Envy

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Apr 29, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 17.

ENVY is one of the most devilish characteristics of the carnal heart. It is defined as, "Pain, uneasiness, mortification, or discontent excited by the sight of another's superiority or success, accompanied by some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, or with pleasure in seeing him depressed." This was the feeling held by Aaron and Miriam. They envied Moses. See Numbers 12. They could not bear to have any one above them, however worthy or well fitted he might be for the place. It pained their selfish hearts and made them discontented. Their only hope of being exalted, they thought, was to have Moses brought down, and so they took the course they did.

Envy is a manifestation of selfishness. It is often the result of pride. If cherished, it stops at nothing to gain its object. As the Scripture expresses it, "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?" Prov. 27:4. The Jewish rabbis have a story of two men — one covetous, the other envious — to whom a certain one promised to give whatever they desired, but a double portion to him who asked last. The covetous man would not ask first, because he wanted most; and the envious man would not ask first, because he could not bear that his neighbor should receive a greater blessing than himself. But as the covetous man in his desire for self alone would not choose, the envious man finally wished that one of his eyes should be put out, in order that his neighbor might lose both of his.

"Base envy withers at another's joy, And hates that excellence it can not reach."

How much better the gospel rule, "In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." Phil. 2:3.