ENEMY OF PROGRESS II - ENVY

 

“For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him – Genesis 26:14.”

Previously, we considered pride as an enemy of progress. Today, we shall continue the list of the enemies but with another one – Envy. This enemy is a dangerous one. It is such a subtle weapon. Many people who are not pride happen to be envious. While the former is about high self-esteem, this is about low self-esteem. Pride often comes when people see that they have something which others don’t have but envy is when others have what you do not have.

So, from the account written in the above scripture, it is discovered that a whole nation couldn’t progress because of this enemy. Why was it so? They envied a man – just a man. So, envy can be in an individual as well as a nation. The problem was not because the Lord blessed Isaac, the challenge was the envy in the heart of the people of Philistine. Envy stagnated them. Envy retarded them. Envy reduced them. They acted in envy – “…the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth – Gen. 26:15.”

As much as we know that the betrayal and the death of Jesus Christ was organized by God from the foundation of the world for the salvation of mankind yet it was envy in the heart of men that brought about the execution – “For he knew that for envy they had delivered Him – Matt. 27:18.” It is this envy that is crucifying the Lord of glory in the life of men till the present moment. It is true that many people do not want to believe in Christ Jesus because of pride. It is equally true that many people aren’t surrendering to Him because of envy. This is an enemy to the progress of these people because their sorrow will multiply who run after other gods.

There are instances in the scriptures showing how envy hindered people from making progress. First, Cain and his brother, Abel. Envy brought curse upon him and his generation except that God placed a mark upon him to take vengeance. Joseph’s brethren envied and hated him the more. The plotted for his death and later was old into slavery. Without fail, Israel remained in a spot for the next thirteen years because after he was sold, scripturally speaking now, the spotlight shifted from Israel to Joseph. It was as though the record of Israel remained stagnant. David was envied. Mordecai, Jephtha, Moses, Paul, even Samson was envied. Among all the people mentioned, it is Isaac and most importantly Jesus Christ.

Of all men, it is this Isaac (the man whom a nation envied) order of blessing that touched me most only second to the Lord Jesus (whom the world hated). It happened in such a manner where a whole nation envied him. Have you asked yourself this question, what manner of blessing or increase will come upon a man that would make a nation to envy him? For a nation to envy him, it means he was greater or more than the nation. While we may consider the blessing so much, let us not forget that it was the envy of the nation surrounding him that made it so huge. If they had loved him, they would have increased also.

Finally, above all, let us consider the Lord Jesus Christ, the incomparable Man. It is written about him that “…They hated me without a cause – Jn. 15:25.” This is envy. And what it does is – “…envy slayeth the silly one – Job 5:2.” And “…envy the rottenness of the bones – Pro. 14:30.” This is one of the causes people are not making progress in their journey of health recovery. If envying a sinner will bring judgement “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long – Pro. 23:17”, what will happen if you envy the man who is always on the Lord’s course. Pray the Holy Spirit today to help you overcome this by the Spirit of love and honour.

LOVING GREETINGS

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