Enduring ‘HATRED’ from our ‘OWN’ family for ‘SERVING’ God!
April 26 Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles Chapters 13-15
Enduring ‘HATRED’ from our ‘OWN’ family for ‘SERVING’ God!
"David was clothed with a
robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and
Chenaniah the music master with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.
Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting
and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music
with stringed instruments and harps. And it happened, as the ark of the
covenant of the Lord came to the City of David that Michal, Saul's daughter,
looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart."
(1 Chron. 15:27-29)
David had
married Michal, the second daughter of Saul, at the beginning of his time of
service in King Saul’s court (1 Sam. 18:27). Their relationship had been
stormy, perhaps in part because David had spent at least ten years in flight
from her father. We can see that Michal had displayed strong emotions throughout
her life. Initially, she fell into love with the young David who was young and
good looking (1 Sam. 18:20). She was gifted to David as his wife by her father
Saul as a reward for killing Goliath, but then David had to kill 200 more Philistines
in order to marry her (1 Sam. 18:25-27). Michal’s love for her husband caused
her to save his life when her father wanted to kill him (1 Sam. 19:11-18). However,
later on Saul annulled their marriage, and she was given away to Phalti as his
wife (1 Sam. 25:44).
After David
became the king of Israel, Michal was returned to David as his wife as per one
of the conditions of David’s peace agreement with Saul’s general Abner (2 Sam.
3:13–16). Michal was one of the few links remaining between David and the
dynasty of Saul. She should have now happily been content living with David as
his wife and the queen of Israel. But what we see is that Michal ridicules
David on account of his religious zeal (2 Sam. 6:16; 20-23). When Michal saw
David worshiping God without any restrain, her love for David turns to hatred
and she despised him in her heart (1
Chron. 15:29b).
We need to
understand that when we decide to serve/worship God giving Him the first place
in our lives, we will be hated by even our own family members. Our Lord Jesus
has prophesied the following will happen in our lives: "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his
child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to
death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to
the end will be saved" (Matt 10:21-22).
