Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Apr 1st, 2014 Michal, A Woman Whose Marriage Lacked Unity

Today’s Passage – 1 Samuel 12 – 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mathew 1 – 2; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Proverbs 27:15

Read the “0401 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

  “Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:” (1 Samual 14:49)

This is the first mention of Michal, Saul’s daughter, David’s wife.  Let’s take a look at the kind of wife she became.

And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster. And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?     (1 Samuel 19:10-17)

“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. And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house. 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! 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. And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.” (2 Samuel 6:16-23)

Michal was the youngest daughter of King Saul.  Saul had arranged David’s marriage to Michal hoping that it would make him unhappy and cause his death.  (See 1Samuel 18:21).  But Michal loved David.  David was handsome, courageous, a brave warrior, popular with the people and had a relationship with God. 

Saul never changed his mind about David and hated him more.  He tried to get rid of him through war.  When that failed, Saul plotted to kill David in his own home.  However, Michal heard of it and warned David.  She lied to her father by saying David was sick and place a large idol god in David’s bed.  Lets take a closer look at that.  Why was there and idol in their home?   David loved the true God.  Their marriage was doomed from the start.  They were unequally yoked.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”     (2Corinthians 6:14)

Later, we see Jerusalem, rejoicing together in receiving the ark of the Lord, in the place David had appointed it to be.  The priests and Levites had prepared themselves spiritually for their tasks.   Leader of the people with the  singers and musicians ready themselves for the joyous occasion.  David was over joyed.  He too prepared himself for this great event.  He put aside his royal robe and gird himself with linen  breeches that God had ordered the  priests to wear. (See Exodus 28:42).  David then expressed his overwhelming joy and thankfulness in a religious dance.  Michal did not share the religious convictions of her husband .  Like her father, Michal was not concerned about the ark of God.  She had no desire to play a tambourine and lead the women in song as Miriam once did.  Her words were of sarcasm to David.  She was putting her husband down.

Michal had a sad life.  Her father and husband used her to gain their own ends.  Obviously she wasn’t ‘Miss Innocent’.  But we can’t blame her for disliking her treatment as a pawn in the political game.  It just makes me wounder why she didn’t turn to the one true God.  Thing would have turned out much better for her then they did.

Lack of spiritual unity in a marriage at first might seem to be only a small crack, but it will quickly widens into a gulf that cannot be bridged.   A family must be started with a solid foundation, Jesus Christ.  You would never build a house without a foundation, because it would never pass through a storm.  So holds true in marriage.  Single ladies, only look for a mate who is equally spiritual as you are.  Married ladies, be true to your husband.  No matter if he is save or not, be careful of your treatment to him.  Remember, the husband you put down, there maybe a woman waiting to build him up.  Why take a chance.  Always encourage him to do right in the Lord.  God takes marriage very seriously: It pictures His relationship with us and cannot be put on and taken off at will.

The marriage of David and Michal stands as a warning in history.  If a husband and wife are not one in God, sharing spiritual unity, their marriage will fold under life’s pressures.

John 3:16

Thank You