Introduction:
In our sermon series through the sins of the church, we
come today to the sin of envy.
On the surface of things envy might seem like a minor sin
because it doesn’t make you fall down in the middle of
the street, but envy’s effects on the soul are poisonous.
In other words, there are good reasons why envy is in the
list of deadly sins. To see this firsthand, let’s turn to 1
Samuel 18. Why turn there? Because in this chapter we
not only see Saul’s envy but we see the consequences of
his envy as well. So it forms a great case study on the
nature of envy.
Since we’re just dropping down into this passage, we
need to know the context. In 1 Sam. 16 the youngest son
of Jesse, David, gets anointed by Samuel to be king. In 1
Sam. 17 David has his famous battle against Goliath and
is victorious. Formerly unknown, David now gets
launched into the spotlight. When 1 Sam. 18 begins we
see the results of his victory. I’ve divided the chapter into
two sections, David’s Rise in v1-5 and Saul’s Envious
Heart in v6-30).
David’s Rise (v1-5)
“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of
Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and
Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him
that day and would not let him return to his father's
house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David,
because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan
stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it
to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow
and his belt. And David went out and was successful
wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the
men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the
people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.”
David’s victory over Goliath brought about his rise with
many. These opening verses show this with Jonathan as
he found David to be a kindred spirit such that his soul
was knit to David’s. Jonathan also makes a covenant with
David and gives him royal robes, armor, and choice
weapons. But these are no mere gifts, they’re Jonathan’s
own royal attire and weapons. What does this mean?
That Jonathan gives his own objects of royalty to David,
many believe, shows that Jonathan is rejecting his own
inheritance and giving it to David. A good question to this
is, why would Jonathan do such a thing? A good answer
to that question is that, I think, Jonathan saw in David a
man worthy of a royal inheritance, a man who’s been
marked out by God to lead God’s people. So here
Jonathan is willingly renouncing his position as heir to the
throne and, as far as he is concerned, transferring his
right of succession to David.
Whatever took place in Jonathan’s heart that caused him
to do this, we know one thing for sure. Jonathan’s action
reminds of the humility that will one day be seen in
Christ, as He willingly laid aside privileges for the
redemption of God’s people. This, I believe, is the
primary difference between Jonathan and Saul. Saulyearned to be first, while in the spirit of Christ Jonathan
was willing to be last.
These opening verses also show David’s rise with Saul.
v2 shows this with Saul as he wouldn’t allow David to
return home to his family because he desired he put him
into his service so that he would always be beside him.
And as this first section ends in v5 see that wherever
Saul sent David out he had success. All the people and
all Saul’s servants loved him. But as we’ll see, this was
just one side of the story.
Saul’s Envious Heart (v6-30)
This is a large section so let’s split it in half. See first
v6-16,
“As they were coming home, when David returned from
striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all
the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King
Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with
musical instruments. And the women sang to one another
as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry,
and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have
ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have
ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the
kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on. The
next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul,
and he raved within his house while David was playing
the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his
hand. And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin
David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice. Saul was
afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had
departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his
presence and made him a commander of a
thousand. And he went out and came in before the
people. And David had success in all his
undertakings, for the Lord was with him. And when Saul
saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of
him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out
and came in before them.”
Now we see Saul’s envy and its deadly results. It’s
interesting to notice v6. There we find that after a great
victory Saul and all his troops, including David, returned
to the city. When they entered the city the people came
out to the streets to celebrate their return. This was a
common custom for this time, as it is still common in our
own time. So when the soldiers came into town v7 says
the women began singing a song saying, ‘Saul has struck
down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.’
Certainly the women singing this didn’t mean to offend
Saul but v8 tells us that Saul took offense and was angry
when he heard the song. He then said in v8, “What more
can David have but the kingdom?”
David’s victory had saved Israel, thrust him into the
spotlight, and everyone loved him and everyone hailed
him as a great hero…everyone except Saul. v9 marks a
shift in how Saul viewed David from that moment
forward, “And Saul eyed David from that point on.” Think
about the song. The words weren’t sung to be exact,
rather, you really could interpret the words of the song to
mean that Saul and David make a great team. Yet Saul
heard them and interpreted a wildly different conclusion.
