“Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head. 14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.” 15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair. 17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?” Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’” 1 Samuel 19.11-17
The characters in the Bible are human. Which means, they are concerned with self-preservation. Something about our nature that causes us to protect ourselves whenever possible. Michal, the wife of David, is a good example of this as you will see.
King Saul wants David killed and is no longer hiding this fact. He is actively plotting to have him killed and even sends his men to David’s house to “watch it and to kill in the morning.” Michal does the correct thing by warning David — “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed. So Michael let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.”
From an initial reading, it seems as though Michal was really concerned about David’s well being and I genuinely believe she was. This was David’s first wife, they were young and in love. They cared for each other and Michal had no reason at this point to be jealous of David. She loved him and wanted to protect him so she warned him and helped him escape.
Yet when her father realizes that she had helped him by lowering him down through the window and placing an idol in the bed, she is forced to lie saying that David threatened to kill her and this is why she complied. Michal replied to Saul’s accusation — “Why did you deceive me and send my enemy away?” with these words – “He (David) said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?”
Michal was caught between a rock and a hard place and rightly so. Her husband was the hero of the land and her father the older jealous king who believed everyone was out to get him. She said what she needed to say in order not to be punished by the king. She helped David but she later lied in order not to be blamed for his escape.
Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we are forced to move into self-preservation. But the best position is to allow the Lord to defend us. Later on we will see where Jonathan helps David escape but unlike Michale, he stands up to his father telling the truth about what he did and calling out the injustice.
God will fight our battles. Let’s allow him to do this and trust in with our lives. No matter what comes against us, if we are with the Lord than he is always with us.
“O Lord God, you are good. Thank you for loving me and for allowing me to place my hope and trust in you. Come now, Holy Spirit, make me your dwelling place. Help me walk with piety and a faith placed in you. I receive your forgiveness and your salvation. Come near, Lord God, and find your servant willing and reliant upon you. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen