The Incredible Destructive Capacity of Envy

September 30, 2022

Proverbs 27:3–4 

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both. 

Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

Uncontrollable anger is a problem. Because a fool hates to receive correction, things can get out of control when he gets angry. A wise man might heed a word of correction should he get angry, and this might moderate his indignation somewhat. But a fool isn’t known for listening to correction. That is why he is called a “fool”! So when he loses control of his temper, nobody and nothing will rein him in. The message from this proverb is simply this: when a fool gets angry, you had better get out of his way. Nothing will stay his wrath. The best example of this type of fool in Scripture is Abigail’s husband, Nabal, whose name literally meant “fool.” He set his household up for disaster by picking a fight with David and his forces (1 Sam. 25). If he had listened to the wise counsel of his wife, he might have made a wise decision himself  and averted a costly military conflict. But he was an angry fool. Thankfully, Abigail saved the family by interceding with David herself. Interestingly in this story, David’s anger was pacified by Abigail’s counsel while Nabal’s was not. Here you can see the difference between a wise leader and a fool: one listens to counsel and the other does not. 

But there is something worse than uncontrolled anger, and that is the dastardly sin of envy. There is a marked difference between these two sins. Anger, on the one hand, does have a destructive capacity. But it does not always intend to destroy. Envy, on the other hand, has one goal in mind, and that is to destroy another person, his property, and happiness. Envy will not be satisfied until everything in its sight is laid waste. Envy is a blind, destructive rage. It is the sin that incites the masses in socialist revolutions, labor strikes, and liberal redistribution programs. With the forced redistribution of wealth, the institutionalized thievery and violence produced by revolutionary forces, comes destruction to social and economic systems. After one hundred years of Soviet rule, the Russians have little to show but huge alcoholism problems, imploding birth rates, the highest abortion rate in the world, a powerful criminal element, an unmotivated populace, and severe economic strains. Only remnants of the Christian faith were left in the Orthodox church, and by the early part of the 20###sup/sup### century it was powerless to fight the spirit of envy and atheism that virtually destroyed Russia and its surrounding states. Who can stand before envy? 

Be careful never to flaunt your success or your wealth. The spirit of envy is very much alive in the hearts of men, and it is far worse than covetousness. When someone covets what you have, he only wants to possess it. Maybe he will steal it from you. But envy sets out to destroy everything you own. Once a man is inflamed with the spirit of envy, nothing will stop him until he has burned down your house, destroyed your reputation, and tangled you up in a hundred lawsuits. 

Family Discussion Questions: 

1. What does the name “Nabal” mean? 

2. How do you know you have an angry fool on your hands? 

3. Describe the difference between anger and envy. 

4. What are the sorts of things that envy might do to your family or to entire nations?