A Higher Law

When we look at 1 Cor. 13 we are reminded that whatever we do in life if we don't do it out of love, it profits nothing. It talks about how we can give our bodies to be burned, we can have all knowledge (be an expert in a field), know mysteries, speak in languages of angels and men and if we have not love we are a clanging cymbal.

I was watching the Passion of Christ last night and I was listening to Jesus words and especially what he said, “Love our enemies.” I was talking to the Lord about how hard it is to love certain people. To love an ex. It can be an ex-friend, an ex-spouse, an ex-relative. If we only love those who love us, than we don't have a reward.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48

At times I’ve strictly followed the letter of God’s words ---it’s sticking to God’s word because I believe it’s final authority, but what happens many times is we get under the “letter of the law” of the word rather than the spirit of the word. Jesus said, "My words are spirit and life." John 6:63

I believe that is what the Lord was showing me recently when I was thinking about Michal and how David pulled her away from her second husband after it has been several years. Michal helped David escape from her own father.

“Michal's obligation to her father, Saul, runs diametrically opposite her responsibilities to David. Specifically, the Torah prohibits a child from causing pain to a parent - and Michal knows her father will suffer, once he finds out she has orchestrated David's escape.”

Michal raised up five children for her sister that was supposed to be David’s wife in killing Goliath. All these five children were killed after Saul was killed in battle.

So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite .

The two phrases, “she bore to” and “she brought up,” are actually the same in the Hebrew (Yalad). When the translators realized the glitch that Michal had no children according to 2 Samual 6:23, they tried to “fix” the issue by translating this as “she brought up,” even though the Hebrew is identical for both italicized sections and in the same Qal tense, which means “bore” or “begat”—and not “brought up.”

Saul had given her to another man and David was refusing to let her go. Against her will, he had her come back to him. Many times women were like property. He had no consideration for Michal who had moved on with someone else, or if she still loved him. He seemed bent on that he "owned her."

2Sa 3:14 And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

2Sa 3:15 And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.

Then we see later is that David did something unlawful, he took his neighbor’s wife. I can't help but think that David being a stickler himself to the law in demanding Michal back rather put himself under the law and then he was guilty of the same sin -- adultery that Michal was from her father.

It’s a higher law we live in and it’s not expecting vengeance for people, but it’s being the better person and returning good for evil. Only Jesus inside of us can do that. Like Jesus said, “He must increase and we must decrease.”