Escape the Envy
Envy Series
“When left to our own devices, envy rules the day…”
“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.
When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.”
Explanation:
Here in this section, we explore the ramifications of the envy that Aaron and Miriam felt toward God's prophet Moses. In keeping with the theme of the dissatisfaction of the Israelites, Aaron and Miriam are now expressing opposition to the very idea of Moses' legitimacy as a prophet. And one may even sympathize with them, after all, what would it take for you to believe your sibling is indeed speaking for God? Nevertheless, they conveniently raise concern over Moses' marriage to an Ethiopian as a pretext for their envy of Moses' unique calling. God hears their skepticism, and summons them all to the tent, where he makes it clear to Aaron and Miriam the uniqueness of Moses' calling before God. Their doubt of God kindles his anger against them, and Miriam is stricken with leprosy.
Connection:
If you ever spend any time in the Middle East today, you may notice an abundance of trinkets that resemble an "eye." Everywhere you look, in doorways, in shops, hanging from rear-view mirrors, are these medallions that are as much a part of the local culture as anything else. These trinkets refer to something very ancient called the "evil eye." In these cultures, there is a prevailing belief that this "eye" wards off the evil and envious glance of others - the glance of envy. While in the west we may think of greed as the worst possible vice, in these places, envy is lurking around every corner and out to get you through the malicious gaze of others.
While Christians may not believe in the power of the "evil eye" talisman pendants, the belief actually touches upon a nerve that is very real in human nature and dates back to the dawn of time. Indeed, Cain murdered Abel in an envious rage fueled by God's rejection of his sacrifice (Gen 4:8). Relentlessly, God's word warns us about the dangers of envy (Pv 14:30, Mk 7:21-22). He gives us a commandment not to covet, so that we might understand its ramifications and seek to change this aspect of ourselves by the Holy Spirit. When left to our own devices, envy rules the day. It demands everything from us, and is not satisfied until our appetite is satisfied. Like Miriam and Aaron we always assume that God's favor of another means that God has rejected you - when in reality God has given everyone a role in his kingdom. Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus, who gave himself up so that we may have victory over this vice and can flee from its grasp.
Action:
1. Cultivate Honesty -
Sometimes our feelings of envy might masquerade as other feelings and it can become easy to deceive ourselves. We may mask our envy in slander, gossip, or other kinds of manipulative acts. Yet God has a way of humbling us and bringing into the light what is done in darkness (Lk 8:17). Thus, ask that God illuminate things in your life, that we might put envy aside and seek his face.
2. Be Accountable -
There are often activities that make us susceptible to envy. Therefore, avoid situations where you may be tempted to compare yourself to others. Spend time around others that would encourage reflection and edification. Make it a point to fast from contemporary media such as television, magazines, and social media.
3. Grow in Grace -
Spend ample time in prayer and meditation upon God's word. Make it a point to thank God for what you do have as opposed to the things that you see that he has given to others. Remember that God works all things together for good and that he has a plan worked out for you and you alone (Rom 8:28, Jer 29:11).