Where Jealousy and Strife Are, There Is Confusion and Every Evil Work

 

In this world under the sun, because of various kinds of competition, jealousy, envy, and strife among people seem never to cease. As a result, people stir up discord with one another, and truly, just as the word above says, confusion and every evil work arise. In severe cases, unfortunate things even happen in which a person’s life is taken...

 

Many such cases are recorded in the Bible as well. To look at just a few of them:

 

Genesis 37:3-28 “3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. 4And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. 5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind... 18And they saw him afar off, and before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life... 26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? 27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened unto him. 28And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.”

 

As this word shows, Israel, that is, Jacob, loved Joseph, the son of his old age, more deeply than his other sons. When the other sons saw this, they envied Joseph and eventually determined to kill him. Thankfully, through the counsel of Reuben and Judah, they did not kill Joseph but sold him to the Midianite merchants. Even so, the sin of selling a person, and moreover the sin of selling one’s own brother, can never be considered a light sin. Later, they themselves also confessed that they had sinned, as follows:

 

Genesis 42:21-24 “21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required. 23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them. 24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them again...”

 

Even though God had sent Joseph ahead of them into Egypt, the sin committed by his brothers was still sin. Therefore, the later testimony concerning them is also as follows:

 

Acts 7:9-10 “9And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him, 10and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.”

 

Thus, through Stephen, it is clearly stated that the patriarchs sold Joseph because of “jealousy.” In any case, through the matter of Joseph, we can see how frightening the results of “jealousy and envy” can be. For that evil heart can lead someone even to kill or sell his own brother. If one can do this to a brother, what might he do to another person? This is why a jealous heart is so fearful.

 

Sadly, the relationship between King Saul and David was also like this.

 

1 Samuel 18:6-11 “6And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward... 11And Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.”

 

When young David killed Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, and the men of Israel and Judah returned after striking down the Philistine army, women came out from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to welcome them. At that time, the women cried out, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” King Saul became greatly angry at this saying, and from that day forward he eyed David, eventually throwing a spear at him to kill him.

 

The women should have given all glory to God. But by comparing Saul and David and exalting David, they provoked Saul’s heart and made him exceedingly angry. We do not know what those women were thinking at the time, but as a result, it became a form of stirring up discord between Saul and David (see Saul Hath Slain His Thousands, and David His Ten Thousands.). Through this event also, we must carefully consider how “sowing discord between people” and “the results of jealousy and envy” can lead to terribly wrong outcomes.

 

Also, in the case of Jesus:

 

John 11:46-53 “46But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done. 47The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many signs. 48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation... 53So from that day forth they took counsel that they might put him to death.”

 

Mark 15:6-11 “6Now at the feast he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him... 8And the multitude went up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them. 9And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 10For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. 11But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.”

 

As these words show, Jesus was delivered up to death because of the “envy” of the leaders of that time, such as the chief priests. Of course, the death of Jesus was the fulfillment of the word of God by His own will (John 10:18). Nevertheless, as in the case of Joseph, it is still true that they sinned because of “envy.”

 

Thus, where jealousy and strife are, there is confusion and every evil work. And the apostle Paul called those who have jealousy and strife “carnal.”

 

1 Corinthians 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?”

 

In other words, such a person is not a person of the Spirit. Therefore, those who believe in Jesus and belong to Jesus ought to keep far away from jealousy, envy, and strife. A person may think he is free to live while harboring whatever heart or thought he wants. However, Proverbs records the following:

 

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.”

 

Indeed, guarding our hearts with the word of God is the way for us to live. Therefore, we must guard our hearts in the name of Jesus, and become humble little children who long for and follow the word of Jesus (Matt. 18:3-4).

 

1 Peter 2:1-3 “1Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; 3if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

 

Amen.