The Perils of Jealousy - 1 Samuel 18:6-16

Jealousy and envy are recurring themes in Shakespeare’s plays. One of the most famous examples of envy and jealousy playing a central role comes from Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. Othello was a Spanish Moor, who had risen through the ranks of the Venetian army and won the affections of a beautiful woman noblewoman Desdemona.

Othello’s right hand man, Iago, a Venetian himself, didn’t understand Othello’s success and grew bitter, envious, and jealous when Othello promoted Cassio over him. If you know the play, Iago then planted evidence to lead Othello to believe that his wife, Desdemona, had been unfaithful to him – and from there, things completely spiraled out of control.

The tragedy of the play really begins when the little seeds of envy and jealousy are planted into Iago’s heart, which he nurtured, watered, and allowed to mature into full blown bitterness, anger, and resentment.

What makes Shakespeare’s plays so brilliant is that they reflect reality so well. Envy and jealousy if left unchecked and mature into something incredibly destructive. And what’s so amazing is that they begin as little, tiny, seeds in the heart. How many heinous crimes have we all read about in the news that began as jealousy and envy?

It’s why the Bible consistently warns us against envy, jealousy, and resentment. Both the men and women here at Providence are studying the book of James. What does James 3 tell us? He says, “...where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

Similar advice is given to us in Proverbs 14: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

Jealousy and envy are silent, deadly sins that consume you from the inside out, which is exactly what we see in our passage isn’t it? Saul’s jealousy of David began as fear, turned into anger, which then led to attempted murder. If you’re taking notes, we’ll see that, first, jealousy distorts our perception (vv. 6-9), second, jealousy steals our peace (vv. 10-12), and lastly, jealousy separates us from God (vv. 12-16).

Our passage this morning is really a foil for what we read last week, isn’t it? Saul’s posture towards David is the opposite of his son, Jonathan’s posture towards David.

Because last week, we looked at how Jonathan made a covenant with David. They covenanted their loyalty to one another, which was rather shocking because Jonathan was a prince, while David was a shepherd boy with no reputation.

And yet, it was Jonathan who initiated the covenant with David. But not only did Jonathan covenant his loyalty to David, but he also handed him his royal garments and weapons symbolizing and foreshadowing that David would one day sit on the royal throne in Israel.

It was really an incredible expression of humility. Jonathan was willing to lay down all his royal privileges for David. He was a humble supporter of David because he protected Israel and defended the honor of the Lord.

Again, the way Jonathan viewed David was the polar opposite of the way his father viewed David. Jonathan wasn’t envious of David, even though David’s success exceeded his own success.

Jealousy Distorts Our Perception (vv. 6-9)

Everything changed for David once he defeated Goliath, because it was really just the beginning of his success. We’re told in verse 5 that, “David… was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.”

Saul made David a commander in his army and everything Saul asked David to do, he found success. Everything is going David’s way. He had the Midas touch – everything he did turned to gold. And because of his success, his popularity was through the roof as well.

I’ve mentioned to several of you that I’m listening to Ron Chernow’s biography on George Washington. As the Revolutionary War became imminent, Washington was the clear favorite to become General of the continental army. He was incredibly popular at this time, so popular that a woman named Phillis Wheatley wrote a poem about George Washington entitled, “To His Excellency General Washington.”

Wheatley’s poem concluded with:

Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side,

Thy ev'ry action let the Goddess guide.

A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine,

With gold unfading, WASHINGTON! Be thine.

She portrays Washington as a monarchical, angelic figure, doesn’t she? He wore a crown and sat on a throne where the gold was unfading. Here’s the thing about poems and songs singing the praises of an individual, they’re often hyperbolic. They exaggerate the impressive features of an individual.

And that’s precisely what happened with David. When he returned from a victorious campaign against the Philistines were told in verse 6, “the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,

“Saul has struck down his thousands,

and David his ten thousands.”

Just Philis Wheatley’s poem exaggerated Washington, this saying exaggerated David and Saul. I don’t necessarily think that we’re supposed to literally think that Saul had struck down thousands of his enemies, and that David had literally struck down tens of thousands. These singing women were being hyperbolic. They’re effectively saying, Saul has been very successful, but David has been even more successful.