(feelings are real but don’t always tell the truth)Saul felt insecure and inferior to David and grew envious
of David…and he began believing David to be, not a
servant to him but a potential threat to him. Rather than
seeing him as the asset he was, he looked on him with
suspicion. Do you see what’s happening with Saul? He’s
now eyeing David, he’s envious and jealous of him, and
he’s allowed that to grow in his mind and heart, so much
that Saul cannot stand it when David is praised.
Notice what happens next as his envy grew and took
root. In v10 we see Saul was in his house, he went a fit,
and in his distressed state Saul took a spear and hurled it
at David trying to pin him to the wall, not once but twice!
David probably didn’t know what was going on with the
king. But we as the readers learn what’s happening. v12
tells us, “Saul was afraid of David because the LORD
was with him, but had departed from Saul.” So what did
Saul in his fear do to David? He made him a commander
of a thousand men in v13. We may ask, ‘Why promote
him?’ Well, Saul knows if David’s a commander he’ll
constantly be in war, and if he’s around war long enough,
eventually he might die. So rather than dealing with his
envious heart, Saul sneakily tries to plot the end of David.
Yet, how frustrating was it for Saul? v14-16 show us the
result of Saul’s plotting. David was successful in his
military campaigns, and the people loved him more and
more. Now Saul “stood in fearful awe of him.”
Now we come to the last section of our passage, v17-30,
follow along as I read it.
“Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter
Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for
me and fight the Lord's battles.” For Saul thought, “Let
not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the
Philistines be against him.” And David said to Saul, “Who
am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel,
that I should be son-in-law to the king?” But at the time
when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to
David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a
wife. Now Saul's daughter Michal loved David. And they
told Saul, and the thing pleased him. Saul thought, “Let
me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and
that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.”
Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall
now be my son-in-law.” And Saul commanded his
servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the
king has delight in you, and all his servants love you.
Now then become the king's son-in-law.’” And Saul's
servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And
David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become
the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no
reputation?” And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and
so did David speak.” Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say
to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a
hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be
avenged of the king's enemies.’” Now Saul thought to
make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when
his servants told David these words, it pleased David well
to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had
expired, David arose and went, along with his men, and
killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought
their foreskins, which were given in full number to the
king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And
Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. But when
Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, andthat Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, Saul was even
more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy
continually. Then the commanders of the Philistines came
out to battle, and as often as they came out David had
more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his
name was highly esteemed.”
Here, we see a strange event. In v17 Saul offers to give
David his oldest Daughter Merab (who was the supposed
the be the prize for killing Goliath) and makes him
promise that he’ll continue to be valiant and fight the
LORD’S battles. David’s humble response in v18
contrasts his godliness with Saul’s scheming. Clearly
Saul was still hoping David would die while leading
military campaigns against the Philistines, but when it
didn’t happen, he sought out another way to kill him. v19
says when it came time to give Merab to David, Saul
gave her to another man. Why? He was probably trying
to provoke David to act out against him, because if David
acted out against king Saul, Saul would be able to have
him killed. But how did David respond to this treachery?
He does absolutely nothing.
Then a little later another of his daughters, Michal,
approaches Saul and asks him permission if she can
marry David. Saul agrees and encourages David to
become his son in law. David is thankful and expresses
another humble response in v23, while Saul thinks of
another plan to kill him. In v25 we read that Saul desires
a hundred foreskins of the Philistines as a bride price.
Saul is again thinking that if David tries to do this he’ll
surely be killed, or become such a stench to the
Philistines that they won’t ever stop hunting him down.
Saul’s envy it seems, knows no bounds.
Yet, David not only accepts the bride price, he doubles it
and once the deed was done Saul found himself at a loss
and gave in. In v27 he gave Michal to David, and in v28
he grew even more afraid of David because he knew the
LORD was with him. Then as we’ve seen in v5 and v16,
v30 once again affirms David’s character and reputation
by saying, “…David had more success than all the
servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.”
