But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads: “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Psalm 22:6
The most powerful yet unrecognized psychological dynamic is the vicious cycle of sin, scorn and denial. It can start in childhood with a small but embarrassing mistake, whether unintentional or premeditated. The offender is then subjected to painful (if mild) scorn by others. The result can be denial – pretend the embarrassing incident never happened. All traces of it are blotted from memory. If people show scorn on their face when you pass, look again – it is gone. Perhaps it was just in your head? All is well.
As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.
2 Samuel 6:16
The arrival of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem by a singing and dancing King David – Van Lint – 1650
David’s wife Michal knew that her father, King Saul, who was denied the honor of bringing the Ark into its everlasting home in Jerusalem, would never have conducted himself with such vulgarity. And perhaps she knew that this celebration was premature, and that David was susceptible to the same dark forces that doomed her father.
