Michal: the story of love turned into bitterness

Michal was the daughter of Saul and David’s first wife. She was a woman of strong emotions who often found herself unable to control the important circumstances of her life. She was a woman who could think and act quickly when it was needed, but she would also lie when under pressure and allowed herself to become bitter. She would find herself ensnared in the drawn out battle between her father and her husband, which would leave her bitter and resentful. She would, for a time, share a passionate love with her husband. It is the only time in the Bible that a woman is described as loving a man (1 Samuel 18:20). But that love would turn cold. What is her story? How did she turn from a woman in love to one who hated her husband? What lessons can we learn from her story? 

Her story is short, spanning decades but two main details are known about her. Her love for David and later her resentment toward him. She loved David since he was a shepherd boy who felled the mighty Goliath. There are two parts to Michal’s story. In Part 1, she is a woman in love. She helps him escape from her father’s pursuing army. Lies to her father’s guards to buy him time. In Part 2, she is queen as David is now king. She is horrified as she watches, from a window, as her husband dances and leaps as the Ark of the Covenant is brought into the city of Jerusalem. Her love has turned to loathing. She confronts him, telling him that a king should not act in such a way. David responds that he danced for the Lord and no one else (2 Samuel 6:21-22). The distance between them grew and their silence thickened like ice. The Bible’s last statement on Michal says she spent the rest of her life alone and childless (2 Samuel 6:23).

At the heart of her story is worship. Worship can take several forms in prayer, song, dancing and musical instruments. For many people, there are only right ways to worship. The person who sings off key with tears rolling down their face is truly worshipping as the person who sings perfectly and subdued. But what many people forget is that at the center of worship is the heart and a life dedicated to God. God makes it clear he won’t be satisfied with only the forms of worship, because that is not the focus. If a person’s heart is not for God, then their worship is meaningless, empty. True worship, whether it is dancing wildly as David did, or the person singing off-key, is a joyful noise to the Lord (Psalm 100:1-2). Michal’s contempt for David’s worship shows her own lack of true dedication to the Lord. She was content to be a critical spectator rather than a true worshipper. It may also be jealousy that if David had such love and devotion for the Lord, she may have thought he didn’t love her. Maybe she wanted that love all to herself. 

Michal is an example of how quickly life’s unexpected turns can make us bitter, if we do not guard our hearts with care. Bitterness will make a bad situation worse. What fueled Michal’s bitterness? Was it because she was a mere pawn in the battle between her father and her husband? The Bible doesn’t speak if she had any faith, did she go through the motions like her father? Whatever the reason, Michal grew to be more like her father than David. Like her father, her heart for David went from love to hate. She was a victim; but being a victim doesn’t excuse her behavior. Even victims have choices. The power to choose the attitude of our hearts. We are not responsible for all that happens to us, but we are responsible for how we respond. The Bible doesn’t tell us why Michal remained childless. Was it because God didn’t allow her to conceive? Or is it possible that the coldness between them, resulted in David setting her aside for one of his other wives that would follow? 

In conclusion, Michal was a woman driven by love and bitterness. She helps the man she loves escape the murderous intent of her father but later becomes bitter toward the same man. She despised David, in her eyes, for his wanton worship. The heart behind worship is more important than the method of worship. Whether someone is dancing in the streets or singing off-key, as long as the heart is filled with love and appreciation for the Lord, it is pleasing to him. This concept is what Michal misses. Maybe she wasn’t a woman of faith. She may not have believed as David did. Whether way, Michal lives out her life alone, possibly forgotten. The main lesson from her story is we control how we respond to life’s circumstances. We either play the victim and sulk or we rise to the challenge and learn to move forward. 

Sabbath: a day of rest and worship

Sabbath is a weekly day of rest and worship. It was instituted at creation when God hallowed the 7^th day and rested after his creative labors (Genesis 1:1-2:3). There is no distinct mention of the Sabbath in Genesis and no mention of the Sabbath until Exodus 16:21-30 when the Israelites were in the Desert of Sin before reaching Mount Sinai. God gave them a double supply of manna on the 6^th day of the week in order that the 7^th day may be a rest from labor (Exodus 16:23). Jewish tradition holds the Sabbath on Saturday (beginning at sundown on Friday) and Christians hold the Sabbath on Sunday. What exact does the Sabbath entail? What is the history behind it?

