A Jealous Eye

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 18:1-30

Today's Treasure: " 'They have credited David with tens of thousands,' [Saul] thought, 'but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?' And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David" (1 Samuel 18:8-9).

John Dryden, a sixteenth-century philosopher, once called it "the jaundice of the soul."* The Song of Solomon says it is as "cruel as the grave," (Song of Sol. 8:6, KJV). Others call it the green-eyed monster. It sends some to jail, others to insanity. It is jealousy.

In stark contrast to Jonathan's self-sacrifice and solemn allegiance, King Saul regarded David as the ultimate threat. The praise of the people that was directed at David planted a seed of jealousy in Saul. That seed would express itself with a vengeance over many chapters and years.

Motivated by jealousy, Saul sent David to fight with the army. The king hoped young David would come to harm. In 1 Samuel 18:5-16, we see how effectively young David performed the duties Saul assigned to him: "Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well" (v.5).

Unfortunately for David, the people loved him almost too much. As he came in from battle, the women of Israel sang, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands" (1 Samuel 18:7).

A man as big in character as Saul stood in stature could have rejoiced with David, but Saul was no such man. The words galled him. He decided it would be only a matter of time until David took his kingdom.

So the next day Saul tried to kill David. As the loyal harpist played for his master, Saul threw a spear in an attempt to pin David to the wall, but David avoided Saul's attacks twice.

In his fear, Saul sent David to command a thousand troops. He probably hoped David would be killed, but David only grew more successful because "the LORD was with him," (v.14). With each success Saul hated and feared David more.

The Hebrew word for the kind of anger Saul experiences is informative: Charah—"to burn, be kindled, glow with anger, be incensed, grow indignant; to be zealous, act zealously." Unlike some of its synonyms, charah points to the fire or heat of the anger just after it has been ignited.* Charah captures the moment a person explodes with anger—the moment anger is ignited before any sense of control takes over, before a rational thought can be processed.

Rarely do we accomplish anything profitable at the moment we become angry. Actions or words immediately following the ignition of anger are almost always regrettable. Moments like the one charah describes are exactly the reason I never want to approach a day without praying to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Through the life of Saul, we see a portrait of what our lives might be like if the Holy Spirit either departed or was quenched in us. No thanks!

Saul felt many things toward David, but the most consistent emotion was jealousy. Few experiences are more miserable than being the subject of someone's unleashed jealousy. Perhaps the only thing worse is being the one in whom the jealousy rages.

Is jealousy ever a proper response? Does it ever sow good rather than evil? Believe it or not, the answer is yes! According to 2 Corinthians 11:2, a righteous kind of jealousy does exist. Paul the apostle wrote, "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him" (2 Cor. 11:2).

Exodus 20:5 tells us that God Himself is a jealous God: "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God."

Note the kind of jealousy God possesses:

"The LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people" (Joel 2:18).

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion'" (Zech. 1:14).

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her' " (Zech. 8:2).

Did you see that giant three-letter word modifying each instance of jealousy? A very big difference exists between being jealous of someone and being jealous for someone. Jealousy of someone is a selfish desire for what that person has. Envy motivates such jealousy. Jealousy for someone is a selfless desire for that person to have and be the best. Love motivates selfless jealousy. God is jealous on our behalf. He is jealous for us to know the One True God. He is jealous for us to be in a posture of blessing. He is jealous for us to be kept from the evil one. He is jealous for us to be ready for our Bridegroom. Jealousy for someone's best is of God. Jealousy of someone's best is of the enemy.

Lord, there are minefields of jealousy in my heart waiting to be triggered without warning. They could be set off by the simple mention of another person's goal reached, a promotion, a pregnancy, a new love, or a beautiful home. The list goes on and on. In the name of Jesus, please unearth and disarm the sin of jealousy within me. Prompt me to pray for greater blessings for those I tend to be jealous of. Make me genuine. Give me a jealousy for instead of of. In the name of Jesus I ask these things, Amen.

*John Dryden, "The Hind and the Panther," The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Cambridge Edition, ed. George R. Noyes (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1909), 236.

*Warren Baker, general editor, The Complete Word Study Old Testament (Chattanooga, Tenn.: AMG Publishers, 1994), 2363.

Adapted from A Heart Like His, by Beth Moore, pages 59-62. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999. Used by permission.