DAVID - Easton's Bible Dictionary

DAVID, CITY OF - Easton's Bible Dictionary

DAVID - The new Bible Dictionary

JERUSALEM - Easton's Bible Dictionary

JERUSALEM. - The new Bible Dictionary

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” 23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. (1 Samuel 6:20-23)

David came home full of the joy of the Lord, ready to bless his family as he had the families of those who had brought the Ark with him. And he received a totally unexpected reception!

At this time he had at least 3 wives, Michal, Ahinoam and Abigail. We don't know the reactions of the other two, as the Biblical account centers upon the response of Michal, the daughter of King Saul. For Michal is a type of the religious church, an inheritance from her father.

Imagine the letdown for David when his wife confronted him! He had blessed God and God had blessed him in return. Now it was his family's turn. But when he received the unexpected reaction, he still placed God first. He understood the religious spirit in now found in his wife, for he had experienced its effects for 10 long years during the time King Saul sought to kill him. He didn't let her attitude deter him and Michal suffered the consequence of the ultimate shame for a Jewish woman of the time, barrenness.

God anointed King Saul through the prophet Samuel, as king. Under the Jewish culture of the time, this encompassed all areas of life, including God's 'religious' inheritance.

And he paid the price!

Nothing has changed. As Michal inherited the trait of her father, many in the church today following their own ideas, doing what they think will be best for God. They inevitably fail to see, or accept, when God truly moves.

King David's parade to Jerusalem can be likened to Jesus making the same journey on Psalm Sunday. It was a time of rejoicing.

However, this was followed a few days later by His complete and utter rejection, at the instigation of the priests.

We generally look at this pattern as applying between believers and non- believers. While it does have some parallel, the reality is that in both cases, the rejection was from those of the supposedly godly line.

"But surely this situation doesn't apply today?" you might well ask. Sadly, it has always existed in the church, right from the very early days of the New Testament church.

It takes a long time, even for those who are dedicated to God, particularly ones who are capable in the natural, to learn that God's ways are better than our own.

We must learn to rest in God, not pushing on in our own strength but waiting on Him.

But reality is, many in the church will not understand and will reject those who desire to be '100 fold' Christians.

Those in the church who are tied to its traditions, its theologies, who effectively place 'their church' above God, do not understand those who seek to follow the Lord with all they have. Yet, it is these ones who are sold out to Jesus, who will inherit the kingdom of God.

Rejection is a powerful force. We like belonging to 'the group'. Being rejected by those in the world is hurtful enough, but understandable. But being rejected by our brothers and sisters in the church is a 100 times more painful! For they are our family in Christ - and we are going to have to spend eternity with them! How's that for a scary thought! But God is gracious!

Once again there is another verse we use in a Christian/non-Christian context, but it has an even greater application within the church.

For there is a group of people the Lord is calling out to Him today who are to be capable of overcoming satan. Not just those who believe in Jesus, (the blood of the Lamb), nor those who have also experienced the release of Holy Spirit power in their lives, (the word of their testimony). But those who are prepared to sacrifice all aims, ambitions and desires to the will of the Father, even being prepared to die for Him physically as well as spiritually, be that required of them.

Yes, those who do not understand will reject us, but like King David when sarcastically abused by his wife Michal, we will place the Lord first.

No, the rich and the religious people will not understand, but those who are poor in the eyes of the world but rich in their dedication to the Lord's will, as David explained.

A church of the poor, the misfits, those who cannot possibly succeed in their own strength, but need to rely fully upon their Lord.

As Jesus said to the 'organizer', Martha, (a picture of today's religious church), about Mary, the one who loved the Lord with all she had;

A people who simply desire to follow Jesus, to do what He did.

Amen.

Today, after the summary of the last 12 weeks teaching, we are going to see how the pentecostal experience and church is not the final church but rather, a step on the way to the end time bride, overcomers, or whatever you wish to call the fully committed church of the final days.

The threat of rejection by the group to which we belong is a powerful motivator to make us 'toe the party line'.

Sadly, most Christians are satisfied with a 30-fold or 60-fold walk with Jesus and cannot understand those who are 100% sold out to Him.

So rejection by fellow believers is a common experience of those desiring to be like King David. Disciples, not perfect, but desiring to become so. Ones who are fully sold out to Jesus, not just as a theological understanding of the mind, but in our daily actions and reactions. Those who truly desire to become like Jesus.

Are we prepared to pay the price?

New Testament - MIKVA - Washing

This is a washing area near the Jewish Temple. This was used for Jewish washing ceremonies and may have been the scene of the baptisms mentioned in the New Testament.