Michal's Tragic Life Of Wasted Devotion Series

DAVID—A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART

06—MICHAL’S TRAGIC LIFE OF WASTED DEVOTIONS

TEXT: 1 Samuel 18:17-23; 18:28; 2 Samuel 6:16

1 Samuel 18:17-23 KJV And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. [18] And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king? [19] But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife. [20] And Michal Saul's daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. [21] And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain. [22] And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king's son in law. [23] And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

1 Samuel 18:28 KJV And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him.

2 Samuel 6:16 KJV 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. (cf. 1 Chron. 15:29)

I. INTRODUCTION—THE PEOPLE AROUND DAVID & US

-Woven into the story of David’s life there are multiple characters that appear. God in His wisdom chose to put all of these characters in Scripture so we can get a grasp on the true nature of serving God.

-What these characters look like in David’s life will also mirror what they look like in ours. The only difference is that their times and their names have changed. But when you consider what they did to shape him, you can see with more wisdom in what is taking place around you.

-David had his share of noble men who were around him and he also had to contend with the villains as well.

• Saul

• Jonathon

• Michal

• Joab

• Abner

• Shimei

• Barzillai

• Ahithophel

• Ittai

• Abiathar

• Zadok

• Hushai

• Nabal

• Abigail

• Uriah

• Bathsheba

-There are many others who also enter and exit the stage of David’s life. Some of them would bring much joy and others would provoke much pain.

II. PILGRIM’S PROGRESS~PLIABLE & MICHAL ARE ALIKE

-There is a character in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress whose name is Pliable. He is a man who runs hot and cold according to the circumstances by which he finds himself in.

-He is at first excited about the direction that Christian has begun to take because of his response to Evangelist. In fact, Pliable has some pretty sharp arguments against Obstinate who thinks the whole matter of leaving the City of Destruction is foolishness.

-Pliable distances himself from the stubborn ways of Obstinate and sets forth on the journey with Christian. He does well until they get to that dark place called the Slough of Despond. Battling for their lives in the swampy mud, Pliable turns around and goes back to the City of Destruction because the way was too difficult for him.

-Jesus touched on this when he told the people the Parable of the Soils. The condition of one of those soils directly fit the bill for Pliable.

Luke 8:13 KJV They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

-It is a terrible thing to not have an active root system!

-The root system of plants is so crucial. During the winter, it appears that many flowers, shrubs, and plants are dead.

-But there is something going on that doesn’t meet the eye. The action is all taking place under the ground. Cold, rain, and snow can be raging above the ground but below the ground, the roots of healthy plants are branching out so that when spring comes there can be a root system that can support more growth.