“Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death” (2 Samuel 6:23). This sobering judgment speaks the final word in the narrative of King David’s wife Michal.
What began as a love story ends in tragedy. How did Saul’s daughter, who once upon a time risked life and limb for her husband, come to such an end? God includes this vivid illustration in Scripture for our benefit, showing us the descent from a trustworthy wife to the kind of woman who sees only the worst in her husband, wrongly assessing the situation and casting evil judgment on him that falls back on her own lap. Michal’s story is instructive, especially for Christian wives tempted toward a critical spirit because circumstances are difficult or different from what they expected.
Michal Loved David
One of the first things we learn about Michal, aside from the fact that she was King Saul’s second daughter, is that she loved David. She loved him even before he presented two hundred Philistine foreskins to her father as a bride price — one hundred more than Saul requested. And this love was no ruse — it was a genuine love, a loyal love tested in life-and-death circumstances:
