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CHAPTER 6 (ESV)
12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.
16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts 19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house.
20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.”
REFLECTION:
- Michal had been used by both her father and David. It’s no wonder she had become bitter. She had allowed bitterness to occupy her that she found no joy in the Lord. In the midst of the joy and celebration, Michal focused only on David’s display of “disgrace” and refusing to maintain his royal dignity.
- What a warning to us. Yes, others may mistreat us. But if we allow bitterness to swallow us that we cannot sense the presence of God, we will lose all perspective on life. Michal may have had a right to be bitter. So did David having been persecuted so long by her father. However, David overcame his bitterness by focusing on the Lord. Michal lost sight of God, and ended her life lonely and alone.
PRAYER:
Listen to God’s word with a prayerful heart: “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.(James 3:14-15, Heb 12:15)”
