2Sa 6:20-23 | KingComments | STEP | After blessing the people, David also wants to bless his family. However, his wife Michal, also here meaningfully called “the daughter of Saul”, appears to share nothing of David’s joy about the ark. To her the ark is nothing special. On the contrary, celebrating before an ark is something to laugh about. It is ridiculous. So people who are so close to us can laugh at us when we talk enthusiastically about the Lord Jesus and want to live for Him. Michal despises David for having discarded his royal dignity and put on a linen priestly cloth instead. That priestly cloth has no meaning or value to her. She doesn’t see it at all. She even accused him that he “uncovered himself”. For a spiritual-minded wife, this would have been a worthy addition to his dignity as king. For Michal, however, he has failed. David no longer stands out from others, and that is what she wants, to her own glory. She cannot show him off when he is humble. A woman who behaves in this way does not have to count on spiritual fruit. For David, the reception by his wife is like a cold shower. He himself is still, as it were, in awe of what happened to the ark. He has brought the ark where God wants it. His dealings with the ark brought him, so to speak, to the level of heaven. The reception by Michael may have given him the feeling Paul had after being in the third heaven. After that experience, an angel of satan came to torment him ( ). The Lord allowed this, so that he shouldn't exalt himself to the fact that he had been raised up to paradise. In his conversation with Michal David is humble. Her despicable words must have hurt him, because he loves her. At the same time, he feels more connected to the lowest of the people than to those who are connected to him by natural ties. On the one hand, he is aware of his election by God, and on the other hand, he takes the lowest place in relation to men. He is humble in his own eyes and that is at the same time through which he knows how to acquire honor. Thus he resembles the Lord Jesus who said: “Who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant” ( ). In this He Himself is the great example. Michal’s attitude brings no fruit. There is no relationship between David and her, no spiritual fellowship. She has no part in what inspires David in his relationship to God. It seems that her contempt for David for his love for the ark caused her never to have a child. We can learn a spiritual lesson here. We cannot have fellowship with those who despise the Lord Jesus (of whom the ark is a picture). Just as Michal remains without fruit because of her attitude toward David, so there will be no fruit for God in our lives if we speak despicably of people who are committed to the interests of God. There will always be people like Michal who disdain an extraordinary enthusiasm of the believers for God and Christ. There will always be someone like Judas who calls Mary’s anointing oil for the Lord wasteful ( ). There will always be mockers who say of believers filled with the Spirit that they are full of sweet wine ( ). There will always be people who say of bread coming from heaven: ‘What is it?’ and of the gift from heaven: ‘Who is it?’ There will always be a Festus to say to Paul: “You are out of your mind! [Your] great learning is driving you mad” ( ). There will always be those who take offence of the cross. But there also will always be those who can say that they boast in nothing, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ( ).

‏ 2 Samuel 6:20-23

David and Michal

After blessing the people, David also wants to bless his family. However, his wife Michal, also here meaningfully called “the daughter of Saul”, appears to share nothing of David’s joy about the ark. To her the ark is nothing special. On the contrary, celebrating before an ark is something to laugh about. It is ridiculous. So people who are so close to us can laugh at us when we talk enthusiastically about the Lord Jesus and want to live for Him.

Michal despises David for having discarded his royal dignity and put on a linen priestly cloth instead. That priestly cloth has no meaning or value to her. She doesn’t see it at all. She even accused him that he “uncovered himself”. For a spiritual-minded wife, this would have been a worthy addition to his dignity as king. For Michal, however, he has failed. David no longer stands out from others, and that is what she wants, to her own glory. She cannot show him off when he is humble. A woman who behaves in this way does not have to count on spiritual fruit.

For David, the reception by his wife is like a cold shower. He himself is still, as it were, in awe of what happened to the ark. He has brought the ark where God wants it. His dealings with the ark brought him, so to speak, to the level of heaven. The reception by Michael may have given him the feeling Paul had after being in the third heaven. After that experience, an angel of satan came to torment him (2Cor 12:7). The Lord allowed this, so that he shouldn't exalt himself to the fact that he had been raised up to paradise.

In his conversation with Michal David is humble. Her despicable words must have hurt him, because he loves her. At the same time, he feels more connected to the lowest of the people than to those who are connected to him by natural ties. On the one hand, he is aware of his election by God, and on the other hand, he takes the lowest place in relation to men. He is humble in his own eyes and that is at the same time through which he knows how to acquire honor. Thus he resembles the Lord Jesus who said: “Who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant” (Lk 22:26). In this He Himself is the great example.

Michal’s attitude brings no fruit. There is no relationship between David and her, no spiritual fellowship. She has no part in what inspires David in his relationship to God. It seems that her contempt for David for his love for the ark caused her never to have a child.

We can learn a spiritual lesson here. We cannot have fellowship with those who despise the Lord Jesus (of whom the ark is a picture). Just as Michal remains without fruit because of her attitude toward David, so there will be no fruit for God in our lives if we speak despicably of people who are committed to the interests of God.

There will always be people like Michal who disdain an extraordinary enthusiasm of the believers for God and Christ.

There will always be someone like Judas who calls Mary’s anointing oil for the Lord wasteful (Jn 12:4-6).

There will always be mockers who say of believers filled with the Spirit that they are full of sweet wine (Acts 2:13).

There will always be people who say of bread coming from heaven: ‘What is it?’ and of the gift from heaven: ‘Who is it?’

There will always be a Festus to say to Paul: “You are out of your mind! [Your] great learning is driving you mad” (Acts 26:24).

There will always be those who take offence of the cross.

But there also will always be those who can say that they boast in nothing, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14).