The praise that they’re heaping on Saul is less than the praise their heaping on David. ‘Saul is great, but David is even greater!’ There’s no indication that the saying was intended to insult Saul, and yet, that’s exactly what happened.

Verse 8 tells us that “Saul was very angry, and [the] saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?”

He didn’t like the fact that David had been given prominence over him, and just like that, jealousy had found a foothold in Saul’s heart. A little song planted the seeds of envy and jealousy into his heart.

But really, doesn’t all the praise, honor, and glory belong to the Lord? If anything the song is a reflection on the spiritual condition of the people in Israel, isn’t it?

But nevertheless, Saul was fearful and jealous of David. It really doesn’t take much for jealousy to sink its claws into someone’s heart, does it?

A little comment here, a little thing there, and all of a sudden, you’ve given yourself over to the “gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity” as Peter told Simon the Magician in Acts 8.

Jealousy caused Cain to murder Abel. He was jealous over the fact that God accepted his offering and not his. Joseph’s brothers were jealous over his favor with his father, Jacob. Rachel was jealous over Leah’s fertility. In the parable of the prodigal son, the older brother was jealous over his father’s treatment of his younger brother.

As much as I’m opposed to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church – you can certainly see why envy is considered one of the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins are the sins that lie at the root of so many other sins.

Jealousy and envy make people do all sorts of crazy things! It completely distorted Saul’s perception of reality. For Saul, all it took was a silly song. “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

Who cares! When he heard them singing that, he should have shrugged it off. After all, he’s the king, they’re on the same team and by the way, David worked for him! Couldn’t Saul take credit for all those whom David has struck down as the king who put David in command of his army? Saul was not in competition with David.

In fact, David’s success was Saul’s success. That’s how Jonathan viewed David’s success. But jealousy and envy distorts reality. Jealousy and envy distort reality and make you think that others’ success diminishes your own worth.

And rather than celebrating David and everything he’s done for the kingdom, “Saul eyed David from that day on.”

Envy Steals Our Peace (vv. 10-12)

As I’ve thought about it more, I’m thoroughly convinced that jealousy, envy, bitterness, and resentment are often the result of a lack of contentment in your life. It’s so much easier to become jealous of those around you when you’re not happy with where you are in your life.

The Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs wrote a famous little book called, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. In it, he wrote,

“Be sure of your call to every business you go about. Though it is the least business, be sure of your call to it; then, whatever you meet with, you may quiet your heart with this: I know I am where God would have me. Nothing in the world will quiet the heart so much as this: when I meet with any cross, I know I am where God would have me, in my place and calling; I am about the work that God has set me.”

What wonderful advice? Knowing you are where God would have you is foundational to contentment. The moment you begin to doubt or question your station in life is the moment you open yourself up to falling into “..the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” Jealousy and envy are the evil siblings of discontentment. Because wherever discontentment is found, jealousy can be found crouching at the door.

Saul was undoubtedly a discontent man. Remember, after he had continually refused to obey the Word of the Lord which resulted in the prophet Samuel telling him that God was going to rip the kingdom away from him. Wouldn’t that mean that Saul would constantly be on the lookout for potential threats to his power? And now, here’s David who’s incredibly popular in Israel and who is experiencing military victory after military victory… It's really no wonder fear, jealousy, and anger were brewing in Saul’s heart against David.

I’m sorry for all the American Revolutionary War illustrations, but it’s been on my mind lately. Either I had forgotten or simply didn’t know that Benedict Arnold, the most famous Revolutionary War traitor, turned on the Americans because of envy and jealousy.

He felt slighted because Washington had passed him over for promotions and he let the seeds of bitterness, jealousy, and envy take root in his heart. He didn’t become a traitor to the American Revolution because he preferred British policies and ideals over the American policies and ideals, he was upset he didn’t get what he wanted. And because of his jealousy he was willing to sacrifice the American outpost at West Point which would have severely weakened the Continental army and potentially cost American lives.

