RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

One of the great tragedies I’ve seen over the years is the moral fall of great men and women of God. I’ve watched people who genuinely loved God yield themselves to sin they would once have never dreamed possible. I’ve seen leaders who have preached Christ to thousands turn from heaven’s blessings to hell’s pleasures. In almost every case, there had been a fatal flaw in their relationship with God or their family.
The fall of a man or woman of God doesn’t usually happen in a moment of yielding to some great temptation. Usually it’s a slow process. At a critical moment, a seed of sin is birthed in the human heart. If it’s not immediately dealt with, it takes root and grows until the small sin issue becomes a full-blown scandal. Satan is subtle in his temptations. He plants his seeds of destruction at a moment of great success or terrible discouragement.
Such was the case with David. He experienced a dream come true. He had wanted the Ark of the Covenant returned to the center of the life of Israel. He knew the Ark contained the manifest presence of God, so it was absolutely necessary that God’s presence be in the middle of Jewish life. Therefore he made the return of the Ark a priority in his reign. When it was returned, David danced in jubilation in front of the people.
When David returned home to his wife, he faced a critical moment. His wife Michal was disgusted with his “undignified” celebration. She 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” (2 Samuel 6:20). A root of pride and bitterness was born that day in the heart of Michal. That produced an unresolved conflict between her and David that would last the rest of their lives. The Bible says, “And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death” (v. 23).
It’s possible that this breach was the root of David’s sin with Bathsheba. The implication is that after this incident, David and Michal did not have sexual relations. That does not give an excuse for what David would later do. But it does give us some insight into David’s marital status. Adultery is often the fruit of a rift between a husband and wife. It begins with small things that are harbored in one or both of their hearts. Instead of talking and praying through the situation, the two parties hold their feelings inside. With time, the gap between them only gets larger.
It appeared to be that way with David and Michal. We see no indication that David tried to resolve the matter. He only rebukes Michal for her pride. 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. 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” (2 Samuel 6:21, 22).
My concern with this incident is not who was right or wrong. It’s that in this moment, an unresolved conflict was born in the marriage between David and Michal. I’m convinced this discord played a subtle role in David’s later sin with Bathsheba. As leaders in the kingdom of God, we must not allow unresolved conflicts to fester in our hearts. If we do, they will show up later, in a deadly manner.