Conclusion:
So, we’ve gone through this narrative and we’ve seen
David’s rise and Saul’s envious heart. We’ve seen many
of the consequences of Saul’s envy in himself and in
those around him. Question: can you see yourself in Saul
here? It’s far too easy to point a finger at Saul and look
down on him and his envious ways. Church, we are just
as prone to envy as he is.
Let’s pull that thread a bit further. What does our envy
look like? Envy could easily be seen as a covetousness
posture, where we see what belongs to others and
eagerly desire to have that for ourselves. That is true, but
I think we can say more. When money and wealth are in
view we call that kind of envy greed. When out of bounds
sexual desire is in view we call that kind of envy lust. We
can be envious of another’s career, status, wealth, power,
influence, physical appearance, popularity, relationships,
marriage, family, achievements, knowledge, lifestyle, and
general experience. We can even be envious of
another’s spiritual maturity or giftedness. So what exactlyis envy? I think what we normally have in mind when we
think of envy is that extended look over the proverbial
fence at another’s grass we’re convinced is greener than
our own. Once we allow an envious thought to take root
in us, it naturally produces anger, jealousy, bitterness,
resentment, and discontentment. Remember all that took
place in Saul’s heart once he heard the city singing that
song about he and David? He heard it, had an envious
interpretation of the song, it went deep into him, and
produced all kinds of insecurities, fears, worries, anger,
and jealousy.
We are like Saul. Always looking over the proverbial
fence at our neighbor’s greener grass. And our time on
social media doesn’t help this as it exposes us to a whole
world of neighbors with whom we can compare
ourselves. Church, be sure of this. Envy sours us. It
sours our worship, sours our joy, sours our whole life.
What’s the remedy and medicine for our envious hearts?
Contentment. What is contentment? It’s more than just
not looking over the fence at our neighbors grass, it’s not
even being concerned with their grass. The Puritan
Jeremiah Burrough’s in his classic book The Rare Jewel
of Christian Contentment says contentment is the “sweet,
inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely
submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly
disposal in every condition.” Burrough’s says this is not
our natural disposition, but is rather a mysterious spiritual
art that we only learn by the grace of God. How can we
lean into this and grow in contentment? Burrough’s
suggests three ways:
First, by remembering providence. We grow envious
because we desire our lives to be something they are
not. Contentment begins with a settled confidence in
God’s sovereign control over all life events. Since God is
truly in control and sovereign over all things, and since
God is truly good, then we as God’s beloved children can
be quiet and at peace in God’s “wise and fatherly
disposal” of our lives. Or to put it another way,
remembering His providence gives a settled confidence
in God, who not only numbers the hairs of our head but is
orchestrating all things for our good.
Second, by remembering satisfaction. We grow envious
because we desire to enjoy things we watch others enjoy.
Contentment begins when we remember where our true
satisfaction is. Being envious doesn’t mean our desires
are too strong, it means we have forgotten where our true
desires are truly quenched. God made us for Himself,
and our restless hearts will only be at rest as they look to
Him.
Third, by remembering Christ. We grow envious because
we forget the gospel. When we say Christ is sufficient,
we mean it. In Christ, we have everything.
In Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of our
sins.
In Christ we have the grace to grow in godliness.
In Christ we have an eternal inheritance beyond anything
we can imagine.In Christ we have a secure identity that is rooted not in
our performance or the opinion of others, but in His
finished work on the cross.
In Christ we have peace in and out of suffering because
He is a fountain of rest.
In Christ we have freedom from "self” which frees us from
the need to constantly validate or defend our own ego.
In Christ we have all of God's mercies purchased for us
by His blood.
In Christ we have a down payment of eternal glory,
making every present comfort a preview of the joys to
come in heaven, and making every painful lack an ache
to be filled one day in glory.
In Christ we have so much that all of heaven can give us
no more.
Church, by remembering the gospel, by remembering
Christ, by remembering His glorious Person and His
saving work we fight envy in deepest way possible. And
when we fight envy like this, we’ll find all our lack filled
with Him.
