It should strike us rather odd upon reading the sixth chapter of II Samuel, that Michal is mentioned three times as being Saul’s daughter. After all, she is David’s wife and the repetition of her maiden name, three limes in rapid succession, seems to spell trouble.

Such trouble might lead us to suppose that the marital affection between David and his wife was not what it should be.

         

           

The dramatic statement in verse 23: “Therefore, Michal the daughter of Saul, had no child unto the day of her death,”—does not dispel such a suspicion one bit. On the other hand, the Bible was not written merely as the life history of some ancient people, with a record of their “ups and downs.” Greater things than that are at stake.

The history of the birth of Jesus Christ, traceable within the framework of God’s covenant throughout the Old Testament, here strikes a somber note. Job’s question: who shall bring a clean thing out of an unclean?—the answer to which God gave in the virgin birth, underlies this particular chapter. Michal is the potential mother of Jesus Christ, for God had sworn unto David that One of his seed would sit upon the throne forever. Michal’s name however docs not appear in the table of genealogies found in Matthew one. There no name is mentioned at all. “David, the king, begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah.”

Another black page in the sacred history of the forefather of Jesus Christ after the flesh: another statement of reprehensible sinfulness tacked on to the book of genealogies of Jesus Christ. The Son of David indeed!

Ascension Day!

But let us return to Michal, the daughter of Saul. The victorious David is going to top off his victories with the majestic en try of the Ark of the Lord into the newly conquered capital of .Jerusalem. His crack soliders, 30,000 in number, accompany him to perform this feat. But, says the Lord of Hosts, not by power, nor by might. God smote Uzzah for his rashness and David became afraid of the Lord. “How shall the ark of the Lord come unto me?”

The big question is going to be settled now. Shall the Lord dwell in Jerusalem by the grace of David, or shall David be theocratic king by the grace of the Lord? Shall David cal l him Lord who is his Son?

As the weeks passed , the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom, the guardian of the Ark. That was relayed to King David and now he once again prepares to bring up the Ark to the city of David. But this time there is a marked change. Sacrifices are made and David is dressed in a linen ephod—the priestly garb. No attention is made of his crack divisions, no royal splendor is visible. This is a holy day, not a state holiday first of all.

The Lord ascends to his sanctuary, with the shout of the trumpet, taking his enemies, the Philistines, captive and giving gifts unto his people. It is ascension day! The theocracy is not an end in itself, but the means unto the end : the establishment of the Kingdom of God in this world, of which the theocracy is the portrait. Thus David dances before the Ark with all his might. The Lord, his Son, celebrates his victory today. In the form of shadows he prophesies of the real victory to come, when he shall have destroyed all his and my enemies.

As a true portrait of that Priest-King after the order of Melchizedec, David the king is dressed in priestly garb.

As we stated before, the event takes place in the dispensation of the shadows. In that period God gave unto his people many material blessings, tangible blessings, in order to assist their faith in Jesus Christ and all his benefits. The time of fulfillment is greater than the time of prophecy, just as the antitype is more than the type. To offset the difficulties of the shadows, God graciously caused his people to live in it land flowing with milk and honey. But of all the tangible covenant blessings of the Old Testament, the greatest is the receiving of children as an heritage of the Lord. Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them (Psalms 127 and 128). The mother of Samuel and the daughter of Jephtha are more eloquent examples of this fact.

Old Testament covenant blessings were showered in abundance upon the household of Obed-Edom, a fitting prelude to the glorious ascension of the Lord into the place of his rest. The anger of the Lord has been removed. The theocratic priest is a theocentric king as well. How glorious is the king of Israel today.

Michal Despises David

As soon as the offerings for sin have been concluded, David symbolically distributes to all the covenant people the tangible blessings of the Lord, bread, meat and wine. It was a good day, a magnificent occasion. The beauty of the Lord their God is upon them and everyone departs to his house deeply satisfied with the mercy of Jehovah.

But Mrs. David, the daughter of Saul, had viewed everything from her window and she despised her royal husband. Saul’s blood was racing through her veins. She had been brought up in the atmosphere of an anthropocentric palace. The theocratic office to Saul was a means unto his own glory. It repented the Lord that he had elevated Saul to the kingship, for he refused to he a portrait of Jesus Christ. The song “Saul has defeated his thousands, but David has defeated his ten thousands” cut through his heart. He, who once was found among the prophets, wound lip in the macabre surroundings of the witch of Endor. How are the mighty fallen! Now his daughter, showing the same characteristics, despises the theocratic king, dancing prophetically before the Ark amidst all his people in a linen ephod. With a sneer she greets her husband when he enters the palace. What sort of a king is he? What a shame to put himself on the level with his servants, instead of throning high above them. ‘Where is his royal splendor and dignity!

Indeed, David retorts in holy anger, such is the attitude of the household of Saul. Him God has rejected, choosing me in thy father’s place, to be ruler over the people of the Lord. Those people, the servants and handmaids of the Lord, they shall honor Jesus Christ in me. Many that you, Michal, consider to be the last, shall be first. He that exalteth himself shall be abased.

Therefore, Michal the daughter of Saul had no d1ild unto the day of her death. Instrumentally she was not fit to have the all important place in the Kingdom of God at this stage. The hope of every faithful mother in Israel to bring forth a seed unto the Lord, more specifically to be the mother of the Messiah, is taken away from Michal. She is by-passed beca use of self exaltation, selfish pride and arrogance, while the Son of David hum.bled himself even unto death. Him God has highly exalted, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.

Let t his mind be in us, which was also found in him, lest we forfeit God’s covenant blessings—even Jesus Christ and all his benefits. Gracious Lord, remember David . . .