If you had to sum up this story in non-religious terms, it would be a man went to collect something precious and did an embarrassing ‘dad dance’ all the way home. The story here doesn’t mention it, but they also handed out cake to everyone at the end! David, however, would point to this event as an outpouring of thanks and joy. If even the king can humble himself and look foolish, how much more should the people rejoice!
This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.
Main Passage : 2 Samuel 6
There was something missing from David’s city, and today was the day he would go fetch it. At the top of the city, on a wide flat ground, David had given orders for a special tent to be put up, a tabernacle.
The tabernacle would be the new place for the ark of the covenant, a very special box which held the stones God had given Moses and some of the manna he had given his people to eat. Even though God is everywhere, the box was a symbol to show God was with his people. The Israelites had carried the ark through the desert and into God’s promised land, into the land where David now ruled as king. The ark had lived many places; at one time it had even been lost, but wherever the ark went it was powerful. When the ark was in the wrong place, bad things happened; when it was in the right place, great things happened. David wanted the ark in his city, in Jerusalem. He wanted God to be at the centre of the kingdom he ruled. One day, he planned to build a great temple for the ark, a home for God to live in.
David had tried moving the ark before, but he’d been too quick to do it his way and everything had gone wrong. This time he would do it God’s way, the way the scriptures told him the ark should be moved. David was so excited. He called the Levites who had been prepared to carry the ark. He called his whole house. He called everyone to come join the journey. When they reached the house of Obed-Edom where the ark was, the Levites picked up the ark, and the journey back to Jerusalem started with David leading the procession.
And what a procession it was: men and women and children, gladfully singing, making music, worshipping God! There at the front came David, not in his royal robes or on a huge war horse, but wearing a simple linen cover and dancing with joy. The rams horn blew, the people sung, and David danced. He danced even though he sometimes looked silly; he danced even when people pointed and whispered. Eventually, one of the women asked him why he would make himself look so silly, and David replied:
“I will dance before the Lord, and I will not care about honouring myself, for I dance with such joy for all the Lord has done for me and my people. I will happily humble myself even more before my Lord.” David understood right then that he wasn’t the important thing in that procession, but the ark, God with them.
Want to add an extra elements to this story?
Verse 19 tells us David “distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one in the entire Israelite community, both men and women. Then all the people went home.”
Raisin cake is straightforward to make, and my friend Annalisa made one up for me if anyone wants to add some food to their bible story — hit the picture to be linked to the recipe she used!
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