Jealousy and Envy are often treated as synonyms; but actually, they have different meanings and applications.  By illustration, if a woman sees her husband flirting with another woman, she is jealous; but if she desires another woman’s husband, she is envious.  One man is hers by right the other is not, and to obtain him, she would have to take that man from his wife.  Thus, envy is sin while jealousy is not.  Previously, I posted an examination of Jealousy from a Biblical perspective, now I consider Envy – or as many translations say, Covetousness.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.  (Exodus 20:17)

Hebrew word used: חָמַד chawmad (Strong’s 2530) and means ‘to long for with great desire’.

The tenth commandment given by God to Moses and from Moses to the Israelites, declares His will on matters of misplaced desire but also theft.

The English word ‘covet’ comes from the Old French coveitier, ‘to desire’ or ‘lust after’ and has been replaced in the modern vernacular by envy.  The commandment gives examples, to help clarify God’s will.  To envy someone’s ox could be interpreted as wishing for one like it, but the further examples make the object specific; to wish that your neighbour’s servant serve you, means necessarily, he or she does not serve the rightful master – for this to happen you will have stolen that servant.  And clearly, your neighbour’s wife is his alone!

Of course, for the Israelite the foremost desire is for God – and for the Christian also, through the person of Christ.  Jesus quotes Deutoronomy 6:5 when he states:

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  (Matthew 22:37-38)

Without misplaced desire, envy is most unlikely but add the second commandment and it is impossible:

 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ (ibid v39)

Clearly, if you have your neighbour’s best interest in heart, you could not be party to his loss or diminishment.  This is why Jesus adds:

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (ibid v40)

If any love completely, the Law is kept and all the teachings are fulfilled, which is achieved only by Jesus.

There is no better example in the Bible of the sin of envy at work than that of David and Bathsheba.  The second book of Samuel, chapters eleven and twelve, delivers the tale in full.  David had everything, especially God’s anointing; Luke says God testified that ‘he was a man after my own heart’ (Acts 13: 22) yet he failed God when he broke the tenth commandment.  The unfolding story also demonstrates how sins are linked and multifaceted.  First came dereliction and indolence:

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army…but David remained in Jerusalem. (v1)

Next lust:

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof, he saw a woman washing. The woman was very beautiful… (v2)

On which he acted:

David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’  Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (v3-4)

The passage notes in parenthesis that reason why she was bathing: ‘she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness’ – for David to violate her at this point was also against Mosaic Law (Leviticus 15:24).

Following this liaison, Bathsheba becomes pregnant, and as her husband is away at war, she cannot disguise her adultery.  And so, the tale progresses with Uriah being recalled from the battle by David in order that he should spend time with his wife and lie with her; however, this design is thwarted as Uriah would not even enter his own house, protesting in moral outrage that he should luxuriate in home-comforts when ‘the ark and Israel and Judah are abiding in tents’:

How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!’ (v11)

So far, David’s desire has caused him to sin at the cost of Bathsheba, and he has also been offered a lesson in righteousness by a Hittite, but at this point, the true outworking of the sin of covetousness is revealed.

In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.  In it he wrote, ‘Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so that he will be struck down and die.’ (v14-15)

David has Uriah murdered.  It is a treacherous act that results in him gaining sole possession of Bathsheba, whom he marries.  The child is born a son, but is taken by God.

Through His prophet, Nathan, God declares that David ‘despised Him and his Word’ (12:9-10).  God also exposes the wrongdoing, saying, what ‘you did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel’ (v12)

In the face of Nathan’s arraignment, David repents and records his contrition in psalm 51:

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight…

 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise. (vs 3,4 and 17)

The tale testifies to the holiness of God and it exposes sin (the purpose of the Law) – covetousness leads to murderous conspiracy and comes from despising God.

Therefore, envy is a sin, like all sin, with its roots in pride – sin is a rebellion against God and every rebellion is necessarily one of pride, in which humankind presumes to know better than God.  Envy is an expression of self-love and is at odds with the first and second commandment, that requires selfless love.

Envy is also to doubt God, by distrusting his gracious provenance.  It is ingratitude writ large.  David, who had everything, wanted more.  He was not satisfied for God’s perfect provision.  In this age of grace, God also provides perfectly to all that love him.

And (my) God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:19)

Furthermore, if a Christian has eyes only for Christ, the things of this world will have lost their allure.  Paul declares that in Christ, the things of this world he once valued he now considers ‘garbage’ – the word here is σκύβαλον skubalon, literally, that which is thrown to the dogs, colloquially, ‘excrement’.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Philippians 3:7-9)

But there is a final trap.  The followers of Christ can envy the gifts the Spirit bestowed on others.  Once more this comes from not surrendering to God’s will for each person individually.  When Peter is re-commissioned, Jesus tells him that he will die by crucifixion.  Peter then questions John’s fate,

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them… when Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’

 Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?  You must follow me.’  (John 21:20-22)

It was God’s will that Peter suffer an agonising death that He might be glorified (v19). While none would envy this, it was also John’s fate to live long and be gifted with revelation but that was not to be envied either.  When a brother or sister in Christ is witness to another being raised up in blessings, the response Jesus expects is praise to God.

To envy the circumstances of another person is to rebel and deny the sovereign will of God.