【双语灵修】有失体统 Undignified

“‘以色列王今日 … 露体， … 有好大的荣耀啊！’” - 撒下 6:20

米甲在以色列首任君王扫罗家中长大，她可能从未见过她的父亲做过看来不合“君王身份”的事，她或许以为皇室人员应与普罗大众有别，她也可能希望大卫行事会像她心目中的父亲那样，而不是按他的真我去表达。

她那位身为君王的丈夫，竟如此不合体统地手舞足蹈，她似乎因此感到尴尬。他到底有没有也为她的名声着想过呢？

大卫毫不犹豫地回应她，他以犀利的目光和游戏的口吻回答说：“这是在耶和面前；耶和华已拣选我，废了你父和你父的全家，立我作耶和华民以色列的君，所以我必在耶和华面前跳舞。”他藉此宣告，当他作王的时候，一旦有需要，他必然会不惜以更不同寻常的方式 - 或甘愿自卑 － 来赞美和尊崇耶和华。

就是这样，即使受到一位至亲的批评，大卫仍然要让耶和华居首位。有时人们不懂得怎样表达在主里的喜乐，大卫让我们看到，他相信我们敬拜神是应该尽心去颂扬祂的，就如初代教会领袖爱任纽所说的：“人活出丰盛的生命，就是神的荣耀。”

祷告

父神啊，感谢你赐大卫给我们，让我们可以效法他来颂扬你。当我们向你表达我们对你的热爱时，惟愿我们不会因被人讥笑或拘泥于礼仪而却步。阿们。

撒母耳记下 6:16-23

16耶和华的约柜进了大卫城的时候，扫罗的女儿米甲从窗户里观看，见大卫王在耶和华面前踊跃跳舞，心里就轻视他。
17众人将耶和华的约柜请进去，安放在所预备的地方，就是在大卫所搭的帐幕里。大卫在耶和华面前献燔祭和平安祭。
18大卫献完了燔祭和平安祭，就奉万军之耶和华的名给民祝福，
19并且分给以色列众人，无论男女，每人一个饼、一块肉、一个葡萄饼。众人就各回各家去了。
20大卫回家要给眷属祝福。扫罗的女儿米甲出来迎接他，说：“以色列王今日在臣仆的婢女眼前露体，如同一个轻贱人无耻露体一样，有好大的荣耀啊！”
21大卫对米甲说：“这是在耶和华面前，耶和华已拣选我，废了你父和你父的全家，立我做耶和华民以色列的君，所以我必在耶和华面前跳舞。
22我也必更加卑微，自己看为轻贱。你所说的那些婢女，她们倒要尊敬我。”
23扫罗的女儿米甲，直到死日，没有生养儿女。

Undignified

"How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked. . . ." - 2 Samuel 6:20

Michal had grown up in the house of Saul, Israel’s first king. Maybe she never saw her father acting in a way that seemed “unkingly.” Maybe she thought that royalty should distinguish themselves from the common people. Perhaps Michal wanted David to act like the father she knew rather than the man he was.

She seems to have been embarrassed that her husband the king was dancing in such an undignified way. After all, shouldn’t David think about her reputation as well?

David did not miss a beat in his response. Perhaps with a sparkle in his eye and a sly voice, he said, “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.” He also declared that he would become even more undignified—and even humiliated—if that’s what it would take to celebrate and honor the Lord while serving as king.

In this way David put the Lord first when even a close family member criticized him. Sometimes people do not know how to handle the joy of the Lord. David showed that he believed it was right to celebrate with all your heart in the worship of God. As the early church leader Irenaeus put it, “The glory of God is a human fully alive.”

Prayer

Father God, thank you for giving us David as a model to follow in celebrating you. May we not give in to bullies of cynicism or decorum in showing our exuberant love for you. Amen.