Be Merry, Join The Party | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Be Merry, Join The Party | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lakella Davenport
05/06/23
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Be Merry, Join The Party

Proverbs 17:22 (KJV)- “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

This verse reminds me of two individuals in the Bible, (Michal David's wife and the elder brother of the Prodigal Son) who had spirits broken by the actions of jealousy. For the Bible says, “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones,” (Proverbs 14:30). Michal, David's wife ( King Saul's' daughter) had an un-merry heart full of hatred and envy toward her husband King David. King David had been chosen by God to take King Saul's place. King David on the other hand had a merry heart. His heart was full of joy and gladness. God had allowed King David to bring the ark of God, from Baale of Judah into the city of David (2 Samuel 6:2). “And it was told Kind David, saying,The Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness,” (2 Samuel 6: 12).

King David's heart was merry like good medicine. His joy was contagious. “And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet,” (2 Samuel 6: 14-15). Michal David's wife saw David's joy and was angry that he was so happy and merry. “And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart,” (2 Samuel 6: 16). Instead of joining her husband, King David, in the celebration of bringing the ark of God into the city of David, Michal became jealous and envious of David. She criticized her husband for dancing before the people of Israel. She accused him of uncovering himself before other women, when David was coming home to bless his household after he'd blessed the people. “And he dealt among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to everyone a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed everyone to his house,” (2 Samuel 6: 19).

David had so much joy before the Lord he gave the people of Israel that were celebrating with him each something to eat and wine to drink. He was not only a King chosen by God and favored by God, but he was highly favored among the peoples of Israel. As a result of her jealousy and heart of dislike toward King David, “Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death,” (2 Samuel 6: 23). Michal was a party spoiler.

The second individual, who was a party spoiler, who had an un-merry heart of jealousy was the elder brother of the Prodigal Son in Luke chapter 15. According to the Oxford Languages dictionary online, prodigal means, “spending money or resources freely and recklessly.” That is what the prodigal son did with his inheritance which he had gotten from his father in Luke chapter 15 verses 12-13. “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living,” (Luke 15: 13). In Luke 15, verses 14-21, the Prodigal son began to be in want as a famine struck the land in which he dwelt. He got so low as to want to eat the husks that the swine did eat. He came to his senses and realized his father's hired servants had plenty of bread to eat. He decided he would go back home to his father and ask to be one of his hired servants because he was no longer worthy to be called his son because he had “sinned against heaven and against him,” (Luke 15:17-19).

However, when his father saw him from afar off his heart began to be filled with merriment and compassion (Luke 15:20-24). His father kissed him and was not angry with him. His father, in turn forgave him and threw a big party in his honor.

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