SE7EN: EN7Y
1 Kings 21
June 29, 2008
Here we are at the last of the seven deadly sins: envy. Greed and lust are forms of envy but focused on specific areas: sex and money. Envy is basically coveting, which is wanting something that isn’t yours. One of the “Big Ten” commandments was an instruction by God not to desire or covet something that your neighbor has that you would like to get. Greed would be seeking more and more money (and power) in order to get something just like or better than what your neighbor has. Or envy could simply be (as I talked about with the kids) wanting to be like someone or just to be liked by someone. But what happens when what you want can’t be bought? You can set the desire aside and move on or you can give in to envy and begin to scheme how to get what you want. That is the case with an envious king named Ahab found in 1 Kings 21.
Before we begin, I want to share with you a picture that characterizes envy… “Can I have one? Just one? Pleeeeeaaaassssse?”
Ok, Ahab was a king in Israel (this is not the same guy who went looking for Moby Dick). This Ahab was a vile man. In fact verse 25 & 26 in 1 Kings 21 says,
(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)
He actually was the perfect fulfillment of a prophecy that a guy name Samuel uttered when the Israelites demanded that they have a human king like the other nations instead of having God as their king. Samuel said that this human king would take their land and their sons & daughters for his own. (1 Samuel 8 – read about it this week and think about what this may imply).
Ahab was an awful human and the worst king. Instead of being a model and example of doing what was right, he was the worst example of selfishness and living opposed to the life-giving ways of God.
One day Ahab noticed a vineyard owned by Naboth that was close to the palace. This vineyard was part of Naboth’s inheritance. God had instructed the people that the land that God gave them was to stay in the family. Even if problems came such as a drought and the land had to be sold, in the year of the Jubilee, all land was to go back into the hands of the original family. But this was never practiced.
However, Naboth considered keeping the land as not just a right but as a moral obligation. Ahab thought he could buy it. Naboth declined the offer basically telling Ahab that no amount of money could buy it.
Interestingly, Ahab acts like a child. He pouts and hides away. He refuses to eat. Finally his wife, Jezebel, comes to see him. Now she seems to be even worse than he is. She is Cruella Da Vil and the wicked stepmother rolled into one and multiplied by 12.
She tells Ahab, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get you your vineyard.” So she throws a party for the community to celebrate Naboth. During that party, she plants two people at his table who will stand up and testify that Naboth has blasphemed God and king. This was a mandatory and immediate death sentence by stoning. And because there were two witnesses, something that God has put into the law to help protect the innocent but Jezebel has twisted, Naboth is killed.
When Ahab went to take possession of his vineyard that he so desperately envied, a man of God named Elijah was been given the message to tell Ahab that God has seen what has happened and that both Ahab and his wife are going to die horrible deaths while their family line is wiped out.
Hear then from verse 27 (we heard verses 25 and 26) what happens:
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."
Now Ahab is an evil man. He has done so much wrong but seems to be repentant so God offers him mercy. He doesn’t completely remove the consequences of Ahab’s decadence because Ahab has done so much damage to God’s people. But God offer him mercy and delay the judgment that is to come.
Envy leads to so much suffering. Paul lists envy as wickedness along with murder, strife, deceit and malice. He also encourages us to not be full of pride (the first deadly sin) because it provokes people and makes them envious.
The gospel writers tell us that the religious rulers wanted Jesus killed and demanded the release of Barabbas from Pilate because they were envious of Jesus. They were envious of his power, his influence as phenomenal teacher, and the following that he had achieved. It threatened their own position. They want to be the center of attention.
Peter says to rid ourselves of envy along with deceit, hypocrisy, and slander. James says that where envy and selfish ambition is, there also will be disorder and every evil practice.
But we also need to understand what envy is not.
Envy is not:
• Desiring for justice and righteousness
Sometimes leaders especially in religious institutions have accused people of being envious when they simply wanted justice to be done. Our God is a God of justice, that is, righteousness. Desiring to see the truth is upheld and that the poor are treated fairly and that the marginalized are given the proper respect, dignity and fair rights is not something that can be classified into envy.
Envy is: (along with every other of these deadly sins)
• Selfish ambition
Let me share some examples. On my trip to Ireland, we visited Northern Ireland including a city called Londenderry. This was something because of the violence that tours would not have done ten years ago. The name of the town is significant because it became a symbol of people being marginalized. Aristocrats from England wanted to rename the town from Derry to Londenderry. They of course were Protestants. Native Roman Catholics wanted simply Derry but they were powerless to do so.
The media has portrayed the conflict in Northern Ireland to be a matter of religion: Protestant versus Catholic. However, there was much more to it than religious beliefs. Yes, the division was along these religious lines but the factors behind them had more to do with economics and political power than religious ideals. It was about justice.
A law was created by the elite that would not allow RC’s (Roman Catholics) to own land. This obviously puts a financial burden on a certain group of people but what else does that lack of land ownership do? It prevents one from voting. Therefore who stays in office and holds the power? Protestants. At heart of the issue, the RC’s wanted to join the rest of Ireland because they saw the British or Unionists as being oppressive. Desiring an end to oppression and being treated justly is not a sinful, envious desire.
Since the Belfast Agreement that basically allowed for equal economic rights and the sharing of power, violence has all but disappeared. Tensions still exist. But the emerging generations are less and less concerned with the “wars of their fathers” and instead are focused on making the most of economic opportunity.
Another example is from our own country. Our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence with a desire and even a duty to through the despotism of the English monarchy. Again this not envy but seeking justice, which is central to life in God’s kingdom. Therefore as God’s people we are to be working (not idle as in sloth) to see the justice as God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
Our real problem with envy lies in the selfish ambition: wanting more and more or wanting what someone else has. It is the constant and consuming striving after food, clothing, and the life in order to look good and please others and gain favor and gain power. Again if conditions exist that oppress people so that they do not have adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, and even basic human rights then their desire to make this right is not envy but one of the basic components of God’s kingdom.
Do you see the difference? But when we are selfish, then envy creeps in. There are numerous historical examples where oppressed people rise up to overthrow their oppressors only to turn around commit even greater injustices and atrocities on those who previously enjoyed privilege and power.
Envy says that I want what is theirs and I want to make them suffer. At the least, I want them to experience what they subjected me to. This moves beyond a desire for justice to vengeance. Jesus tells us to love our enemies as people also created in the image of God (just like us).
So what do we do with this?
Ending EN7Y
• Know the difference between envy and justice
• Be on guard against it
Here I will refer you to the sermons on greed and lust. They are posted online. Some of the same strategies for those apply here as well.
• Self-giving
Paul says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. to look not only to your own interests but to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4). Again I refer you to the sermon on sloth for more in this area.
• Examine your motives
Why do you do what you do? Why do you want something? Why do you want it so badly? Can you let it go? Do you want something simply for yourself? BTW, it is real easy to deceive yourself into believing that you something for others but in reality it is a selfish ambition. I told people before how as a child I prayed for specific sports teams to win believing that I was praying for them but deep down inside, I was praying so I could gloat and be proud. This then means to seek godly wisdom…
• Seek godly wisdom
James 3:13 says, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” And after describing how envy leads to evil practices James says in verse 17, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
