God
As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.
When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet 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!”
David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
2 Samuel 6:16-23
There are consequences for each of us. This account of David’s wife, Michal, and David’s response to her contempt is a challenge to me. Have I despised anyone in my heart? Yes, I confess that I have. And may God help me to repent where this was a sin. And perhaps there are times when to despise what someone does is the appropriate response. Yet not here. Not when God’s chosen servant celebrates his Lord God. People have mocked those who worship God for thousands of years. People have despised us for our claim that there is one God and his son is Jesus Christ. David’s stripping down to his loincloth and dancing with all his might before the Lord may have shocked the daughter of king Saul, who had grown up in court where everyone - mostly - acted with decorum. It may still shock us.
A week or so ago I lifted my hands in church. People noticed. Not that anyone frowned upon my daring to lift my hands to God during worship, yet I cannot honestly say that there wasn’t a part of me that was self-concious as I did so. (Too confusing with the double negative? I was self-conscious.) I felt a freedom while praising God that I have not had in a while. And I thank all who have been praying for me this month! It didn’t lead me to stripping my clothes off and dancing, though my feet were definitely moving a little.
I feel there should be boundaries to my worship. David did not strip naked. That would likely have crossed a boundary. But I can remember my children, as toddlers, running round the garden on a hot summer’s day, laughing and dancing and leaping, wearing only a nappy or underpants. And from God’s perspective, as we are all his children, is that what he saw on what was possibly a hot day, too hot to be wearing stately robes and dancing before the Lord - his child, dancing and leaping with delight before him.
I felt this month that I should share these posts and prayers in public. Share them with colleagues and former colleagues, friends and acquaintances. I have been self-conscious while doing so. Yet I believe we are all God’s creation, all called by him to receive his son Jesus, all challenged to face our sin and repent. And so I have had this song by Delirious? in mind for most of the month:
David was not the king of fools, Jesus is. Mocked and insulted and despised. Dressed up in a purple robe, crowned with thorns and finally crucified with the title: King of the Jews placed above his head. What a fool… I am… to believe that Jesus is my king and not just my king, but King of kings. And he is the king of fools like me, who believe he died to save me - and you - and our children, many of whom have rejected this king of fools for a trans identity, not seeming to understand that Jesus came to set us all free from harmful identities. And this king of fools will have the last laugh, perhaps already has, resurrected from the dead, taken up into heaven and seated next to his and our Father - the Lord of all creation. If you do not already know Jesus, I pray that you will, and find that to love him and be loved by him is the wisest choice you will ever make.
Father in heaven, your love for us has no boundaries. You were willing, through Jesus, to go to Hell and back to rescue us. Praise you that whatever suffering we are going through, you have already experienced it, and endured it, and overcome it. Help us in the desert road we are on. Lead us and we will follow you. Forgive us where we have despised what you have called good. And have mercy on our children who have rejected you. I know I rebelled against you, and yet you continued to call me. Call our children, out of darkness, give them your wisdom to recognise good and evil, your knowledge to understand the consequences of their choices and actions. Lead them back to you. Amen
Yesterday’s post: https://goal31.substack.com/p/one-chance
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