What is envy?

Gen 30:1  And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

Leah had bare Jacob four sons. Rachel had none. Rachel became envious of her sister. She reproached her husband, who indignantly rebuked her. He rebuked her for her immaturity. It was an unreasonable request. It was God, not he, who had withheld children from her. Rachel did what Sarah had done before her (Gen 16:2-3). She gave her maid to her husband and had children by her.

The competition between the two sisters begins. Leah saw what Rachel had done and followed the same. She too gave her maid to her husband and conceived children by her.

Rachel envied her sister. She didn’t count her blessing. She was blessed with beauty while her sister was plain looking (Gen 29:17). She was also the favourite of her husband (Gen 29:20). She had the greatest share of her husband’s affection, and yet was not satisfied.

Rachel had her husband’s love but no children whereas Leah had children but no love. One desired love while the other wanted children. Does Leah envy her sister? I think she does. She envied her sister’s beauty and she was loved more by her husband.

What is envy? Envy is grieving at the good of another. It is a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.

Two women and one husband means problems in the house. Love is a basic human desire. Leah needs love. She needs her husband’s attention and affection. It is the reason she enters the giving birth competition (Gen 30:9). She has to work hard to gain her husband’s attention. Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah. Her father knew it wasn’t easy to marry off this daughter and so he used trickery. Her father got her a husband but he can’t make Jacob loved her.

It is easy to love Rachel. She was beautiful. Beautiful women have all the advantages. If Rachel is in the church today, there will be a lot of young men wanting to court her. Church folks are notorious for picking and choosing whom they will love. Rachel was easy to love; she was beautiful. We often pick and choose who we want to love. We look at the visible traits – beauty and talents. We also love those who can sing, those who can teach and preach well, those who can stir our emotions, those who can cook, those who are successful, and those who are generous, and etc.

When our Lord said, Love ye one another, He didn’t say we are to love only those whom who are lovable. We are to love also the plain looking person, those who aren’t as educated as us, the poor, the person who likes to speak his mind, the person who didn’t agree with us, the person who hates us, the person who is so proud he thinks he knows all things and etc.

The church must step in and love. It is one cause of friction and envy among members. Those who don’t have love envy those who have it. Parents who show favouritism will invite envy in their children. We see this in the parenting style of Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac loved Esau while Rebekah loved Jacob (Gen 25:28). The church cannot afford to show favouritism; we are to love one another. It means everybody.

Do you love the person who often sings out of tunes? Do you love the bible class teacher who is so boring? Can you love the preacher who lacks the charisma as others? Can you love someone who disagrees with you? All we need is love and more love.

Rachel had what Leah wanted—Jacob's love. But she wanted more. Those who have no lack of love do not treasure love. Rachel said to her husband: “Give me children, or else I die” (Gen 30:1). It was an unreasonable request. It shows immaturity in her. It was a childish statement. Yet, it happens in the family. It happens when a wife makes unreasonable demands to the husband. Sometimes a wife may say: “Choose me or your mother.” It could be even more ridiculous: “Choose me or the dog. Either the dog go or I go.” I’m not making those things up; such things happened.

                                                                            

How about if the request is made to God: “Bless me or I quit coming to church”? God has blessed us richly; but to the ungrateful, it is never enough. Many do not count their blessings; they want what they don’t have. They should be thankful for what they have (1 Thess 5:18). But, like Rachel, it is never enough; “Give me” she demanded.

“Give me, or else…” have you ever made that kind of demand to anyone? Have you ever made that kind of demand to God? We must learn to treasure what we have; that’s happiness. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6).

God loves us; let us be contented. 

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.