The Evil of Envy Gen 37 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Introduction:
Pray, Read passage
Verse 20 “we will say…”, Verse 31-33 “an evil beast hath devoured him”
Verse 11, that beast is Envy.
What is Envy?
Webster’s 1828 – To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another’s prosperity; to fret or grieve one’s self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.
Bible – Prov.14:30 “A sound heart is the life of the flesh; but envy the rottenness of the bones”
The Evil beast of Envy will devour you!
It is really great that the Bible has so many dysfunctional families! I therefore have so many examples to help me not make the same mistakes!
The Evil Beast of Envy caused many problems in this family:
Verse 31-35, Jacob’s Sorrow
Verse 21-22, 29-30 Reuben’s Sorrow, he wished to save him
Brethren’s Strife, Verse 18 “conspired against him to slay him
Verse 27 content to sell him
Dangerous Areas of the Evil Beast of Envy
Special Treatment Verses 3-4
- they “saw” that he loved him more
- Could be seen through the things allowed
- Verse 2, “Joseph brought unto his father their evil report”
- He was Daddy’s little spy and tattle tale, verse 13-14
- Verse 1, he was 17 years old, why wasn’t he watching the sheep?
- David was able to watch sheep at a young age, special treatment.
Application
- Be very careful with your favorites
- The Evil beast can devour your family
- Tattle tales (How I hated my tattle tale sister)
- Pulling your weight (if not required, do it anyway)
- The Evil beast can devour a church, James 3:13-18
- Defeat Envy with Charity 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;”
- The Evil beast can devour your family
Success Verse 3
- “coat of many colours”, a visible sign of success
- Probably like showing up in a tuxedo, to check on his Shepard brothers.
- Being so young, he could not possibly deserve it
Application
- Be very careful calling stuff success
- Luke 12:15 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
- When you covet the stuff of success, you may begin to envy those who you believe don’t deserve it.
Destroyed by Envy and a visible sign of Success:
According to an ancient Greek legend, a certain athlete ran well but placed second in the race. The winner was encompassed with praise, and eventually a statue was erected in his honor. Envy ate away at the man who had placed second. He resented the winner, and he could think of little else. Eventually he decided to destroy the statue of the winner.
Night after night, he went to the statue under cover of darkness, chiseling away at the base to weaken the foundation. But one night as he chiseled in violent anger, he went too far. The heavy marble statue teetered on its base and crashed down on the disgruntled athlete. He died beneath the weight of the marble replica of the man he had grown to hate. His own envy had destroyed him.
Superiority Verse 5-10
- Probably the straw that broke the camel’s back!
- His special treatment and visible signs of success were enough to be hated for.
- Now to make suggestions that they would bow down to him, if possible, the hated him yet the more.
- Even Dad got upset with his dreams
- Verse 18-19 reached a point where they conspired to slay him, and mocked him, “this dreamer”
Application
- Be very careful with your pride
- Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
- Psalm 75:6-7 “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
- God places Authorities over you.
- Husband over wife, Parents over children, Boss over employee, Pastor over sheep
- Criticism is often nothing more than low-grade envy
Conclusion:
What have we learned about the Evil Beast of Envy?
It is the rottenness of the bones
Causes much sorrow and strife
- Dangerous Areas
- Special Treatment – Be very careful with your favorites
- Success – Be very careful calling stuff success
- Superiority – Be very careful with your pride
Joseph is a type of Jesus Christ
They delivered Jesus up to be crucified because of envy
They mocked him
The Evil beast of Envy devoured him
He took it all for you, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” 2 Cor.5:21