Good Gone Bad

(Pro 23:17 KJV) Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

“Envy” (7065) is another good example of something with good potential gone bad.  Just as legitimate sexual attraction can become lust leading to actually adultery, so good taste can end up being envy.  The problem is not in knowing that owning a home is something you would like someday.  The problem is in the feelings you have toward home owners when you are living in a studio apartment.

Wouldn’t it be nice if all we every really wanted was to be better servants like someone you know.  That is possible but only if our fear of the Lord outweighs our personal “I want.”

So?  Work on having the proper perspective. 

Target of Envy

(Pro 24:1 KJV) Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

The KJV uses a word that is not in the Hebrew so it is not technically correct but is a helpful comment on the problem.  The word is “against”.  Envy is not just a desire for the things that a person has but is an attack against the person.  I think that is an important distinction. 

When we look at the wealth, status, looks, personality or any other quality of another person and feel disenfranchised because we don’t have it, part of that lusting is an attack on the other person.  It at least generates hostile thoughts and those will effect our actions.  It is not just wanting the thing, it is wanting them not to have it.

So?  It really does not hurt us to work on being satisfied with what we have instead of always striving for more.  I know that danger of that is complacency and sloth.   I know it can sound like a condemnation of worthy ambitions.  Some need to try harder but in America a large group are selling their family’s future to get ahead.  Balance. 

The Rolex Response

(Proverbs 23:3 KJV)  Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

You have heard that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  I would assume that the same thing could be said about “dainties” (delicacies NASB) (4303).  To be honest I don’t have a lot of trouble resisting the call of escargot.  I tried it once out of curiosity.  It was not disgusting.  It was also not as good as taco flavored Doritoes.  Naturally that is only my coarse, Philistine opinion.  I have never even been tempted with caviar or oysters on the half shell. 

So what is the real danger here?  It is conforming to the values and expectations of the trend setting class.  Why do people want a Rolex watch?  It is because it tells time more accurately?  Maybe it does, but not any better than my Timex for my uses.  People want a Rolex so people will ask, “Is that a Rolex?”  The Rolex mentality exists no matter what the value of the fixation.  I remember in middle school being asked, “Is that a Pro Club?”  You might have no idea what that is.  You might not know the difference between a Pro Club and a Shaka.  It was a big deal in middle school.

So?  Our priorities and values are to be set by our God and not by our contemporaries.  It is a constant temptation to look at your neighbor’s riding lawn mower and feel like you are less of a person because you don’t have one.  Beware of the Rolex Response.

Watch the Response

(Proverbs 6:34 KJV)  For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

Obviously “jealousy” (7068) is not something that should be a part of our lives but this is a different kind of warning.  This is a caution about causing jealousy in other people.  The immediate context is adultery.  The rage it can cause seems to be beyond forgiveness.  Think about other possibilities.  Maybe athletic prowess would cause it.  Maybe success in business could be a problem.  It might even be something you have no control over.

This is why things like patience, turning the other cheek, not being provoked and such are so important to the Christian character.  Of course you might provoke jealousy in the church but that is their spiritual problem.

So?  Don’t be surprised when people turn on you.  Keep on course. 

Enjoy the Mud

(Proverbs 27:4 KJV)  Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

I am wondering about the relationship between “envy” (jealousy NASB) (7068) and what the Ten Commandments calls “covet” (2530).  I am far from being an expert on the Hebrew but when I look at the definitions and how they are used I get the feeling that jealousy is more a raw emotion while coveting is a focused desire.  Thus I might say that anger is a response that can be explained.  You know what made you angry.  Jealousy is less rational. 

Somewhere I remember jealousy being explained as being unhappy that someone else is being blessed and enjoying life.  It isn’t so much that you even want what they have, that would be coveting.  It is more that you do not like their success.

So?  We need to take what the Love Chapter has to say and apply it in our observed world.

(1 Corinthians 13:6 KJV)  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

If you are having a bad day, look around you and be thankful for someone else’s blessings.  If you need an example think of watching a toddler sitting in the mud having a great time smearing it all over everything.  You are not involved but you can enjoy their joy.

Embracing a Destiny

(Proverbs 24:1 KJV)  Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

 I don’t think I have as much of a problem with this as some I know.  I don’t start drooling when I find myself behind a Tesla or Lamborghini.  I think it is stupid to pay a fortune for a Rolex.  I am perfectly happy getting the 99 cent special at the fast food place.  But I have had fantasies of being president.  I have been the star of the final game of the NBA playoffs many times.  I lived the life of Zorro.  I find that I look at others and start to wonder why I am not the big cheese.

I am “envious” (7065).  I covet.  I often find that I am not satisfied with my lot in life.  Are all of the people I envy “evil” (7463a)?  Yes and no.  The odds are that most of them serve Satan, at least passively.  At the same time they are not necessarily involved in openly perverted activity.  Although they have a problem, so do I.  It is too easy to look past the compromises that they have made and just want the finished product.  I am reminded of the words,

(Micah 6:8 KJV)  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

So?  It is frightening how often I need to remind myself of this standard of righteousness.  Don’t be frustrated because you came in second place.  Keep doing justice and loving kindness.  Walk in humility.  Let the evil embrace their destiny. 

Who Covets Your Ox?

(Proverbs 3:33 KJV)  The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

This chapter in Proverbs is loaded with promises related to wisdom.  You find an array ranging from financial to emotional.  This is a chapter where “never is heard a discouraging word....”  Yet other places in the Bible, as well as Proverbs, you have the assurance of persecution and the promise of the sustaining hand of God through rough times.  If wisdom produces promises, how do you have rough times?

