The Dangerous Sin of Envy

The Dangerous Sin of Envy

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Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.” And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. (Genesis 31:1-2)

The last verse of Genesis 30 explains that under God’s blessing, Jacob became a prosperous, wealthy man. Sometimes when people become prosperous, other people become envious of them. This what happened in Jacob’s case. When he grew wealthy, the sons of his father-in-law Laban became jealous.

The Dangerous Sin of Envy

Under the influence of envy, the sons of Laban lied about Jacob and the reason for his prosperity. They said, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. In truth, Jacob had not taken anything that belonged to Laban. Rather, it was that Jacob’s wealth was increasing faster than Laban’s wealth. The problem wasn’t that Jacob stole; it was that Laban’s sons were filled with envy.

Envy is a deep and dangerous sin, and it will distort the truth. Jacob had not taken anything of Laban’s, but envy will make people lie. Therefore, Laban’s sons said, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s.

Worse, the envy of Laban’s sons began to poison the heart of Laban against his son-in-law Jacob. Over time, the countenance of Laban…was not favorable toward Jacob anymore. Previously, Laban was pleased with his agreement with Jacob (Genesis 30:34). Now, because of the poison of envy, Laban was no longer happy with their arrangement.

Envy is bad not only on its own, but also for the company it keeps. According to 1 Corinthians 3:3, envy is often accompanied by strive, divisions, and unspiritual living. Self-seeking, confusion, and evil things go envy (James 3:16). In contrast, love does not envy (1 Corinthians 13:4), and God wants to deliver His people from envy, considering it part of the believer’s past, not their present (Titus 3:3).

Envy is no small sin. In a sense, envy sent Jesus to the cross. When the religious leaders brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate for the death penalty, Pilate knew that they had handed Him over because of envy (Matthew 27:18).

Dear brother or sister in Christ, can you examine your life for the sin of envy? Do you resent it when others seemed blessed or prosperous? Do you often wish you had what belongs to others? Do you dread the success of other people? Do you take pleasure in the failure of others?

Envy is not a sin to take lightly, or to indulge in any way. Knowing the destructive power of envy, we must ask God’s Spirit to help us deal strictly with this sin. Living free from envy is true freedom – able to rejoice in the success and prosperity of others, and also able to deal with our own seasons of struggle.

Make it your prayer: “Lord, search my heart, and keep me free from the dangerous sin of envy.”

Click here for David’s commentary on Genesis 31

Click Here for Daily Devotionals from David

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Doing the Right Thing the Right Way – 2 Samuel 4:8 – September 15, 2024

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Genesis 29 – Jacob, Leah, Rachel and Children

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Part 33 in Pastor David Guzik’s in-depth study of the book of Genesis, expositing through chapter 29. This chapter details the blindsiding of the “supplanter” Jacob, after he lays eyes on the beautiful Rachel, and ends with the births of Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. Pastor David expounds and examines the chapter verse by verse, and concludes by highlighting some of the many ways that this chapter parallels the personage and mission of Christ Jesus.

Principles of Prosperity

Principles for Prosperity

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Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys. (Genesis 30:43)

The man was Jacob, who left his home with no money, traveled far to the east to the land of his mother’s family, and who by hard work earned a double dowry for marriage. After cheating his brother and his father, Jacob was cheated by his uncle.

Principles of Prosperity

Despite it all, Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. According to Leupold, the Hebrew original of this phrase is, “The man burst out exceedingly exceedingly.” Jacob was so prosperous, so blessed by God, that his excess had excess! This was evident in the way wealth was held by most people in his time and place: large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys. All this meant that Jacob, who left home without any money, because a very wealthy man.

This wealth was one expression of God’s blessing in Jacob’s life. God blessed Jacob, but it was not because Jacob was especially good. It was because of the promises God made to Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15) and the covenant made to Abraham.

In a similar way, blessing comes from the LORD to His people not because they are great or good, but because of the covenant God has made with them through Jesus and the promises He has given in His word.

Still, we can learn a few principles for prosperity from Jacob.

Don’t make wealth your goal. Genesis 30:25-26 explains that Jacob would have been content to simply leave Laban and take his family back to Canaan. His original goal wasn’t to become rich, and he escaped the dangerous temptation and trap that comes to those who desire to be rich (1 Timothy 6:9).

Don’t be afraid to work for others and to increase their wealth before or as you work to increase your own wealth. In Genesis 30:27, Jacob’s employer (his father-in-law Laban) declared that God had blessed him because of Jacob’s faithfulness and hard work.

Work hard, dedicating yourself to your employer’s success. Genesis 30:26 and 31:38-42 tell us that Jacob’s path to wealth began by faithfully working for his father-in-law. Jacob could have been dishonorable and focused only on himself and his success. Instead, he also worked to be a blessing to his employer, even when it wasn’t easy.

Trust God. Genesis 30:31-33 describes a strange plan Jacob proposed to separate the herds and the offspring that belonged to him and to Laban. It’s hard to tell if the plan was Jacob’s idea or given by the LORD, but either way Jacob had to trust God – and God blessed Jacob with great prosperity.

God never promises that His people will all be rich in material things in all seasons of life. Yet these are good, everlasting principles. Don’t make wealth your goal. Don’t be afraid to benefit others. Work hard, and trust God. Doing these things honors God and puts us in the place to receive all He wants us to have.

Click here for David’s commentary on Genesis 30

Click Here for Daily Devotionals from David