Davd and Michal 2 Samuel 6v11-23 by Dante Thomas

Michal, a Woman Who Felt Like 2nd Place

• Michal was the 2nd daughter of Saul (1st Merab)
• She went from Riches to Royalty
• Her life is filled with events that would make her (or anyone) feel less than special
• She was given to David after Saul decided not to give his oldest daughter to David
• Which was deceitful plot to kill David, but failed
• Saul used his daughter as a pawn (I Sam 18:21)
• She saves David from Saul, but her father gets mad at her
• After David flees, Saul remarries her to Phalti, the son of Laish
• After Saul dies, Michal is forcefully taken from Phalti back to David as a political tactic

Michal, her Spiritual Priorities 2nd Place

• Who could blame her if she was upset with her circumstances?
• The next time we read about Michal is despising David for worshipping God unreservedly
  • outward expression of her heart (inside)
  • also, she was not worshiping God herself with the others
• We do not read that Michal had spiritual priorities, she kept idols, and she never turned to God
• Family and past may have been an influence, but still her choice

Two approaches to Michal's life

• Her past and present problems kept her from drawing closer to God
• She did not see her problems as reason to draw closer to God away from the sorrow, hurt, pain and seek God's comfort

David, a Man who felt like 2nd place

• David, like Michal had every opportunity to be down or disappointed about circumstances
• Brothers accused him of trouble¡V when Israel¡¦s God was defamed by Goliath
• Lost 1st promised wife, after killing Philistines
• Chased by Saul
• Exiled out of Israel, lived among the enemy
• Friends killed by Saul because of aid to David
• Separated from best friend Jonathan
• Wife Michal given to another man
• Saul tried to kill him (Javelin)
• Hid in the wilderness

David, Spiritual Priorities 1st Place

• The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord¡¦s command. [I Samuel 13:14 (NIV)]
• Do not consider his height or appearance or his heart, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. [I Samuel 16:7 (NIV)]
• David's actions reflected his first priority was spiritual
• David and Goliath (who defies the arm of the living God?) [(I Sam 17:26)]
• Bringing the Ark into Jerusalem (II Sam 6)
• Deciding to build a house for God (II Sam 7)
• David's life: Trials, Tests, Tribulations, Trouble always had God involved. Both in success and failure
• David Respected, Reverenced and Rejoiced for God

He did not allow his location, his problems, his position, or his dress keep him from giving God his best service, praise, worship and adoration

Celebration of the Ark

• Mission and Purpose (11-14)
• True Riches for Obed Edom - they came from God (11-12)
• Time to Reflect - David made a mistake, he did a right thing, a wrong way (12)
• Reconciled himself to God (David needed to move himself to God) (13)
• Tried Again (David didn't allow the failure to keep him down, or doing what was pleasing in God's sight) (13-14) (Numbers 4:15-20)
• Truly Appreciated - David loved God and he fully expressed himself in adoration, praise and worship (14, 16b)
• He did not allow his location, his problems, his position, or his dress keep him from giving God his best service, praise, worship and adoration

The Ark of the Covenant

• Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. [Exodus 25:8 (NIV)]
• There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites (v22)
• The Ark is symbolic of Jesus Christ
• His presence among us
• The wood represents His humanity
• The gold overlay represents His divinity

Celebration of the Ark

• Multitude of Praises (15-19)
• People Praised - The Israelites knew the importance of the Ark - Who it represented (15)
• Parade and Playing - As the Ark came into the city, people played instruments (16)
• Priestly Performance - David made peace offering and burnt offerings (18)
• Prayer - God heard his prayers as a man (believer), husband and father (family), prophet (ministry) and king (job) (18)
• Provision - the goodness of God should move us to generosity towards others (19)
• Shows the vertical reaching up of David to worship God, and horizontal to increase the spiritual and physical welfare of the people

Michal Missed the Point (16,20-23)

• She was focusing on the wrong thing ¡V God is being Worshipped!
• The appearance of the King and the proper way for a king to behave
• Misery loves company - she did not want to see David worshipping the Lord (her contempt for David was disguised as contempt for worship)
• Where was Michal? All of Israel was celebrating¡K
• She despised him in her heart (16)

Clash of Priorities

• Michal¡¦s name means ¡§who is perfect¡¨
• Ironically, her spiritual priorities were far from correct
• Saul and Michal did not have spiritual priorities
• Consequences of wrong priorities
  • Barren (had no children to the day of her death.)(23)
  • No Blessing (she would not enjoy all the benefits of being married to the king and his favor)
  • Broken (no healing from past hurts, but isolated ¡V no record of reconciliation to David or God)
• Michal's rejection is a warning of our relationship with Jesus Christ as a King/husband and wife/church (Eph 5:22-32)
• It is a sad story for Michal, and each of us if we miss out on the highest, most rewarding and loving relationship available to man ¡V life in Christ.

Spiritually Rich, Physically Blessed

• In my studies, Michal is the only woman recorded who became barren.
• This passage is a warning to our spiritual priorities
• Michal was spiritually barren and became physically barren to have no children.
• On the other hand, there are many women in the Bible who had the right spiritual priorities and went from Barren to Blessed!
• Sarah (Isaac), Rebekah (Jacob & Esau), Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin), Manoah¡¦s wife (Samson) Ruth (Obed/Jesse/David), Hannah (Samuel)
• Think about the impact of these mothers & sons

Your Spiritual Priorities, ___ Place

• How is your life today?
• Are you like David or Michal?
• We will all go through tough times,
• Our source of strength in the time of trouble will make all the difference in the world
• How do you respond when you're mistreated?
• Do you move towards or away from God?
• What are your feelings about worship?
• Is it a privilege or chore? Celebrate?
• How do you respond to mistakes you've made?
• Do you stay down or get back up?

You cannot not allow your location, your problems, your position, or your dress keep you from giving God your best service praise, worship and adoration

David's knowledge of God

• If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. [Psalms 37:23-27 (NIV)]
• God desires to bless each one of us
• God can do great things in apparently desperate conditions
• David had many of them, but he did not let any of them, keep him from His God and God blessed David in every one
• God is no respecter of persons, if He did it for David, He has done it for me, and He can do it for you too.
• Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. [Psalm 34:8-10 (NIV)]

God's Priority, You are 1st Place

• You are Never Second Place in God's Sight!
• For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)]
• For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16 (NIV)]
• He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all ¡V how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [Romans 8:32 (NIV)]
• God sent His Son Jesus Christ, to be last place for us, that we can be first place to God.
• Because God made us His 1st priority, we should make Him our 1st priority!
• Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God¡¦s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1 [NIV])