Introduction
If you have you ever glanced another person caught up in the throes of worship God and been tempted with such thoughts as: ‘flesh!’, ‘show-off’, ‘so extra!’ ‘emotionalism’ ‘fake-o-express!’ or any such mean-spirited thought, our woman of the moment might give you pause for thought! Maybe you have been on the receiving end of this mean-spiritedness, manifested in spiteful comments that made you just shrivel up inside and perhaps even now still stunts your ability to express a whole-hearted worship to God? May the example of and response of Michal’s husband encourage you and help renew the sense of liberty, through the Spirit of God, to bring forth your praise and adoration of the Great God and King among the assembly of brethren in the Faith.
Excepting those times where it is so obvious that what is put forward as “worshipping of God” is clearly a performance of the flesh for that persons glory and not the Lord’s, it is a serious thing to criticise the expression of adoration, thanksgiving and praise of God by another person. Even when it may well be of the flesh, caution is still to be urged before a critical word is spoken or thoughts nurtured in your bosom – just in case! This discussion is not to point fingers at this or that particular types of actions as being of the flesh but an opportunity to consider how this one aspect of worship – the adoration, thanksgiving, praise and exaltation of God in song, music and dance – as a whole hearted offering to God is pleasing to Him. The scorning of it is not!
Overview on Michal.
There is actually relatively little written about Michal’s life in the Scriptures. Although the focus of our discussion here is the snapshot of it at 2 Samuel 6:16-23 , other Scriptures references of her are: 1 Samuel 18:20-29; 1 Samuel 19:9-18; 1 Samuel 25:44 and 2 Samuel 3:1-16.
From these we can reasonably sketch the following:
- Michal was one of the daughters of Saul, the first king of Israel, a royal princess and therefore a young lady of status and consequence.
- She fell in love with the best friend of Jonathan, one of her older brothers. This love of her life was a man initially admired by her father but who later came to be abhorred by Saul through his intense jealousy (see 1 Samuel 17:12-18:29 for fuller background).
- All appeared to start out hopeful and prosperous in her love for David. Whether or not Michal was aware of it, Saul’s conflicted and twisted feelings towards David meant that he secretly intended David to marry Michal’s older sister Merab as part of his ‘snare’. The intention was that this would win David’s loyalty to such a degree that he would be super courageous in battles, and thus more likely – Saul hoped – to end up being killed. In the turn of events however Merab was given as wife to another, leaving the way clear Michal. (1 Samuel 18:17-21)
- It is reasonable to believe the Michal became aware that David exceeded the rather odd dowry required of him by Saul of 100 foreskins of Philistine men! This too was in the hope that David’s demise would be at the hands of the Philistines rather than directly by his. David valiantly presented Saul with twice the number requested however, making certain the hope of the king’s daughter becoming his bride. She had every reason to believe that David loved her too, though unaware of these “under-currents” surrounding her wedding! (1 Samuel 18:25-27)
- If Michal was initially unaware of the extent of the malignant feelings which her father the king harboured towards her husband, it wasn’t long before the full realisation dawned on her and she found herself forced to choose between deceiving her father or acting to save the life of her husband. She chose the latter. See 1 Samuel 19:9-18 for the whole dramatic account. There can be little doubt she loved her husband.
- We can see that because of the implacable jealous resentment her father carried towards her husband, David had to flee for his life and therefore they were forced apart and so became separated as husband and wife.
- The Scriptures do not indicate the timespan but 1 Samuel 25:44 shows that in the process of time ‘Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti/Paltiel the son of Laish, who was from Galim.’ How Michal felt about this the Scriptures do not say. We do not know whether through the lengthy separation from David, Michal’s young heart, yearning for the love and affection of a husband, turned towards this man. We do not know whether she was given against her will to Palti, but it would be reasonable to suppose that in the process of time they came to make a life together. Until David put an end to this.
