We are going to see the destructive power of ENVY in the life of King Saul.
• What the difference between jealousy and envy? To envy is to want something which belongs to another person, like wanting someone’s fame and success.
• Jealousy is the fear that something which we possess will be taken away by another person, like we are afraid that the affections of a loved one might be lost to a rival.
• Very often they comes together and you can see them as two sides of the same coin.
Envy destroys. It is going to ruin Saul’s life. Let’s read 1 Sam 18:5-16.
David has been very successful in his campaigns. Saul promoted him because of this.
• He was so consistently successful that the nation began to take notice of him and celebrate his great achievements.
• A song was even written about his victories and the chorus goes like this: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (18:7)
We have no reason to doubt that this was incorrect. The people recognizes it.
• With the many successful campaigns that David had led, it would be true that he has slain more than Saul.
• But something was birthed in Saul’s heart when he heard that, because it caused him to be very angry. That something is ENVY.
• Saul became jealous of David’s growing popularity and fame. Instead of being thankful that he has a great fighter in David, Saul let envy took over.
ENVY eventually ruined his life. Envy destroys, don’t take it lightly.
• The first spark of envy is ANGER. “Saul was very angry…” (18:8). We are UNHAPPY that others are doing better than us.
• It does not stop there. SUSPICION sets in. Saul thought, “What more can he get but the kingdom?” (18:8c). He felt threatened.
• 18:9 “And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.” It need not be real; it’s all in the mind.
And that’s not all. Envy leads to angry, suspicion and FEAR. This was mentioned 3 times in this chapter:
• 18:12 “Saul was afraid of David…”
• 18:15 “When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him.”
• 18:29 “Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.”
You realise again that this FEAR need not be real. It just needs to be in your mind.
• By now we can actually have a clear picture of David’s character and his heart. More or less, we can tell what kind of a person David is.
• I don’t foresee him trying to kill Saul for the throne. David honours God and honours God’s anointed, we see that later in chapter 26.
• Yet Saul was gripped by fear and he wanted to kill David.
• ENVY destroys you. It leads to anger, suspicion, fear and attempted murder.
Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other’s business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival.
One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, “I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?”
The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, “Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!”
That’s what happens when we let envy take roots in our hearts. All sound judgement is gone.
What follows in the next 2 chapters is a rapid-fire recounting of Saul’s 6 attempts on David’s life, 3 in chapter 18 and another 3 in chapter 19.
1. 18:10-11 - He tries to kill David with a spear. “I’ll pin David to the wall,” he says, but David escaped, twice.
2. 18:12-16 - He makes David a commander over a 1000 and sent him out for more battles, hoping that he will be killed at war. But he was successful.
3. 18:17-29 - Saul then offers David his oldest daughter Merab, and then his second daughter Michal in marriage, both times David turned down because he says “I’m only a poor man and little known.” (18:23)
• David would not be able to pay the bridal price but that’s was what Saul was getting at.
• 18:25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.
• He was borrowing the Philistines to kill him, but he failed again. David met with greater success than Saul’s men (cf. 18:30) and came back with 200 foreskins (v.27).
Saul tried to spear David again (19:9-10), sent men to kill him at his house (19:11-17) and after David fled to find Samuel, he tries to kill him there in Ramah (19:18-24).
• Saul attempted 6 times and 6 times he failed. He failed because God’s hand was upon David.
• Even Saul himself noticed that. 18:12 “Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul.” 18:28 “When Saul realized that the LORD was with David…”
We see this contrasting moves - Saul was trying to pin him down, and David gaining greater success each time.
• 18:11 - Saul tried to spear David but he escaped twice.
• 18:16 – He was sent to the battlefields but won all the campaigns and “all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.”
• 18:30 – David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
• You have this King trying to tear him down but David is growing from strength to strength.
Clearly God’s hand was upon David. God protects him throughout the ordeal.
• We do not have to fear what people can do to us. Our greater fear is that we are not walking right with God. If we are, then we have nothing to fear.
• God watches over His own. David walks with God and obeys Him. He honours God.
• Even when he has the chance to retaliate and hurt Saul (later in 1 Sam 26:7-11), David refused to let his man Abishai spear him. He says, “I’m not going to lay hands on the Lord’s anointed.” Twice, once to Abishai (v.11), and to Saul (v.23).
Amazingly that was exactly what God was doing for him - no one can touch God’s anointed, David, because he is God’s chosen King for Israel.
• God honours those who honours Him. David says to Saul, “The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness…” (26:23a).
• We stand firm and do the right thing, and God will watch over us.
Saul was gripped by envy and that ruined his life.
• “Envy eats the soul of the envious, and not the envied one.”
• “Blowing out the other person’s candle will not make yours shine better.”
Dwight L. Moody shared this story. An eagle was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, "I wish you would bring down that eagle up there."
The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow. So the jealous eagle pulled one out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but it didn't quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. The first eagle pulled out another feather, then another - until he had lost so many that he himself couldn't fly.
The archer took advantage of the situation, turned around and killed the helpless bird. If you are envious of others, the one you will hurt the most by your actions will be yourself.
How do we keep envy at bay?
1. CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS – that’s humility
Tell Saul: “David is your man. He is not fighting against you; he’s fighting FOR you. He is your comrade, and Israel is winning all the campaigns.”
• If he does not shine, I won’t shine. If David fails, Israel fails. The King fails.
• Be humble and celebrate the success of others. Don’t envy someone because he is more popular, more capable, more talented, or better-looking than you.
• Rejoice that they are doing well and successful. Thank God for their achievements.
• Pray that they will continue to do well and excel.
2. BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE – that’s contentment
Accept God’s gift for you. Saul was made king by the grace of God. Treasure what God has given you.
• Eccl 5:18-20 “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labour under the sun during the few days of life God has given him-for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.”
• Some are rich, others not so rich, but they are all gifts of God. Recognise them as God’s lot for us and don’t compare.
Saul started on the wrong foot when he compares himself with David.
• Comparison can only end up the wrong way. You have only two outcomes – either you are better than others, or worst off. Either way is not good.
• If you are better than others, you are probably going to be proud. If you are not good, besides having this low self-esteem, you are likely to blame God for making you like this, or that He is not being fair to you in this game of life.
• Either way it doesn’t turn out good. Don’t compare. Be contented at what God has blessed you with. He has given you what He deems best.
Recognise God’s role in your life. Submit to Him and seek to honour Him.
• 1 Peter 2:1-3 “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
• Grow up. Be mature. Envy does not belong to this new life in Christ.
Honour God, dear friends. This life we have comes from Him. We know Him through Jesus Christ. Put your trust in Jesus. He is our Saviour and the Lord of our lives. We are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. We’ve lost our way in life and we need Jesus to show us the way. Pray and acknowledge your need of Him today. Only Jesus alone can change your life and make you complete.
