Sins of the Heart- Jealousy and Envy Genesis 37:1-11

Introduction We have been studying a series of lessons considering “sins of the heart” These are sinful attitudes toward self, toward God, other people and toward material things These reside in the inner person of the heart These may go undetected by neighbors and associates They will those who harbor them in the day of judgment- I Tim 5:24

Jealousy and Envy-1 These two sins are closely related like anger and wrath Jealousy is from the Greek word (zelos) which is also translated zeal But it is an evil zeal A desire for something that another person has It may be an ability, a possession or favorable circumstances Envy (phthonos) is jealousy with ill will

Jealousy and Envy-2 It not only seeks what another has, but would deprive its object of the advantage or possession thus inflicting loss and harm One who is jealous or envious of someone else cannot love that person as himself- Jas. 2:8 Jealousy and envy will prevent us from rejoicing at the good fortune of our neighbors and our brothers and sisters in Christ- Rom. 12:15

Warnings Against Jealousy and Envy The wise man said that envy is rottenness to the bones- Prov. 14:30b It is a spiritual disease of the human soul Paul said that envy is evidence of a mind that is carnal or focused on fleshly desires- I Cor. 3:3 Both jealousy and envy are listed among the sinful works of the flesh- Gal. 5:20-21 Those who harbor these sins in their heart will not inherit the kingdom of God

The Jealousy of Jacob’s Sons- 1 Jacob had twelve sons who became the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel Jacob loved Joseph more than the others because he was the son of his old age Jacob made a him a multi-colored coat- Gen. 37:3 Their father’s favoritism caused Joseph’s brothers to become jealous of him Later, Joseph had dreams in which sheaves and stars representing his family bowed down to him

The Jealousy of Jacob’s Sons-2 When Joseph told them about his dreams, his brothers envied him- Gen. 37:11 They hated Joseph and sold him as a slave into Egypt There, God protected Joseph and brought him power Later, his brothers had to bow down to him and became fearful and asked for his forgiveness- Gen. 50:15-18 God used their sin to deliver their families from starvation

Cain’s Envy-1 Jealousy and envy were among the first sins of our ancestors They have been common in the human race ever since Cain’s envy was because God had accepted his brother sacrifice but had rejected his own- Gen. 4:4-5 Cain wanted the acceptance that Abel had received The Hebrew writer tells us that the reason Cain’s sacrifice was rejected was because it was not made by faith- Heb. 11:4

Cain’s Envy-2 Even before his envy, Cain had a rebellious spirit- Jude 11 Cain’s envy lead to another sin of the heart- hate And his hate lead to the first murder Sin is progressive so that one often leads to another Cain hated and murdered Abel because his own works were evil and Abel’s works were righteous- I Jn. 3:12 Jealousy and envy do not always lead to murder This record shows just how evil they really are

Saul’s Envy Saul was the first king over Israel After David killed the Philistine giant, Goliath, Saul set him over his men of war- I Sam. 18:5 But when the women attributed the killing of ten thousand of the enemy to David and only thousands to him, Saul eyed David- v. 9 Saul feared that David would take his throne- v. 29 He became David’s enemy and tried to kill him Saul’s hatred of David weakened his kingdom and ruined his life

The Envy of the Jewish Leaders Envy was one of the sins that caused our Lord to be crucified The Jewish leaders were jealous of Jesus’ miracles and His popularity with the people They feared that they would lose their prominence and power among the Jews- Jn. 11:47-48 They hated Jesus and plotted to kill Him- Jn. 15 :24 Pilate recognized that they delivered Jesus to him because of envy- Mt. 27:18

In Conclusion Jealousy and envy are common in our society today Their fruit shows how evil they are They have lead people to hate others and to kill the innocent Those who harbor these attitudes will not inherit the kingdom of God- Gal. 5:21 Genuine contentment will enable us to avoid these sins- Phil. 4:11 Do you need to make changes in your life this morning?