Observing the Sabbath became a requirement after Moses was given the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, 34:1-5). The 4^th Commandment states that the 7^th day would be observed as a holy day. A day when everyone, including strangers, would be required to rest from any work and labor. The reason given for this day of rest is that the Lord rested on the 7^th day, having blessed it and hallowed it. God intended the Sabbath to be a blessing of both physical and spiritual. The sanctity of the Sabbath was to include the sacrifice of two lambs including a regular burnt offering (Numbers 28:9-10) and 12 loaves of showbread (Leviticus 24:5-9, 1 Chronicles 9:32). The Sabbath required extra offerings because it was a special day of rest and worship, commemorating creation and deliverance of Egypt. Numbers 15:32-36 dictated that a willful Sabbath breaker was to be put to death. When the Jews returned from their exile, Nehemiah made several reforms in order to reestablish their traditions including observance of the Sabbath. Trade was forbidden on the Sabbath because the lure of money interfered with the need of rest (Nehemiah 10:31) and traders were sent home and the city’s gates shut as the Sabbath hours approached (Nehemiah 13:19).

There have been attempts by Old Testament critics to find a Babylonian origin for the Jewish Sabbath. There is evidence that among the Babylonians, certain things were to be avoided on the 7^th, 14^th, 19^th, 21^st, and 28^th days of the months. However, the 19^th day breaks the sequence of 7s and there is no question the Hebrew Sabbath is older than the Babylonian observance. The Sabbath was associated with the idea of worship, rest, and divine favor rather than certain taboos and avoidance. Over the centuries, many Jewish religious leaders added rule after rules to God’s law which guaranteed that everyone who be in violation. Jesus healed people on the Sabbath to show that while the Sabbath was holy, it was created for man’s benefit and people’s needs must take precedence over the law (Matthew 12:1-14, Mark 2:23-36, Luke 6:1-11, and John 5:1-18).  The best time to reach out to someone is when he or she needs help and it is right to care for others’ needs even if it involves on a day of rest (Matthew 12:10, John 9:14-16). Seven times he performed miracles on the Sabbath. Why? Jesus empathized the intent of the law while the Pharisees focused on the letter of the law (Matthew 12:5).

Early Christians, most of whom were Jewish, kept the 7^th day as a Sabbath. Since Jesus’ resurrection occurred at the beginning of the week, they began to meet for worship on the 1^st day of the week which they designated as the Lord’s Day. As the split between Jews and Christians widened, Christians gradually began to meet for worship on the Lord’s Day and eventually it became the Sabbath and they gave up the 7^th day observance. Through the centuries, the Lord’s Day (or Sunday as we know it today) became known as the 7^th day. Unfortunately, there are Christians today who develop the attitudes of the Pharisees and forget the true nature of the Sabbath and look down on other Christians who are not in church every Sunday. And in this day of companies being open 7 days a week, it would be hard for many Christians to take every Sunday off. So, when someone a day off in the middle of the week, that day could be there Sabbath. A day to rest and worship God and study His Word. Bill Sunday (1862-1935) once said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.” There’s more to be a follower of Christ than church every Sunday.

In conclusion, it is easy to let responsibilities of work, family, and community to crowd our schedules that we don’t take the time to worship. Taking a day of rest, any day, is important to reenergize and focus on God and his Word. I think too many people get hung up on semantics when they argue whether the Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday. The Sabbath is simply a day of rest and worship. So, whether you rest and worship on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, et cetera, you are keeping the Sabbath. While the Sabbath is an important day, it does not allow us to be lazy bumps on a log. If you see someone who needs help, it is good for you to help, just as Jesus did.

Psalms: the book for all occasions

Psalms is a collection of poems, songs and prayers which express praise, worship and confessions to God. The book contains 150 psalms which express the heart and soul of humanity. The shortest psalm is only two verses (Psalm 117) and the longest psalm is 150 verses (Psalm 119)! The psalmists experience the depths of despair and the heights of joy and God brings them out of their struggles. David was the most prolific psalmist who wrote 73 psalms. The psalms are said to be written between the time of Moses (around 1440 BC) and the Babylonian captivity (586 BC). With so many psalms, it was hard to choose just a few to discuss; however, I’ve chosen psalms which have great meaning to people I know as well as ones which stood out to me as I read.