Look at this verse.  God is promising that he will deliver different rewards to different responses.  He promises a “curse” (3994) for the “wicked” (7563).  He also “blesses” (1288) the “just” (righteous NASB) (6662).  What this does is generate envy in the hearts of those around us.  Have you ever seen two siblings going through this?  One does his chores and gets a reward.  The other refuses and is grounded.  Is the grounded child happy with the one rewarded?  Often the villain will ruin the good time of the rewarded out of envy. 

You might think this is no big deal but keep in mind that it was important enough to make the Big Ten.

(Exodus 20:17 KJV)  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

So?  There will always be people who will be jealous of the blessings that God has given you.  This is just a reminder to not be surprised when others covet your ox.  Keep plowing because there is nothing you can do for them.

Worse Than a Bad Temper

(Proverbs 27:4 KJV)  Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

This verse seems to be saying that “envy” (jealousy NASB) (7068) is worse than “anger” (639).  Why?  My first connection was with the Love Chapter, I Corinthians 13.  Jealousy is the third behavior on the list in the NASB.  It is one of my struggles at the moment.

(1 Corinthians 13:4 NAS77)  Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

Later on it deals with anger but with an interesting twist that might give us an insight.

(1 Corinthians 13:5 KJV)  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

The word “anger” is not used but anger is something that is provoked.  The provocation may not be worthy of the response but in our minds we are reacting to what others have done.  Jealousy tends to be caused by wanting what others have.  Jealousy is much more subtle and easier to hide.

Sometimes we think that if we avoid one sinful action we can slide with the others.  If we don’t have a temper it is easy to look down on those who do and ignore our jealousies.  Righteousness is not on a point system.  One reason people don’t like the idea of righteousness is that it applies to all of life, not just the rules churches come up with.

So?  Put jealousy on your list of concerns.  For me it expresses itself in feelings of outrage because I imagine I have it harder than others.  For you it might be something more classical like being a jealous husband.  Think about it.

It Is Not Romantic

(Pro 6:34 KJV)  For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

Isn’t “jealousy” (7068) associated with the color green?  Maybe I am thinking of envy.  Maybe it is purple.  I don’t think it is a Biblical association.  What is Biblical is the danger associated with this emotion.  At the root it means zeal but the only place it is used that might be positive is in relation to a zeal for the house of the Lord.  Even there it consumes.

The inference is that our passion for something can take control of us and cause us to lose control.  It is “the rage” (enrages NASB) (2534).  It makes us hot.  There are certain things that turn off our mental control and rational response.  Jealousy is one of them.

So?  Are you a jealous person?  It isn’t cute.  It isn’t romantic.  It is sin.  It is time to face the music and call a tantrum a tantrum. 

The Antithesis of Jealousy

(Pro 23:15 KJV)  My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

This is the antithesis of jealousy.  The specific context is wisdom but the principle applies across the board.  So often when we see someone else doing well or having a great moment we get petty and wonder why they were promoted and we were not.  I guess you could call it a common response.  Think of a child who sees another child receive a piece of candy or a cookie and the first response is “me too.”  Think of a parade where one of the participants moves along throwing some kind of swag to the crowd.  Hands go up and people start pushing.

We are to be different.  We are to “rejoice” (be glad NASB) (8055) for anyone who is getting a blessing.  If your friend loses weight, rejoice.  Don’t buy him a cookie or eat a pizza in front of him, rejoice.  And make it genuine.

So?  Drive them crazy.  Leave the jealousy for the pagans and pseudo-Christians.  Let love rule in your life and heart.  Of course, that is not possible if you don’t have the love of God in your heart.  If that is the problem, remember it is always available.

The Ugly Head

(Proverbs 27:4 KJV)  Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

What is the problem with “envy” (jealousy NASB) (7068)?  This is a frequent concern in the Bible.  The two most frequent translations in both the KJV and NASB are “jealousy” and “zeal.”  The word carries the idea of extreme enthusiasm that goes beyond the bounds of reason and rationality.  When it is used of the things of God, it is a good trait.  In most other uses it is a sin.

I think it is worse because envy can take time to plan.  It may start off spontaneously, but it tends to fester.  Slights become magnified.  Wrongs are amplified.  This is another example of why it is so important for us to turn the other cheek and forgive.

So?  Don’t let self-passion get a hold on you today.  Someone will cross you.  You may be right.  They may be wrong.  Don’t allow emotional response to take you from being right to being in sin. 

Greener Grass, Anyone?

(Proverbs 9:17 KJV)  Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

You may be more familiar with the modern version of this:

“The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.”

There is something alluring about the illicit. 

This begins at a young age.  One of the first words learned, sometimes before “Mama” or “Dada” is the declaration, “Mine!”  If you have never seen or heard it you lead an incredibly sheltered life. 

Again we see this as part of the Ten Commandments.

(Exodus 20:17 KJV)  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

It is also one of the seven deadly (mortal) sins.

Are you convinced yet.  It is bad to want what is not yours.  It is part of original sin.  If not dealt with it will lead to eternal destruction. 

So?  You are tired of hearing it, but repent.  Sincerely cry out to God with a desire to change.  Ask Him to change your heart.  Allow the Holy Spirit to do His work.  Let me be the first to wish you a Happy Growth Day.