Thanksgiving, a sacrifice
Under the Old Covenant, the priest could only enter into God's Presence through a blood sacrifice. And then only the high priest could come into the Holy of Holies one day a year, the Day of Atonement. The Holy of Holies is the inner room where the manifest Presence of God was. The only light was the glorious Presence of God. This is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. When David became king, he sensed that God was looking for something else, priests that offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise through a yielded and contrite heart. This was done even though the Law he lived under forbid it. It was offered with musical instruments as well as the voices of the singers. In this context, every priest could come daily before God without having to bring a blood offering. This order of worship was done twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This, of course, spoke of the day when every believer, a priest would come to God in boldness because of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10
This is what was referred to when James said David's booth was being rebuilt. David was the man after God's heart. He had a perception of God that would not be fully realized until Jesus would come and shed His blood for all. David's experience was a prophetic foretaste of something to come. It was David's hunger for God that enabled him to pull this experience into his day, even though it was reserved for another day. It is worth noting that the ark of the covenant (the Presence of God) followed David into Jerusalem. Wherever David danced, God followed. He responds to our offerings. In this story, it's an offering of thanksgiving and praise expressed in the dance. Many respond to God once His Presence is realized. But some respond before He actually comes: they are the ones that usher in the Presence of the King of Glory. Another way of looking at it is God showed up wherever King David danced in an undignified fashion. It might surprise us to find out what is attractive to Him. There was one notable absentee. Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked at the event through the palace window. Extreme worship always looks to be extreme foolishness to those who stand at a distance. Some things can only be understood from within. Such is the case with authentic worship. Michal was appalled at David's lack of regard for how people perceived his passion, his humility in attire, and his complete lack of regard for public decorum. Instead of greeting him with honor, she tried to shame him when he returned home. But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said,
"How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants' maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!" 2 Samuel 6:20.
His response was bold in many ways. So, David said to Michal,
"It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord. I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished."
2 Samuel 6:21, 22
David made it clear that God chose him above her father. This was a biting comment to say the least. Her disregard for the Presence of God revealed that she carried some of the same lack of value for the Presence that her father Saul had lived by during his reign. Never should we dumb down our emphasis on the Presence to accommodate the Michals in the house. He followed that comment by stating that she basically hadn't seen anything yet. In other words, if that embarrassed her, her future was not too bright. David was just getting warmed up. Tragically,
23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. 2 Samuel 6:23
Whenever someone despises extravagant worship, they put themselves in an extremely dangerous position. Barrenness is the natural result of despising worship. In doing so they are rejecting the reason we are alive. Barrenness and the absence of worship go hand in hand.
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:14-17
To value the scriptures above the Holy Spirit is idolatry. It is not Father, Son, and Holy Bible; it's the Holy Spirit. The Bible reveals God but is itself not God. It does not contain Him. God is bigger than His book. We are reliant on the Holy Spirit to reveal what is contained on the pages of scripture because without Him, it is a closed book. Such dependency on the Holy Spirit must be more than a token prayer asking for guidance before a Bible study. It is a relationship with the third person of the Trinity that is continuous, ongoing, and affects every single aspect of life. He is the wind that blows in uncertain directions, from unknown places.
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8
He is the power of Heaven, and cannot be controlled, but must be yielded to. He eagerly reveals His mysteries to all who are truly hungry. He is so valued in Heaven that He comes with a warning. The Father and Son can be sinned against, but sinning against the Holy Spirit has unforgivable eternal consequences. The Holy Spirit is deemphasized and almost removed from many Christians' daily approach to life and the Word. The fear of becoming like some mindless fanatic has kept many a Christian from interacting with their greatest treasure in this life, the Holy Spirit. We are heirs of God, and the Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14
Some teach that we shouldn't talk much about the Spirit as the Holy Spirit doesn't speak of Himself. However, both the Father and Son have a lot to say about Him. It is wise to listen to them. God is to be thanked, praised, adored, boasted in, and interacted with, worshiped, and the Holy Spirit is God.
