In the previous post, we learned that in 2nd Samuel chapter six, David is dancing wildly, wearing a thin priestly ephod, as part of the procession bringing the Ark of Covenant into the city of Jerusalem.
His wife, Michal, was aghast at what she saw from the palace window, as she watched the Ark parade into the city. You can imagine her there thinking, “What priest is going bananas like that? How is the high priest allowing that guy to draw all the attention to himself? How selfish!” She can’t believe what she is seeing. And then she feels that flush of emotional surprise come over her. She realizes that’s no priest dancing wildly. It’s David, her husband, the king.
Imagine what is going through her. Shock, surprise, embarrassment, fear, anger? All of the above. In 2nd Samuel chapter six, verses sixteen through twenty, we read that David leads the people in worship, in sacrificing to the Lord, and blessing the people with gifts of food. He then returns to the palace to bless his own family as well. Michal comes out to meet him, and she goes off, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
Whew, Michal is bitter. My guess is that you have felt those feelings raging through your bodies as well. Maybe you’ve felt like Michal, very angry at your spouse. Maybe you’ve felt what David is feeling, how hurtful and embarrassing it is when a loved one yells at you.
There are all kinds of reason for Michal, David’s wife, to feel the way she did. Could be royal decorum, and she felt David was embarrassing not only himself, but also her. Could be that after David went on the run as a fugitive from her father’s palace, her father took her from David and gave her to another husband. Then imagine her pain years later when David took her back forcibly from her new husband who she had been married to longer than she was married to David. That would’ve been really straining. She might have hated David for that.
Then when she sees David dancing wildly in front of young maidens in the city, in front of all his people, it’s too much for her. She can’t believe this is her life.
Let’s give Michal the benefit of the doubt here. Why is David doing what he is doing in this episode? Dancing wildly in a thin priestly ephod? Michal is right, David is not following the normal dress or decorum that a king should abide by. Perhaps David is actually wrong.
David in this situation sees himself as a kind of priestly and prophetic king. In ancient Israel, those roles, prophet, priest and king, were usually three separate people. But there are a few occasions where one person takes on a role that blends two or three of the roles. Moses. Samuel. And now David, take on a role that is part prophet, part priest, part king. Of course in the New Testament, we see how Jesus is the ultimate expression of prophet, priest and king for the whole world. But for now, we look at how David is prophet, priest and king for Israel.
There was always a very spiritual side to David. He is not just a political ruler. He sees himself in deep relationship with God, and as one who leads his people spiritually. Thus he chooses to wear a piece of clothing that the priests would normally wear. A king would normally wear a rich robe and all the trappings of royalty. David instead chooses a priest’s ephod, a very thin piece of clothing. It was likely either similar to a long t-shirt that would be tied around the waist with a rope, or maybe just a skirt that was tied around the waist. This was the common priestly garment that the regular tabernacle workers would wear.
Back to the Presidential Inauguration analogy in the previous post. Imagine this scene at an Inaugural Ball: the new president, just before the opening dance of the Inauguration says, “Excuse me honey, I need to use the restroom,” then comes back to center stage dancing wildly with a long t-shirt and mini-skirt on? How would their spouse react?
That’s what David is doing, and it sends Michal over the edge. I imagine any president’s spouse would at least be shocked and probably embarrassed, if not angry. And that is usually in a situation when the president and their spouse are happily married. But as we’ve seen, David and Michal might not be happily married. Bitterness flows freely from Michal.
How will David respond? We find out in the next post.
Photo by Artur Voznenko on Unsplash
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