David & Women

Follow Along with the Message

1. Michal’s Story

1 Samuel 18:20–21 NLT- In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it. “Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!” Saul said to himself. But to David he said, “Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”

A. Michal’s  

1 Samuel 19:11–12 NLT- Then Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.” So she helped him climb out through a window, and he fled and escaped.

1 Samuel 25:44 NLT- Saul, meanwhile, had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to a man from Gallim named Palti son of Laish.

2 Samuel 3:13–16 NLT- “All right,” David replied, “but I will not negotiate with you unless you bring back my wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come.”

David then sent this message to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son: “Give me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives of 100 Philistines.”

So Ishbosheth took Michal away from her husband, Palti son of Laish. Palti followed along behind her as far as Bahurim, weeping as he went. Then Abner told him, “Go back home!” So Palti returned.

B. The  of Relationship

2 Samuel 6:16 NLT- But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.

C. What can we learn? – Love Without Honor Can Lead to

• Relationships require mutual respect and communication to thrive.

• When we focus on appearances and positions rather than true devotion, relationships suffer.

• Pointing to Christ: Jesus’ love for the church is self-sacrificial, not self-seeking.

Ephesians 5:21–22 NLT- And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:25 NLT- For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her…

Key thought: Love without mutual respect and understanding can lead to resentment and division.

2. Bathsheba’s Story

2 Samuel 11:1–5 NLT- In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”

A. David’s  of Power

B. The Ripple Effect of  

C. What can we learn? – How We Treat  Matters

• Power must be wielded for justice, not personal gain.

• We must examine our influence in relationships—do we honor or exploit?

• Connection to Christ: Jesus defended the vulnerable and restored dignity to those who had been shamed.

Key thought: Unchecked power leads to devastating consequences, but God’s grace can redeem even the worst situations.

3. Abigail's Story

1 Samuel 25:14–17 NLT- Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”

A. Abigail’s  

B. The Power of

C. What can we learn?– Be a Voice of Reason and Wisdom

• How do we handle conflict in relationships?

• Peacemakers are blessed (Matt. 5:9), and we are called to respond with grace and discernment.

• Connection to Christ: Jesus is the ultimate mediator, stepping in to bring reconciliation 2 Cor. 5:18-19

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 NLT- And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

Key Thought: Godly wisdom can diffuse tension and lead to peace.

2 Samuel 13:1–15 NLT- Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her. Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.

But Amnon had a very crafty friend—his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David’s brother Shimea. One day Jonadab said to Amnon, “What’s the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?”

So Amnon told him, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

“Well,” Jonadab said, “I’ll tell you what to do. Go back to bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come and prepare some food for you. Tell him you’ll feel better if she prepares it as you watch and feeds you with her own hands.”

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, “Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands.” So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon’s house to prepare some food for him.

When Tamar arrived at Amnon’s house, she went to the place where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked his favorite dish for him. But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. “Everyone get out of here,” Amnon told his servants. So they all left.

Then he said to Tamar, “Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here.” So Tamar took his favorite dish to him. But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, “Come to bed with me, my darling sister.”

“No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel. Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me.”

But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. “Get out of here!” he snarled at her.

4. Tamar’s Story

A. The  for Justice

2 Samuel 13:21 NLT- When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry.

B. The Long-Term Effects of 

C. What can we learn? – A Call to Stand with the  

• The church must not be silent about abuse, injustice, and suffering.

• Healing comes through compassion, justice, and Christ’s redemption.

• Connection to Christ: Jesus healed the brokenhearted and restored dignity to the marginalized:

Luke 4:18 NLT- “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free…”

Key thought: Betrayal and injustice leave deep wounds, but God calls us to stand with the broken and seek justice.

What We Learn from David’s Relationships

A. Reflect on the Impact of Our 

B. Christ as the True King Who

C. Spiritual Next Step – How Will We  in Relationships?