David and Michal by Giulio Mari
Reflections on 2 Samuel 6:12-23 / 1 Chronicles
15:27-29
"And as the ark of the Lord came into the
city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king
David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart."
Later she said to him:
"How glorious was the king of Israel today,
who was uncovered today before the eyes of
the slave-girls of his servants as one of the
vain ones shamelessly uncovers himself."
David was dancing with all his might before the
Lord while Michal, Saul’s daughter, was in the palace. She was notably absent
from the multitude of people that had gone out to accompany her husband to the
most holy task of bringing back the presence of the Lord into Jerusalem.
She was in
a different spirit; she was of a
different spirit.
Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen
and girded with an ephod.[1] He had
left his royal apparel and was dressed as the priests and the singers. He had, like
the New Testament theme: "Emptied Himself
taking the form of a slave." [2]
The king might have been less regal than usual
but it was nothing to the ones who were rejoicing with him. Even to the
slave-girls, who were probably dancing and playing timbrels along the way, the
presence of a less than proper David
was seen as natural under the extraordinary circumstances—they were engulfed in
the same Spirit of worship and praise as their king was. To them it must have
been great, but to Michal, who did not have her eyes set on God it was
scandalous. Michal was in the flesh, the slave-girls in the spirit.
In the eyes of some of the young and old Jewish
devout men, the newly Holy Spirit's filled disciples were despised as men full
of sweet wine, and indeed they were, but it was the new wine of the Spirit—life
had been released.[3]
Often there seems to be a resistance on the part of those who walk according to
the flesh toward those who walk according to the Spirit. It is in the same
order of things expressed by Paul:
“ But then, even as he born according to the flesh persecuted the one
according to the Spirit, so also now.” [4]
That was Michal’s attitude, propriety above
sentiments, political correctness over offensive spiritual realities. David saw
what was behind her attitude and he addressed the root cause:
"before the Lord, who chose me over your
father and over all your father's house..."
Michal’s hopes were still entrenched in her
father’s fame. She had been taken out of a house of disobedience and placed
beside a man after God’s own heart and yet she was still nostalgic of her
family’s former glory.
Doesn’t it remind us of a people taken out of
Egypt, the house of bondage, to be taken into the Promise Land and yet looking
back with longing to the comforts of
slavery, complaining at the apparent slowness of God in providing for their
needs? [5]
It also causes us to consider a people translated
out of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of His love and yet looking back to
the time of self effort and personal energies, tired of waiting on God’s
timing. The predictability of fleshly attainments and dead liturgies feels so
good and comfortable when God requires quiet, patient waiting on the leading of
His Spirit.
After all, like so many lofty church practices,
Saul was head and shoulders above anybody else in Israel, and this ruddy former
shepherd boy, passionately in love with the presence of God, almost seemed like
an impostor on her family’s course to glory. But she was looking at the stature
of the flesh, not having treasured the word given to Samuel—God looks to the
heart not to appearances.[6]
In the same spirit of thanksgiving as David, much
later, a woman came to worship the Lord Christ with all she had. As with Michal,
the same with the people watching the anointing oil being wasted on Jesus’ head—they despised this woman in their hearts—that
expression of worship was too much for them.
When people are confronted with the unashamed
abandonment of the true worshipper, it usually happens that the real colors of
the cold hearted are revealed. As long as nominal
and safe forms of worship are
displayed and practised nobody objects. But when people of unrestrained
gratitude express their full joy and ecstasy before the Savior then the dry
squalor of an unthankful heart comes to the surface and tries to oppose what it
cannot find within itself.
We, the redeemed of today, must not lose our
first love. We have to guard our hearts from the deceptive pleasures of the
world and lifeless traditions, and set them on the soon returning King. Rejoicing,
let us go out as those simple slave-girls, ushering back in the earth the
presence of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
After all didn’t David say that with the
slave-girls he will be honored?
The choice is ours, shall we be a people of
unpretentious, lowly estate and dance with the King or shall we associate with
the proud spirit of Michal and be unfruitful?
“And there was no child to Michal the daughter of
Saul until the day of her death.”
Endnote and References
[1] Please note that David was not scantily
dressed as it may appear from Michal's choice of words. Also, the statement in
2Sam.6:14
"And David was girded with a linen
ephod." seems to imply that that was the only thing he was wearing.
But
the extent of his apparel is clarified with the addition of the report of the
same event found in 1Chronicles 15:27.
That text states that the king
was clothed with a robe of fine linen (ankle length) as the Levites and singers
with him,
and that he was also wearing a
linen ephod (knee length and opened at the sides).
(Scriptures taken from the KJV, NKJV of the Bible and
the LITV [Literal Translation of the Holy Bible] by J.P. Green,Sr.1995).
_____________________________
Being aware of my limitations but desirous to share, I submit this paper to my fellow
believers in Christ.
None of my work is ever complete, there is always
something to add as the Lord grants more light.
"For in You is the fountain of life, in your light
we see light." Ps.36:9 LITV
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