Thursday, October 20, 2011

Michal's Folly

Reflections on 2 Samuel 6:16, 20-23
Use the frame on the left to read these Scriptures.

When the Ark of God entered Jerusalem, the whole city turned out just as it would have if David were returning victorious from battle. At such times, even the women rushed out, mingled with the festive crowd, and participated in the celebration. Normally, the king and army officers would have had the place of honor, but when the Ark entered the city, God had the place of honor, and King David celebrated with the citizens, leaping and dancing with them in the presence of the Lord.

CELEBRATION DESPISED. Michal did not get excited about the arrival of the Ark as she would have at an earlier time when David had returned from a successful campaign. She did not rush to the street in excitement, but remained haughty and aloof at her window. Just as her father had neglected the Ark during his reign, so she failed to celebrate its arrival in Jerusalem. In fact, when she saw David celebrating with the crowds, she despised him.

HUMILITY MOCKED. Later, David entered his house to bless it, but Michal interrupted the blessing with sarcasm. "Today," she said, "the King of Israel has distinguished (honored - ESV) himself by disrobing himself in front of servant girls!" No, David had not disrobed in public, but he had discarded his royal apparel and replaced it with priestly garments, which were, by the way, quite modest. Michal's problem was not that David was naked, but that his dress lacked royal dignity. She wanted a king for a husband, not a man who looked like a mere priest and acted like an ordinary citizen.

HUMILITY DEFENDED. David reminded Michal that God had rejected her father, who was not humble before God, and chosen him instead. No matter how undignified it appeared to Michal, David would celebrate before the Lord. David would humble himself not only before others, but also in his own eyes. David understood that "A man's pride brings him low (as Saul's pride had), but a man of lowly spirit gains honor" (Proverbs 29:23). Michal did not understand. As a young woman, she had fallen in love with a brave warrior, but now she was married a man who gladly humbled himself in order to exalt God.

BLESSING LOST. Michal refused to celebrate the arrival of the Ark and interrupted David's blessing with sarcasm. Consequently, she herself missed out on God's blessing. Michal died childless.

2 comments:

  1. Very helpful treatment of this passage. I have wondered if David was being too profane by his celebration but your comments help clarify the meaning.
    I have also wondered if David failed to protect his relationship with Michal. He waited until he became king over the whole kingdom before he sought to be reunited with Michal. Perhaps she felt resentful because she helped him escape from her father but David then seemed to have forsaken her.

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  2. Don, I am not sure David would have had much power to get Michal back until he did, but like you I've always wondered a little about David's treatment of her. But she didn't seem real devoted to the Lord from the beginning. She, like Rachel, had idols in the house. The writer seems to imply that God withheld his blessings from her.

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