The Holy Spirit led me to consider something that I found in Scripture. I was reading the books of Samuel when something leaped out at me.
As I read about two similar events that took place over two generations, I began to wonder if the pattern of jealousy in this book was due to a soul invader having passed down through the generational line.
I am referring to King Saul, and his daughter Michal. Both had an integral part in King David’s life and trials.
I soon discovered as the Holy Spirit enlightened me that jealousy was on a generational rampage within this bloodline, targeting David in an attempt to destroy him.
Let’s look at a situation that aggravated King Saul’s jealousy over David. Pay attention to the setting and environment in which this took place:
[1 Samuel 18:6-9] 6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. (NIV)
King Saul became jealous and angry because the women were crediting David with slaying more enemies than King Saul in their songs and dancing.
Imagine the scene: The army busting in through the city gates, the atmosphere is charged and lit with excitement. The war is over – total rejoicing in victory, beholding the townspeople cheering and applauding.
It would take a strong negative emotion to override the joy one would be carrying in this setting. Something as strong as a bitter jealousy to kill the atmosphere of goodness and breed a deep anger in the midst of rejoicing.
This led to King Saul coming against David and seeking to kill him. Now, let’s fast-forward to later on in Scripture where Michal – King Saul’s daughter, and also David’s first wife had a similar encounter.
[2 Samuel 6:14-16] 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. (NIV)
[2 Samuel 6:20] When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” (NIV)
The scene almost repeats itself identically. Once again David is coming in through the city gates, all of Israel following him – a charged atmosphere with excitement and joy as the Ark of the Lord is being returned to the capitol city.
And once again, jealousy and anger erupt within King Saul’s daughter over the same thing – a handful of women.
Michal was also jealous of David’s relationship with God and how he abandoned himself before the Lord in praise.
I began to ponder if there was a fragment of King Saul that was passed down generationally to instigate this bit of jealousy and anger towards David in two nearly identical scenes spanned across an entire generation.
Was this a trigger that was dormant inside of Michal? A genetic predisposition that a demon could use to attack King David? Could she have been delivered of this, and lived a blessed life as King David’s wife?
In the end, her coming against David (like with King Saul) was not without consequence. She lived her life barren without children until the day she died as a result of coming against the anointed of God.
[2 Samuel 6:23] And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. (NIV)
Evil jealousy is a dangerous emotion with a powerful demonic spirit behind it. It can destroy, curse, and pass down the generations if left unchecked. Is there a door in our own lives that would provide access for this demonic spirit to enter in through and operate?
Is there something dormant inside of us just waiting for the right moment to peek up its ugly head?
Consider these things and how this has already played out in the Bible. Is God trying to get us to realize and see that we have much to analyze within ourselves, that we may be truly free to help and serve others?