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?