- Fast forward to 2 Samuel 3:1-16. A significant time has passed at this point: her father the king and three of her brothers have been killed in battle (1 Samuel 31:1-6) and her brother Ishbosheth has been made king over Israel (2 Samuel 2:10). David however has been anointed king of Judah in Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1-4a) and goes on to marry other wives and have children with them (2 Samuel 3:2-5). The conflict between Saul and David continues in the form of a war between the house of Saul (his supporters and army) and the house of David (his supporters and fighting men). However, a personal quarrel between Abner, the deceased king’s general, and Ishbosheth, the deceased’s son leads to Abner defecting over to David to work towards David being made king of Israel, replacing Saul as head of the whole kingdom (2 Samuel 3:6-11). David responds favourably to Abner’s proposal to make a peace covenant between them – but with one stipulation. He wants Michal – his wife – returned to him (2 Samuel 3:12-13).
- We cannot know what was in Michal’s heart at this unexpected turn of events in her life at this point, but the Scriptures strongly suggests her then husband Paltiel loved Michal. 2 Samuel 3:14-16 says this: ‘And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. Then her husband went along with her to Bahurim, weeping behind her. So Abner said to him, “Go, return! And he returned.”
- Married – twice (and the second in breach of the Law of Moses)! Torn from her husband – twice! Could this be where the root of her scorn arose from?
Michal’s Legacy
We learn nothing more from the Scriptures about Michal until we come to our “snap-shot” at 2 Samuel 6:16-23.
The context and background to this passage is that David, now King of all Israel (both Judah and Israel as one), having been anointed king of Israel in Hebron (2 Samuel 5:1-4). He had captured the Jerusalem and its stronghold of Zion making it the city of David and is tremendously blessed of the Lord God whom he trusts and serves (2 Samuel Ch. 5). It comes to David’s heart to bring the holy Ark of the LORD/Ark of the Covenant from the place it had been kept into the city.
In broad terms, the holy Ark of the Covenant was for Israel a holy symbol of the presence of the Lord in the midst of His people, the children of Israel (consider e.g. 2 Samuel 7:1-7, noting particularly the words of the LORD). The mercy seat being part of the ‘lid’ of the Ark was the place where God met with His people. Almighty God had given Moses precise and direct instructions in its construction, where it was to stand in the Tabernacle (in the Holy of Holies behind the second veil) and how it was to be carried. (see e.g. Exodus chapter 25 for background reading on this, noting especially verse 22 and also Numbers chapter 4 on the instructions God gave Moses about how the Ark was to be moved. It was a solemn and holy matter. This may be why David wore the priestly garment of the linen ephod (see e.g. Exodus 28:4-12) as he worshiped the Lord before the Ark as it was being brought into the city.
Considering some of these Scriptures in Exodus we can glean that it was therefore no small operation to move the Ark of the Covenant at all , let alone from one place to another. We see at 2 Samuel 6:1-10 the implications of irreverence even in error which had caused David to become so fearful that for a while he dares not move the Ark any further into the City of David. For three months it remains with a man called Obed-Edom and as a direct result all that concerns this man is blessed (2 Samuel 6:11). This encourages David to complete the will of God in bringing the Ark of the Lord into the City of David with deeply reverent worship and awe together with gladness and with great joy.
This brings us to the snapshot mention above at 2 Samuel 6:16-23 where with particular note of Michal we read this:
Now 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 whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone 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 today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”
So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honour.”
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
The parallel account at 1 Chronicles 15:29 states this: ‘And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the City of David, that Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and despised him in her heart.’
It is clear from Michal’s response, underlined in the above passages, that she was a woman who scorned the worship of God – something God both saw, heard, and judged! God saw in her heart that she despised David for his whole-hearted worship – David’s sacrifice of praise to Almighty God. God heard her scornful words and mocking tone. God was displeased! Michal was judged by the LORD and dealt what would have been, especially for a Jewish married woman, the worst of blows – a barren womb. Recall the sorrows of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel Hannah, Elisabeth before the merciful intervention of the Lord in their experiences of barrenness. One can only imagine how much harder that might have been for Michal to bear being surrounded by David’s other wives who bore children!
A Warning for us – Let’s worship God!