First, Psalm 40 is my husband’s favorite psalm. His favorite band, U2, used Psalm 40 as inspiration for their song, “40.” It was written by David and speaks to waiting patiently while doing God’s will. While we wait, we can love God, serve others and tell others about him. Verse 1 opens this theme directly, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” Waiting patiently for the Lord is not easy but David received four blessings for he patience: God had 1) lifted him out of this despair, 2) set his feet on a rock, 3) gave him a firm place to stand (verse 2) and 4) gave him a new song of praise (verse 3). Blessings are often not received until a trial of waiting. For instance, my husband and I recently bought a car. We waited for years for our own car. From balancing sharing a car with my mom and then getting a gift of a car riddled with problems, we patiently waited for the day when we could get our own car. Then this year, God rewarded our patience with a great deal and a car we love to drive.

Second, Psalm 73 was written by Asaph, a leader of one of the temple choirs. This psalm speaks about living holy lives and trusting God for our future. The psalm opens discussing how the wicked seem to prosper: “always carefree, they increase in wealth” (verse 12) but the righteous have lasting rewards. After the riches of this earth will fade away, the righteous has something which cannot disappear: God. Verse 27-28 states “Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” One verse stood out to me and speaks to those who feel as if they have failed and cannot return to God. Verse 26 says “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” As you and I live our life, despite our best efforts to live a Christ-like life, we will fail. We will have moments of weakness. However, as long as we cling to God in those moments, we will have renewed strength.  

Third, Psalm 103 is a psalm of David which speaks of God’s great love for us and what God does for us tells us what he is really like. Verses 8-10 tells us who God is. He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love (verse 8). He will not accuse, harbor his anger forever or treat us as our sins deserve (verse 9-10). My favorite verses is 11-12, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his live for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” These two verses are great joy for believers. Since the east and west can never meet, it is symbolic of God’s forgiveness. When He forgives our sins, He separates it from us and doesn’t remember it. People will remember their sin and dwell on it. However, when we place our trust in Christ and seek forgiveness, God forgives and forgets. Our record has been wiped clean and we can live with a new slate. Although this doesn’t mean we won’t sin again because we will; but when we truly seek forgiveness from God, he will remove our sin.

Lastly, Psalm 112 is a psalm about the advantages of having faith in God. God guards the minds and actions of those who follow his commands. Verse 1 states, “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” To fear the Lord is to have great reverence and respect for God and His Word. The Hebrew word for fear, yirah, have a wide range of meanings in Scripture. It can mean a fear of impending danger. However, it also means the idea of wonder, amazement, astonishment, gratitude, admiration, and worship of God. Therefore, the fear of the Lord is an overwhelming sense of the glory, worth and beauty of the One True God (Parsons). If we have fear and trust in the Lord, we “will have no fear of bad news” and our hearts will be “steadfast, trusting in the Lord” (verse 7). This verse is one of the reasons why that I do not fear the future. Despite the discord in our country and the world, I trust that God is in control and all will work for His good. Many people will be dragged into the debates, the arguments and great anger will ensue, but I refuse to do so. I have faith in the Lord and no man can change that. 

The book of Psalms is a great source of encouragement when feeling afraid or a host of other emotions. It is also a source to go to when facing struggles and difficult times. For the psalms which I have featured, these psalms teach us that if we wait patiently for the Lord, we will be blessed. Trusting in God will give us riches that will never fade. God will help us in our moments of weakness. God has great love for us and He is a forgiving Lord. Lastly, fear of the Lord helps us be unafraid in the world around us. Although it sounds too good to be true and sometimes we will fail. Sometimes, we will get inpatient, we will falter in our trust, and the fear in the world around us will overpower us, God is a forgiving God and he will welcome you back. All you have to do is turn to Him.

References:

Parsons, John J. (retrieved 1/29/2017) The Awe of the Lord http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Eikev/Yirah/yirah.html