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The sermon presents David’s response to Michal as a model of humble but unwavering devotion to God. Spurgeon connects David’s zeal to sovereign grace: those who have been forgiven and transformed should not measure their service by worldly standards. Christians are called to endure ridicule, refuse cowardice, and respond without retaliatory bitterness. The sermon also urges comfortable believers to pray for those suffering social and familial opposition because of their faith. Its closing warnings distinguish steadfast faith from contemptuous unbelief and temporary religious profession.
Theological center: Sovereign grace that chooses, forgives, and transforms sinners produces grateful, wholehearted worship and enables perseverance under opposition.
Applications: Stand firm under ridicule · Respond without bitterness · Stand up for Jesus · Consider grace’s transforming power
Primary texts: 2 Samuel 6:20-22 · 1 Chronicles 16:43 · Philippians 1:29
“Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD. And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor.” 2 Samuel 6:20-22 YOU will remember the remarkable passage of Sacred History which I related to you this morning, how David sought on one occasion to bring up the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem, but neglecting God’s law, they put the ark upon a cart, instead of carrying it upon the shoulders of the Levites, and as one mistake very soon leads to another, when the oxen stumbled, Uzzah put forth his hand to steady the ark and prevent its falling, and God smote him there for his error, and he died. It was an awful moment. The pulse of that vast assembly beating high with solemn festivity, receives a sudden check. The trumpet which erstwhile sent forth its cheerful blast, with the sacred melody of cornet, of psaltery, and of harp—all are hushed in one instant. Dullness and terror seize the minds of all. They separate to their homes, the ark is carried into a private house adjoining, the residence of that eminent servant of God, Obed-edom, and there it tarried for the space of three months. David at last recovered his spirits, and a second time having carefully read over God’s law concerning the removal of the ark, he went down to the house of Obed-edom to carry it away. The priests this time lift up the ark upon their shoulders by means of the golden staves which passed through golden rings, and so uphold the ark. Finding that they were not smitten, but that they lived and were able to carry the ark, David paused and offered seven bullocks and seven rams as a sacrifice to God. Then, putting off his royal robe, laying aside his grown, he dressed himself like a priest, put on a linen ephod in order that he might have ease in the exercise which he meant to take, and so in the midst of all the people, like the poorest and meanest of them, he went before the ark, and playing with his harp, he danced before the Lord with all his might. While he was so doing he passed by his own house, and Michal his wife,…