"Rejoicing “A merry [rejoicing] heart doeth good like a medicine.” Proverbs 17:22 . Gratitude, rejoicing, benevolence, trust in God's love and care—these are health's greatest safeguard. To the Israelites they were to be the very keynote of life. MH 281"
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
Ellen White directly references Proverbs 17:22 in this passage.
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
Both passages connect positive emotions (rejoicing, gratitude, thanksgiving) with a positive outcome (health/entering God's presence). While the specific outcomes differ, the underlying principle of the benefits of a joyful spirit is shared.
"In all the affairs of their daily life, the Israelites were taught the lesson set forth by the Holy Spirit: MH 281.1"
"For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Both passages emphasize holiness and sanctification. While the EGW passage broadens the application to daily life, the underlying principle of striving for holiness as commanded by God is present in both.
"the Feast of Tabernacles, were opportunities for outdoor recreation and social life. These feasts were occasions of rejoicing, made sweeter and more tender by the hospitable welcome given to the stranger, the Levite, and the poor. MH 281.4"
"And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates."
Both passages discuss rejoicing during feasts and the inclusion of the Levite, stranger, and the poor. Deuteronomy 16:14 explicitly commands rejoicing and including these groups, while EGW describes the Feast of Tabernacles as an opportunity for this. The connection is strong and clear.
"“Rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.” Deuteronomy 26:11 . MH 281.5"
"And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you."
Ellen White directly references Deuteronomy 26:11 in this passage.
"So, in later years, when the law of God was read in Jerusalem to the captives returned from Babylon, and the people wept because of their transgressions, the gracious words were spoken: MH 281.6"
"And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law."
The EGW passage directly references the event described in Nehemiah 8:9, accurately portraying the people's reaction to hearing the law and the subsequent instruction not to mourn. The connection is clear and meaningful.
"“Mourn not.... Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:9, 10 . MH 281.7"
"Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
This is a direct quote from Nehemiah 8:10, making it a clear and explicit allusion.