MOVED WITH ENVY by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 2, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 40.

“MOVED WITH ENVY.”

By G.

Originally sin sprang from envy. Satan cultivated envy until it brought forth sin. He was envious of Christ, who was a Counselor with God. He fostered the spirit of envy until it became open rebellion. From that day to this envy has been doing its deadly work. The most malignant form of envy is that which is directed against the righteous; for, like that of Satan, it is in reality against Christ.

Cain was envious of Abel’s acceptance with God, “because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” This envy was nurtured until it became murder. So the rulers of the Jews persecuted Christ even unto death because of their envy. This was so illy concealed that even the Roman governor, to whom they appealed for a death-warrant, discerned the cause of their action. Pilate “knew that for envy they had delivered Him.”

The Sunday-school lesson in this paper is on a subject that illustrates the cruelty of envy, namely, “Joseph Sold into Egypt.” Stephen says, “The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; but God was with him.” The deed was murderous in that it was the purpose of Joseph’s brothers to forever put him out of their way. They sold him instead of killing him, because they thought selling him into Egyptian slavery would answer the same purpose, and that thereby they might claim innocency of his blood. But the murder was already in the heart, having been the first suggestion on the occasion mentioned.

Jacob “loved Joseph more than all his children.” Of the twelve sons of Jacob, Joseph was the eleventh, but he was the oldest son by his favorite wife, Rachel, the one wife whom he really loved. Jacob’s partiality for Joseph was so marked that it provoked a spirit of envy in his older brothers, who were naturally retaliative. This spirit had been manifested toward the people of Shalem, or Shechem, soon after the arrival of Jacob and his caravan from Padan-aram. See Genesis 37. Various circumstances added fuel to the flame of envy. Joseph sometimes went with his brothers to help in caring for the sheep and cattle, and their wickedness so shocked him that he would report their doings to his father. Again, his father gave him a magnificent coat, which gave him an air of distinction among his brothers.

But the climax came when Joseph was given prophetic dreams that augured his pre-eminence over not only his brothers, but over his parents also. He first dreamed a dream and told it to his brothers. He said, “Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.” To this his brothers replied, “Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?” And they hated him yet the more on account of this dream. The spirit of envy and selfish jealousy always resents the spirit of prophecy. It has been so from the beginning, for “the testimony of Jesus Christ is the Spirit of prophecy.” Rev. 19:10.

Then Joseph dreamed again, and told the dream to his brothers and also to his father. He said, “I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” His father said, “What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” To this the record adds, “And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.”

After this, Jacob’s sons went away to Shechem to find pasturage for their stock. When they had been away some time, he sent Joseph to inquire after their welfare. “Go, I pray thee,” he said, “see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again.”

Joseph went alone on the journey of about fifty-five miles, to Shechem, where he was told that his brothers had gone to Dothan, some fifteen miles farther on. Already weary with travel, he hastened on. Coming in sight of the camp which he had so patiently and faithfully sought, his envious brothers recognized him in the distance. Immediately the spirit of Cain arose in their hearts and asserted itself in their words. “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.” They said one to another, “Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”

But Reuben advised that they do not kill him, but put him into a pit alive and let him die. The others agreed to this proposition, altho it was really a more cruel suggestion. But Reuben designed to secretly release him and let him go home. So when Joseph came up, they took from him his coat of many colors, and cast him into a deep pit. Then they coolly sat down to eat, regardless of the hunger and fatigue of their young brother who had journeyed so far to bring them good cheer from home.

While they were eating, they saw in the distance an approaching caravan. Recognizing it to be a company of Ishmaelite merchants on the way to Egypt, Judah proposed selling Joseph. This proposition was made on the plea that there was no profit in killing him, and concealing his blood. Envy can sometimes play in the role of virtue. Judah would ease his guilty conscience by the specious plea, “Let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh.” So he would reason that it was really an act of leniency to sell one whom they had marked for death. This was the irony of jealousy, the hypocrisy of envy. Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver, and envy was gratified at least to the extent that the hated one was thought to be forever disposed of.

Joseph was a type of Christ; those who should have admired his good qualities, and heeded the spirit of prophecy bestowed upon him, conspired to put him out of their way. He was the victim of the envy of those whose destiny was in his hand. “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” G.