Austin Bible Church
Jealousy is resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, or against another's success or advantage itself. Jealousy is mental uneasiness or mistrust of another from suspicion or fear of rivalry, fear of losing another’s affections, or fear of unfaithfulness. Jealousy is an emotional sin and results in misery. Envy is a synonym for jealousy. Envy is a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, or possessions.
Jealous people spend a lot of time trying to justify themselves. They think they are always right. Jealous people think they have the right to control the lives of others. In trying to do so, they intrude into the privacy of others. Jealousy can become an irrational resentment and hatred of others. Jealousy can lead to motivation for revenge. Jealous people are always unhappy.
Jealousy removes all happiness from the believer because it is a mental attitude sin and produces self-induced misery. Some people cannot stand the success of others and cannot stand for others to get any credit. Therefore, jealousy destroys their relaxed mental attitude.
Jealousy, without confession of sin to God the Father and the resultant recovery of filling of the Holy Spirit, causes the believer to fail to grow spiritually and to fulfill God's plan for their life.
Jealousy motivates religion. Jesus Christ was delivered over to death because of the religious jealousy of the Pharisees. Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10.
“For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.” (Matthew 27:18, NASB)
“For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.” (Mark 15:10, NASB)
Jealousy, therefore, is the strongest of the mental attitude sins. In Proverbs 27:3-4, it is compared with anger and is stronger than anger. Remember, anger causes you to do many horrible things. Few can stand another’s jealousy, so they leave them.
“A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy?” (Proverbs 27:3-4, NASB)
There are two types of jealousy in Numbers 5, jealousy because something has happened and jealousy that is in your imagination. So great was the sin of jealousy in Israel that a special offering was made for it. Num. 5:29-30.
“'This is the law of jealousy: when a wife, being under the authority of her husband, goes astray and defiles herself, or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife, he shall then make the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest shall apply all this law to her.” (Numbers 5:29-30, NASB)
Jealousy motivated Herod to lie when he told the wise men he wanted to worship the Christ child. Jealousy also motivated Herod to kill the babies in Bethlehem. Matt. 2:8; Matt. 2:16.
“And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."” (Matthew 2:8, NASB)
“Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.” (Matthew 2:16, NASB)
Jealousy is the basis for the destruction of love relationships in marriage and with very close friends. No one with pride or jealousy has capacity for love. Jealousy has great power just as the fear of death has power. Saul and David, never hit it off. Jealousy motivated Saul to attempt to kill David numerous times. Song of Solomon 8:6; 1 Sam. 18:8 - 1 Sam. 19:10.
“"Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD.” (Song of Solomon 8:6, NASB)
“Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"” (1 Samuel 18:8, NASB)
“Now there was an evil spirit from the LORD on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing the harp with his hand. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.” (1 Samuel 19:9-10, NASB)
The same jealousy which destroys love relationships in marriage also destroys function of the soul. Jealousy is self-destructive. If you are jealous of someone, you are stifling their free will to love you. Jealousy demands love and attention. Jealousy drives others away. No one will love you if you are jealous of them. Jealousy is completely self-centered and is a possessiveness, which stifles the volition of another. Believers do this in marriage, in human relationships, and eventually toward God. Jealousy is tyranny in its simplest form and is a great evil. Job had a problem with bitterness and self-righteousness. Job 5:2; Prov. 14:30.
“"For anger slays the foolish man, And jealousy kills the simple.” (Job 5:2, NASB)
“A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones.” (Proverbs 14:30, NASB)
Love precedes jealousy. You can be jealous of people you despise. You can also be jealous of the one you love. Jealousy attacks all relationships. Women can be jealous of women. Men can be jealous of men. Occupational jealousy is a factor. Political jealousy is a factor. Ministerial jealousy is a factor. Eccl. 9:6.
“Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:6, NASB)
Jealousy motivates intensive anger and revenge. When you judge and retaliate, you are really in for big trouble. Therefore, jealousy takes real or apparent wrongs out of the Lord’s hands and intrudes on the divine prerogative of judgment. Where God says in Romans 12:19, “vengeance in mine, I will repay,” jealousy says “forget it Lord, I’ll take care of it.” Prov. 6:34; Deut. 32:35.
“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19, NASB)
“For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.” (Proverbs 6:34, NASB)
“'Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.'” (Deuteronomy 32:35, NASB)
Jealousy can actually split nations like Israel. The motivation of the ten tribes splitting from the two southern tribes was jealousy! The jealous person always attacks the object of their jealousy. The tribe of Ephraim was jealous of the tribe of Judah and is mentioned in Isaiah 11:13.
“Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim.” (Isaiah 11:13, NASB)
So great and damaging was the sin of jealousy that a special offering was designated for it under the Levitical code. The sin of jealousy always involves at least two people. Jealousy over authority motivated Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery. They didn’t know it at the time, but they were inadvertently buying an insurance policy for the future. When you resent anyone because of their authority, you are arrogant and will be motivated by jealousy. Jealousy is alive and well today. Anyone in authority will always have people who are jealous of them. Acts 7:9.
“"The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him,” (Acts 7:9, NASB)
Jealousy is also an indicator of extreme negative volition toward Bible doctrine and or the communicator of doctrine. An example is Miriam who spoke against Moses in Numbers 12. The sin of jealousy against a communicator always carries a penalty, a probation period, and the proving of one’s self. The sin of jealousy can be indicative of reversionism back to spiritual babyhood. 1 Cor. 3:3.
“for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3, NASB)
When a believer is negative toward Bible doctrine, sooner or later they are going to find a jealousy level just as an unbeliever does. Jealousy, therefore, always rejects the teaching and authority of Bible doctrine. Rom. 1:28-29; Acts 13:45; Acts 17:5.
“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,” (Romans 1:28-29, NASB)
“But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.” (Acts 13:45, NASB)
“But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.” (Acts 17:5, NASB)
False doctrine produces its own jealousy. 1 Tim. 6:3-4.
“If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,” (1 Timothy 6:3-4, NASB)
The jealous person is arrogant and a contentious person. The impacts of jealousy are far reaching and indicative of terrific confusion. Therefore, a total rebuilding period must be undertaken, which involves Bible doctrine recovery from reversionism. James 5 indicates further details. You must separate from jealous people. James 3:14-16.
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” (James 3:14-16, NASB)
The procedure in handling jealousy involves identifying the sin of jealousy followed by confession of sin to God the Father. 1 John 1:9.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NASB)