”And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes. So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head. Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’ ”“ I Samuel 19:13-17 NKJV
a. Michal took an image: The image was a teraphim, a figurine used as a household idol or as a fertility and good luck charm. In ancient Israel, teraphim were intended as aids in worshipping the true God. They didn’t think of the teraphim as other gods, but as representing the God of Israel.
i. Clearly God’s people had no business having or using an image like this. We can’t imagine that this image, this household idol, belonged to David; so it shows that Michal didn’t have the kind of relationship with God she should have had. This weak relationship with God will reveal itself in Michal as the story of David’s life unfolds (2 Samuel 6:16-23). “When we read of these images we are not surprised by the defects of character which we see in Michal.” (Blaikie)
b. Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him: This means Saul was not taken in by his daughter’s deception. This also shows something of the depth of Saul’s hatred for David because he wanted to deliver the death-blow himself (bring him up to me…that I may kill him).
c. My enemy: These are the saddest words in this passage. Saul, when describing David, calls him my enemy. David was really Saul’s friend and David did more to help Saul than just about anyone else. David was only the enemy of Saul because Saul wanted to see him that way.
“image, this household idol”
Many of us today have an “image, this household idol”. It can be anything that draws us away from God that consumes our time and energy. It can be work, television, smartphone or __________ (fill in the blank).
Since retiring my inbox or wheelbarrow seems to be full and it takes me longer to prepare for the season(s). With fall I’m rushing to prepare for winter! And with spring I’m rushing to fill the woodshed for fall. Something is always in the need of maintenance or repair but the Lord has blessed me with the skills to do most things but now with age limitations.
I’m as guilty as anyone else because after a full day of retirement and preparing dinner my idol is the television.
What is your “image, this household idol,”?
Blessings
https://www.gotquestions.org/family-idols.html
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