2 Samuel 6, 1 Corinthians 16, Ezekiel 14, Psalm 55

Date	Version	Reading Plan
September 11, 2024	ESV (2016)	M’Cheyne Plan 2024

2 Samuel 6

2 Samuel 6:20–23 (ESV) 20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD—and I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

Michal, wife of David and daughter of Saul, met David with contempt of his celebration of bringing the ark of the Lord to the city of David, accusing him of indecently dancing before his servants. David responded that he had been chosen by the LORD over her father, Saul, that he would make himself even more contemptible and yet be held in honor by the female servants. Michal also never conceived a child until the day of her death. According to the NAC, “To an audience knowledgeable of the Torah, Michal’s unproductive womb would have been interpreted as a curse sent against a disobedient wife–not as evidence of a husband’s neglect of a marital duty. Michal’s lack of faith would mean that the house of Saul would be forever separate from Israel’s eternal royal dynasty.”

In this we see a stark contrast between David’s heart of rejoicing in the LORD and Michal’s critical attitude. David was in the right for boasting in the LORD while Michal experienced shame for her wrongful scorn. Let us then see in this that our boasting is to be properly placed in the One who is worthy of all our praise and worship, far removed from any unjust enmity and contention.

1 Corinthians 16

1 Corinthians 16:8–9 (ESV) 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Paul’s sensitivity to the LORD’s direction in ministry is palpable. He recognized that a wide door had opened for him in Ephesus for effective work and thus he was to stay there until Pentecost. In his journeys, Paul was responsive to where and for how long he was to stay in a region for productive evangelism. It is a helpful reminder to remain close to the LORD in fervent prayer, guided by the Spirit and keenly receptive to his authoritative administration.

Ezekiel 14

Ezekiel 14:21–23 (ESV) 21 “For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! 22 But behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. 23 They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord GOD.”

A summary is given of the four acts of judgment the LORD would enact upon Jerusalem, the location of His temple. According to the FSB, “All four are part of the covenant curses in Lev 26:22–26.” However, the LORD would preserve a remnant among them, sons and daughters who would be brought out. This remnant would serve as a consolation and once the exiles realized the depth of wickedness, they would understand why God’s judgment was necessary. By extension, we as followers of Christ must be ever aware that we serve a God of holy righteousness and that the LORD is supremely just in everything He does.

Psalm 55

Psalm 55:22 (ESV) 22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

It is immensely encouraging that I am to cast my burden on the LORD, that He sustains me and never permits the righteous to be moved. How heavy seems my burden at times but He is faithful to remove it from me. How incredible is our Lord’s invitation and promise: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)

Carson on 2 Samuel 6

Michal turns out to be her father’s daughter: she is more interested in pomp, form, royal robes, and personal dignity than in exuberant worship (2 Sam. 6:16). She despises David precisely because he is so God-centered he cares very little about his persona. People constantly fretting about what others think of them cannot be absorbed by the sheer God-awareness and God-centeredness that characterize all true worship.

Carson points to focused absorption of God in David’s earnest worship. How wonderful it would be if God’s people would be as David, abandoning concern for the world’s approval to freely praise our God without restraint.

Justin Houtz