David And Michal

Eventually David prevailed and began to reign over all Israel from Jerusalem. Israel spent much of his reign at war with Philistia. During one of these battles the ark of the Lord was captured. After one aborted attempt to bring it back David sanctified himself and his people properly and began to bring it home:

"And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen. Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart." And so her bitterness implodes. I am not surprised. Her father was supposed to be a spiritual man who was numbered among the prophets. He had used her and misused her. Her brother whom David described as a righteous man had betrayed her for short term gain. And now this husband whom she had once loved is dancing before the Lord in spite of his selfishness, his boorishness, his continued sexual sin and his failure to be a husband or father. Well, we all need to be worshippers because as we do so we acknowledge that in ourselves we are complete failures. There are those of us who know just how bad we can be. And in spite of it all we say to the Lord, "You deserve the glory." David knew he was a failure. He would say such things as, "My sin is ever before me." His extravagant worship was no more than the Lord deserved; it was probably far less. The conversation which David and Michal had is just about the only one recorded in scripture and shows how much they misunderstood each other.

"Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!" (2 Samuel 6:20)

Michal was guilty of one thing so many of us are. We mock another’s worship of God. David was not naked for we know what he was wearing, but he made himself vulnerable. He was showing the people that he was totally reliant on God.

"And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD." (2 Samuel 6:21)

David is no psychologist. He let’s her have it with both barrels. And his true feelings come out as well. This is no Word of Knowledge. This is sheer one-upmanship and almost totally unfair. Michal had risked her life with her father for David. She was not hankering for a return to rulership under the house of Saul She was angry because David had not returned her love. He had shown no loyalty to her. David continued: