“The Daughter of Saul”

When I attended graduate school for English, there were many occasions when my fellow students openly ridiculed the name of Christ. To my great detriment, I stayed silent. I was quite vocal about my belief in Christ at church and with my friends, but I was terrified of what might happen to my reputation if the people at my school found out I believed in Jesus. … Most of them were just ignorant about who Jesus is. Several of them had never even met a Christian before and assumed that all Christians were the uneducated, judgmental stereotypes we sometimes see in the media. Yet, I was still afraid.

As the program went on, I began to feel guiltier for these silences. If I couldn't be obedient to Christ in such a central thing, how would I be able to serve him in other ways? God was faithful in my rocky road to obedience—opportunities to speak up for Christ continued to come my way.

One day a fellow student asked me flat out—right before class, when many other people were around—if I was a Christian. I was at a crossroads. … I had a clear decision to make.

I took a deep breath, and, with God's help, I said a soft, shaky, "Yes." The student looked at me for a second, skeptically.

"Interesting," she said. "I always thought that Christians were like circus freaks…but you're actually kind of smart!"

Not what she was expecting… but the reality is. Many times we do get the expected. The ridicule, the humiliation, the dispiseing. That is why we can become so worried about what people will think about us as Christians. Because of this fear we keep our Christianity to ourselves. Will my friends despise me? My Family? I remember I was not necessarily afraid of what people though of me but more for my family… (story). Many times when we are concerned about what people think, it affects our worship and witness of our Lord. But what we will find today in our passage of scripture is the answer to this. It is not trying to make ourselves bold and confident, but by looking at how our Lord was despised and rejected… and that will make us bold and confident. Lets take a look.

David attempted to bring the Ark from Abinidab’s home to the city of David. This was a time of tremendous celebration until a disobedient and unfortunate incident…Uzzah was killed by the Hand of God for touching the Ark. The Ark was being transported in a way not ordained or commanded by the Lord and the Lord made is Holiness abundantly clear before them all that day and it struck fear in David and the people. The Ark was taken to Obed-Edom’s house and his household was extraordinarily blessed by the Lord all the while the Ark remained there. The message was given to David.

David was told of the blessing of Obed-Edom’s household because of the Ark and thought that the anger of the Lord has now turned away from them and it was now OK to try again… to transport the Ark to Jerusalem, but this time it would be done with the utmost respect and obedience to the Lord. Along with a great celebration, the Levites were now carrying the Ark by hand instead of a cart. After they had gone 6 steps, sacrifices were made to atone for their former transgressions or disobedience and for thanksgiving to the Lord for His helping the Levites. Look at later. David dances with all of his heart and strength with the linin ephod surrounded by shouts of acclamation and the blasting of horns. Now as the Ark came into the city, Michal looked upon the festivities from her window. She saw her husband worshipping by leaping and dancing and despised him in her heart. The ark was placed in its tent and more sacrifices were made. He then blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heavens Armies giving them gifts and they wall went home. What a wonderful day. And when David went home to bless his own family, Michal met him with disgust and sarcasm…How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” David told her that he was dancing before the Lord who did in fact, choose him over her father and her family making him king over Israel and that is why he dances before the Lord. And yes Michal, I am willing to look even more foolish than even this if it will bring glory and honor to the Lord. But you need to know that those servant girls will not despise me like you say. They will indeed hold me in in honor, because they have faith in the Lord and understood what the Ark coming into the city meant. When I would humiliate myself for the glory of the Lord, they would totally understand why I was doing it and would rejoice in it. People of faith will rejoice with people of faith. Like your father you fail to see this. Michal would have no child…the light in the house of Saul is almost completely out.

2 Samuel 6:21–23 NLT

David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.

2 Samuel 6:

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

She Despised Her Husband

We Despised Our Husband

The first thing we will explore is the reaction of Michal toward David as he worshipped the Lord with all of his heart. The second thing is taking a look at how the same thing happened to our Lord Jesus who was despised and rejected of men. But the despising of David brought judgement upon Michal, the despising of our Lord brought salvation to those who believe.

Though sin and the seduction of this world causes us to fear mankind (the daughters of Saul) and its judgements over the worship of our Lord, it is the compassion of our King (the Son of David) who was despised by the daughters of Saul (men) yet continued to be obedient even to death on the cross bringing to us life and life more abundant.

I. She Despised Her Husband

- How foolish are we willing to look when it comes to worshipping the Lord? More undignified than this?

A. David got a real clue and a real wake up call to the Holiness of the Lord. This time he follows the instructions for transporting the ark. Let me also add that David understands that the Lord’s intent is not to destroy people with the Ark but to bless them.

- Sometimes we need to get that into our heads. God’s intent is to save us, but we seem to fall into this mentality that He is here to catch us in the act of sin and to judge us harshly. Its obviously not the case… we are still breathing. Our Lord is compassionate and slow to anger abounding in love. The point of the presence of the Lord is to bless not kill.

B. The celebration resumed with strong worship of the Lord with all of his might. But giving of the sacrifice at the start was an important event to keep in the front of their minds the Holiness of God. The rejoicing was exuberant yes, but respectful and reverent. It is a wonderful illustration of David’s…

Psalm 2:11 NLT

Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Rejoice and Fear at the same time! This means worshipping with everything we got, but still having control. Getting out of control is putting yourself before God. Having a who cares mentality.

C. So Now!! Dancing, praising, celebrating, cymbals, horns and trumpets shouts of joy, but the queen is nowhere to be found. The Ark (the symbol of the presence of God) has come into the city and she is in her room looking on through a window with absolute disgust overwhelming her emotions. This is a woman who despises the man whom she has a covenant. And the man who is her king.

D. The author is going to make a clear point here. 3 times he refers to her as not the wife of David, but the “daughter of Saul.” Making it very clear that she is still within the camp of Saul as opposed to that of David. She clearly has the same disregard for that which is precious and same heart of disobedience as that of her own father. She will be a part of the judgement as both her and her father will not be blessed with descendants. Hers is the voice of Saul, not David. She will remain childless, as will Saul.

E. Here is a covenant woman who is part of the people of God and wife to the king, who despises the obedience and worship of the Lord. Maybe because she thought his behavior unbecoming of the king. (Like Saul, Kingdom more important than the Lord) Maybe because he was seamlessly showing off (another way to explain the apparent immodesty) to everyone. Now… real quick…Not naked, he was wearing the priestly garments...but more that he was not dressed like a king should be and dressed like the commoners. But real indiscretion could be present in some way. Ultimately, He made himself look foolish in worship in front of those whom he was to rule and he was to be above that, like she was. “He is no king, but a fool.” He is a Foolish heart, hear me calling Stop before you start falling. He is not the kind of king that he is supposed to be according to her.

F. Michal goes to meet her king oozing with sarcasm. “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”

G. OT Scholar Davis states, Michal is concerned with royal dignity, proper decorum, outward appearances. A king has a certain image to maintain and he shouldn’t put himself on a level with the, well, riffraff.

H. David had a response. The servant girls were not the audience. The Lord was. He was celebrating before the Lord not before the people… who cares what they think, I care about what the Lord thinks. And not only should we see the difference in audience, but our understanding of dignity. David did not see His humiliation as undignified, he truly saw it as dignified. Michal… Humility before the Lord is true dignity. He did not see himself as the King of Israel but the Servant of Jehovah! There is nothing undignified about groveling before the Lord in worship and prayer. There is nothing undignified about real heartfelt worship of the Lord. Real heartfelt worship.

II. We Despised Our Husband

- He was Despised and Rejected of Men

A. Now remember… all scripture is about Christ. I know that many of you have heard this using David as our example of how we are despised by the world and that we are in good company… No. This is a picture of our Lord. Like David, Christ was despised by the people of whom were in covenant with him. Michal is the rejecting Jews and Religious leaders and David is Christ. We are the servants. Watch the glory of Christ.

