King David was celebrating the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem with song and dance. David was a singer and a song writer. I expect that he was a pretty good dancer too. With the victory over the Philistines and the solidarity of the kingdom, David truly ushered in a “dancing generation.”

However, the old regime, represented by Saul’s daughter Michal, rebuked David for dishonoring himself with such undignified behavior. But David would not let the detractors diminish his joy and the celebration of the people. In 2 Samuel 6:21 David simply pointed out to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will make merry before the Lord.”

Michal is referred to three times in this chapter as Saul’s daughter rather than as David’s wife. Clearly, we are to see that her loyalty remained with the previous regime. She was not supportive of the new deal. This episode shows that there is often no way to put new wine in old wineskins.

The last verse declares “Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.” Any dream that the lines of Saul and the lines of David would come together under a common heir were dashed that day.

Max Lucado tells the story of a man named Steve who lived a rough life until he came to faith in Jesus. But his weakness was his girlfriend. She would have none of his new faith. Max says, “Any changes Steve made would be quickly muffled as she would craftily maneuver him back into his old habits. She was the last thing between him and the kingdom. …He was trying to put new wine into an old wineskin. He wrestled for days trying to decide what to do. Finally, he reached a conclusion. He couldn’t leave her.”

Max continues to exhort us regarding this truth. “Think for a minute. Do you have any wineskins that need to be thrown out? Look closely in your closet. They come in all sizes. Maybe yours is an old indulgence—food, clothes, sex. Or an old habit, like gossip or profanity. Or possibly, like Steve, an old relationship. No friendship or romance is worth your soul. Repentance means change. And change means purging your heart of anything that can’t coexist with Christ.”