1 Samuel 18: The Envy of Saul
The stories of the Bible enable us to understand what kind of story we are in. Such is the case of Saul’s envy of David in 1 Samuel 18. God’s favor has departed from Saul and come to rest on David (18:12), such that whatever David endeavors to do, he succeeds (18:30). The people see this and rejoice, comparing David favorably over Saul (18:7-8). At this Saul becomes angrily and violently jealous of David (18:11).
This story echoes the story of Cain and Abel. Abel’s sacrifice was regarded by God, while Cain’s was not. So Cain, in angry jealousy, kills his brother (Genesis 4:8).
It is no coincidence that the Ten Commandments ends with coveting. Once in the grip of covetousness, Saul plunges headlong into breaking the other nine commandments.
This is because Saul does not respond to his own covetousness with repentance, back to the obedience of the first commandment, to have no other gods before the LORD, including and especially that most fundamental of idols, oneself. In this sense, it’s not jealousy itself that’s the problem. It’s how one responds when we feel jealousy.
After all, Saul should have wanted what David had - the favor of God upon him, and a heart that resonated with the heart of God. Therefore, his jealousy was logical. But it was not paired with repentance, nor faith. Instead Saul chased his jealousy with insanity, by seeking to eliminate his most successful military commander.
God gave us His commandments to free us from the evil eye of covetousness:
Psalm 19:8 (ESV): the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes
But as Rene Girard has taught us, the fundamental emotion of our time is envy. This is why our own age is so violent, why we’re so eager to eliminate one another. We have been taught from an early age to imitate the envy of our fathers . . . to our own destruction. But if we would repent, God will too, from sending us into deeper chaos.
Repentance and therefore joy, only comes from faith, in the promise of God, sealed on a gory Roman cross:
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
August 26