It doesn’t take long for the seeds of jealousy, envy, and bitterness to blossom into something much darker—fueling resentment, poisoning relationships, and blinding you to the blessings you already have. For Saul, his jealousy against David turned into a murderous rage.

Look at verse 10 with me.

“10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.”

Remember what’s going on here: God’s favor had fallen upon David, while his displeasure had fallen on Saul. Saul knew that God’s favor was upon David fueling his hatred of him even more! It led him to throw two spears at David. Saul wanted David dead. One of the interesting little details that we learn is that David returns to Saul’s court in chapter 19, after Saul tried to kill him here in chapter 18. You have to wonder why on earth would David return to Saul’s court if Saul had tried to kill him?

But you have to keep in mind that the men in Israel knew of how unstable Saul was. They knew that if he was having one of his episodes then in all likelihood, a harmful spirit had rushed upon him, and you just had to withstand the onslaught. If it meant dodging a spear, then it meant dodging a spear. All that to say, at this point, it wasn’t abundantly clear that Saul wanted to murder David.

Comparison will fuel jealousy and steal your peace. Rather than celebrating what you have, comparison will make you fixate on what you lack, making contentment impossible.

Saul had no contentment, peace, and satisfaction, as Jeremiah Burroughs said, with where he was in life. In Saul’s mind, David was a threat to his power.

In fact, he was totally convinced that David was the root of his problems. The young man who killed Goliath, and won victory after victory for the people of Israel, yes, he was absolutely convinced that that man was his problem.

But of course, David wasn’t his greatest problem. His greatest problem was his broken relationship with God.

Envy Separates Us from God (vv. 12-16)

It was never a people and circumstance problem, it was always a spiritual problem.

But that’s part of the lie, isn’t it? The lie that the world, Satan, and even your own sinful flesh want you to believe is that if you just had that person’s job, or if you had as much money as they do, or if you had just had his opportunities, then you’d be exactly where you deserve. It’s so easy to convince ourselves that all our problems are because of people and circumstances in our lives.

But the truth is, if you look for contentment among the things of this world, you’ll never be satisfied. For all intents and purposes, Saul was on top of the world and yet his life goal appeared to simply maintain power.

Contentment must be detached from the things of this world.

It reminds me of what Paul said in Philippians 4, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Contentment and peace are only found through a living and active faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul’s reliance on Jesus Christ is how he withstood suffering without growing bitter or angry.

The more you allow sin to take root in your heart, the harder your heart will become. Isn’t that exactly what we’ve seen in the life of Saul? The more he has rejected God and allowed his heart to grow harder, the more corrupt he has become. It’s a terrible downward spiral.

Which is an incredible warning to all of us this morning: the more you allow sin to take root in your life – the farther from God’s presence you’ll go.

And here’s the deep warning to all of us this morning that comes from this passage: the more you let sin take root in your heart the further from God you’ll go.

Isn’t that true for people that we know? Who here hasn’t watched someone grow up in the church, make a profession of faith, appear to have a fruitful walk with God, and then one day they walk away from all of it? They move in with their boyfriend or girlfriend, they become consumed with their work, they fall for the lies of the world, and slowly over time, the name of Jesus Christ means nothing to them.

Saul doesn’t seem to be the murderous, envious type when you’re first introduced to him in 1 Samuel 9 – and yet, that’s exactly who he became! Even Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello, doesn’t appear to be a jealous man until he’s passed over for a promotion.

Because sin separates us from God!

The prophet Isaiah tells us, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you…”

Paul says something similar in Ephesians 2: “...remember that you were once… separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

And if you know that passage from Ephesians 2, then you probably know what Paul says next: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

The important takeaway for all of us this morning is that if you're discontent or if you are envious or jealous of those around you – do not let those sinful seeds take root in your heart. Cut them off. Repent. Turn to the Lord.

When your heart is full of gratitude and thanksgiving for what Jesus Christ has done for you – how he purchased peace with God for you through his sin-atoning death on the cross – how can you allow the seeds of envy, bitterness and jealousy take root in your heart?

The only appropriate way to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ is with gratitude. A restored relationship with the living God melts away discontentment so that you can say with the Apostle Paul, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Amen. Let’s pray together.