Day 3

LOVING SACRIFICE

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Phil. 1:3

Jonathan was not David's only friend in Saul's household. Saul gave David his daughter Michal to ensure his loyalty as son-in-law and to keep him close where he could be destroyed easily! Unfortunately for Saul his plotting rebounded on him. We are told (1 Sam. 18:27) of David that "Michal Saul's daughter loved him." Her loyalty was to her husband not to her father.

After Saul once again tried to strike David down with a javelin it was clear that David would always be in danger in the palace and Michal that same night devised a plan for her husband's escape (1 Sam. 19:11-17). For her, permanent separation was better than David's death.

Michal was in an unenviable position, a woman in a man's world and at the mercy of her father the king - now become ruthless and unbalanced. To save herself she lied to him about why she let David escape. Was she justified? Was she wise? Are lies ever the best way? Consider carefully Exodus 20:16 and Revelation 22:15.

To whom should Michal have been loyal? Compare Exodus 20:12 with Gen. 2:24. How do you reconcile these commands?