B. David rejoiced in the glory of the Lord in Jerusalem. Christ came with joy set before Him as he brought the fullness of the glory of God to the world. The presence of the Lord dwelt among mankind.

C. David was rejected by his wife the one who was in covenant relationship with him. Christ was the king of the Jews and he was rejected by those he was in covenant relationship. Michal showed that she belonged to Saul and wanted to continue with her father’s desires in opposition to David, while the Jewish religious leaders belonged to their Father the Devil and wanted to what?

John 8:44 NLT

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

D. David was despised by Michal because she thought what he was doing was unbecoming of the king. Just like the Jews thought that who Jesus was and what he did was unbecoming of the Messiah. He could not be the messiah because of who he was.

John 1:46 NLT

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

E. Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem riding a donkey looking like poor riffraff with Roman soldiers looking upon their king. Maybe even mocking them. He was looking to free them from sin not the romans. His teaching was not the kind of teaching that was supposed to be of the Messiah and he was not like David. They were looking for a Messiah that was to be like David… and all we have seen is that Jesus is like him in many many ways. If David was the standard. Christ certainly meets it and more.

F. Did Christ humiliate himself like David did for the glory of the Lord? Yes He did.

Philippians 2:6–8 NLT

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2

G. David humiliated himself in his worship and obedience of the Lord, Christ humiliated himself in obedience all the way to the cross. The most humiliating kind of death a person can have. And Christ’s attitude was like that of David, in a sense saying…Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! All praise to the Holy Father in heaven… not my will but thy will be done.

H. David truly is the hero of this passage just like Christ is the hero of the scriptures and who actually benefits from this? But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” This is who we are in the story.

I. There was a time in all of our lives that we probably saw Jesus the way Michal saw David. But because of all that happened to Christ and the work He did that we see here illustrated with David, we have been transformed into servants of the King of kings and now do not despise Christ but hold him in tremendous honor. Anything done by Christ or His people will be held in honor by the people of faith. We have been transformed when he gave us a new heart, eyes, to see, ears to hear, repentance and faith.

J. Now as servants of Christ we do embrace the foolishness of the Cross and we take up our own cross to follow Him. The cross is what the world found to be an offense, a stumbling block, and utter foolishness. But it is now what we cling-to till all of our trophy’s, victories, gain, treasures at last we lay down. All the things that the world saw as foolish done by Christ or His church we embrace and worship Him for it.

K. All of this because of what Christ has done for us. Not because of anything that we have or could have done. That is why we need to see this passage in this light… We can have hope. Don’t use this to teach morality, use it to teach the Gospel. You don’t need it… you saw the morality when you first read it. It is the Gospel that is foreign. It is the Gospel that brings hope? Using David as the example? How are we doing with not letting the despising of world affect us? How are we about worshipping and obeying the Lord not worrying about who is looking at us. How are we doing when it comes to allowing ourselves to be humiliated to bring glory to the Lord? Don’t lie. That bad huh? You got Goliaths that you haven’t dropped in your life yet?

L. The only hope we find is in Christ and in Christ alone. This whole passage of scripture shows David illustrating the amazing work of Christ and it is in this work that we truly have hope. Hope in his slaying of the Giant of sin, his humiliation in being made flesh, and enduring the shame of the cross.

M. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried… The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance… He came to seek and save that which

N. If you are hearing this for the first time… all who call upon the name of the Lord. If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart…

O. To add even more humiliation, Jesus was made sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. And his work is eternal. That is why I say that we have hope because it is His eternal work that gives me the confidence that he that began a good work in us will be faithful and just to bring it to completion.

P. Today, the world, the daughter of Saul may be looking out the window at the church of Christ and despise us all, we can truly rejoice today for we know that his humiliation became his resurrection and now we have a kingdom that can never be shaken. All because of the wonderful work of the Son of David, the Son of God.