Isn’t it the case that worship is so much more than the act of praising, adoring, giving of thanks and glorifying God in word, song, and dance? It really is a heart attitude from an inward conviction by the Spirit of God that God is God – the Most High, giver of life, our Creator, sovereign King of kings and all in all and therefore borne out in our manner of living. The more we grow in the grace and knowledge of Lord Yeshua and grow in worship God from a heart of gratefulness, thankfulness, and true reverence the more conscious we become that as our heart of worship is towards God the Father, so too are other children of God in Messiah Yeshua. They too love and adore God our Heavenly Father. They too desire through faith in Yeshua to express their worship in praise, thanksgiving and exalting of our Father in Heaven in song and dance too. Even when we ourselves wouldn’t or couldn’t express this element of worship in the same way as others – who are we to judge and criticise? Who are we to scorn! We are not they and they are not we. The One True God who created us so different, who knows the truth of our hearts completely, Him we worship in the one Spirit through the one Lord and Saviour.
Years ago, a brother in Lord Yeshua, now gone to be with the Lord, once said as he taught at a church service that “if we truly love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength’ everything must flow out of that love.” I don’t remember this as often as I ought, but I have never quite forgotten it either for its simplicity yet depth in truth. When we sincerely do this, whatever flows out of that love will not include the criticism of another for the manner of true worship of our Father in Heaven! How I, for one, need by the Lord’s grace to mature in love for God!
A Warning for us – Let’s keep our eyes upon Yeshua!
We can only be critical of someone we are thinking on/studying long enough to wrongfully form that unwarranted critical opinion! It is the work of the enemy of our souls who wants to get our eyes off the Lord Yeshua so that we become more vulnerable to his attacks! How often I have personally been challenged and convicted by the words of Hebrews 12:1-2: ‘Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnessed, et us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..’ I think I may safely say that I cannot be the only one who has taken her eyes off the Lord Yeshua – and regretted it! And repented!
When Michal looked out the window, she didn’t see a worshiper of the one true God giving glory and worship to the Great and Awesome God. She saw, to her mind, a man acting in a most embarrassing way – and in front of the servants too! As she looked at him, she ‘despised him in her heart.’ In her thoughts she formed that critical opinion, but she was actually despising God too! That is the material point. May we be among those who encourage our fellow believers – while remembering ourselves – to keep our eyes upon Yeshua and worship God.
A Warning for us – Let’s flee from a critical spirit!
Really not much else to add to that! If you are among those who wrestle against a tendency to be critical, may you too be enabled to continue in prayer to Yeshua the Lord who is mighty to deliver and set captives free! Glory belongs to God for His work of transforming grace in our hearts, softening this area of hardness in us and giving us victory over the work of our flesh. God is faithful. He will do it if we seek Him. I know this to be true!
Conclusion
The next time we see another believer worshipping God differently to how we worship God, especially in a time of assembling as a church fellowship, may we consider a thought: who knows what may flow out of that time of worship which that other sister or brother in Lord Yeshua is caught up in with a whole heart? Who knows what the Lord God may bring forth and how that may bless us in edification, comfort and strengthening in faith by the Spirit of God?
For we can see that out of David’s heart of worship flowed these words as the Ark came into the City of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit in David, as recorded in the Scripture at 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 saying this:
7 On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:
8 Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
10 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
11 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
12 Remember His marvellous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
17 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
19 When you were few in number,
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
20 When they went from one nation to another,
And from one kingdom to another people,
21 He permitted no man to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
22 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
24 Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
25 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is also to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are [a]idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
27 Honour and majesty are before Him;
Strength and gladness are in His place.
28 Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth.
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.
33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
35 And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.”
36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Imagine – this was in David’s heart as he leapt and worshiped with all his might before the living God! ‘And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord’.
May we know the grace of God to repent if we have wrongfully secretly criticised another’s worship of our heavenly Father or our Lord Yeshua and purpose in our hearts to rejoice in the work of grace in others blessed with such liberty in true worship. If you have ever felt your worship stunted by a sharp or mocking word concerning your whole-hearted worship of God reaching your ears. may your heart once again become a tabernacle of praise. For truly to Almighty God our heavenly Father belongs all the worship, praise, thanksgiving, honour, and glory in and through and for His Son, Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Amen. Let’s not be foolish women (anymore?) and remember that in this too, ‘a wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands’ (Proverbs 14:1).
God bless you.
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