'How To' Instructions in Righteousness              printer-friendly

Lesson 5: Envy not sinners.  Be in fear of the Lord.

Key verse:  Proverbs 23:17
 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

This type of admonition from God is a common one.  He shows us what to avoid and then tells us exactly how to accomplish the task.  Both parts of the admonition are dealing with content of the heart and mind.  The way to get rid of the negative content was to displace it with positive content.  In this case, replace envy of the prosperity of the evildoers with an envy of being in complete subjection to Almighty God.  Notice the meaning brought fourth in commentaries on the first part of the admonition:

Envy Not Sinners:
Compare in Psalm 37:1; 73:3; the feeling which looks half-longingly at the prosperity of evil doers.

Psalm 37:1
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Psalm 73:3
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ~from Barnes Notes

Let not thine heart envy sinners-in prosperity, so as to be tempted to imitate their example (Psalm 37:1; 73:3). ~from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

Proverbs 23:17-18
Do not as they do; walk not in the way with them; use not the methods they take to enrich themselves, though they thrive by them. ~from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition

There will be an end of the prosperity of the wicked, therefore do not envy them (Psalm 73:17); there will be an end of thy afflictions, therefore be not weary of them, an end of thy services, thy work and warfare will be accomplished, perfect love will shortly cast out fear, and thy expectation of the reward not only will be not cut off, or disappointed, but it will be infinitely outdone. The consideration of the end will help to reconcile us to all the difficulties and discouragements of the way. ~from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition

Even before God discusses our displacement of this negative type of envy, He enumerates its elements.  We are not to envy the evildoer.  We are not to walk in their ways.  We are not to envy or to emulate the methods they use to enrich themselves.  Indeed we are not to look upon evil.  He assures us by telling us that their prosperity is short-lived and vain.

Be in fear of the Lord [continually]
We displace the envy of the sinner by envying our being in fear of the Lord continually.  Notice the meaning from the commentaries:

"Envy not sinners, but envy, emulate, the fear of the Lord." ~from Barnes' Notes

But (be thou) (or, let thine heart be: from the first clause) in the fear of the Lord all the day long-the antidote to envy of the prosperity of sinners. "All the day long;" not by impulsive fits and starts; not following piety only so long as it is attended with worldly success, nor deserting it when thou seest difficulties in the way, and when prosperity seems to attend the wicked. ~from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

Envy not sinners, envy much rather the fear of God, i.e., let thyself be moved with eager desire after it when its appearance is presented to thee.  This proverb itself declares the fear of God to be of all things the most worthy of being coveted. ~from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition

An excellent direction to maintain high thoughts of God in our minds at all times: Be thou in the fear of the Lord every day and all the daylong. We must be in the fear of the Lord as in our employment, exercising ourselves in holy adorings of God, in subjection to his precepts, submission to his providences, and a constant care to please him; we must be in it as in our element, taking a pleasure in contemplating God's glory and complying with his will. We must be devoted to his fear (Psalm 119:38); and governed by it as our commanding principle in all we say and do. All the days of our life we must constantly keep up an awe of God upon our spirits, must pay deference to his authority, and have a dread of his wrath. We must be always so in his fear as never to be out of it. ~from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition

God is making it clear that constant and fervent focus on Him displaces all the negative elements we encounter in our lives.  Everything we do should be a glory to God.  Envying evildoers is clearly not bringing glory to God.  It is quite understandable that a firstfruit would eye such prosperity with some envy as they look upon their own lives fraught with its trials and tribulations.  However, we are just sojourners in this temporary world.  We must keep our eye on God and the Kingdom when we will know and enjoy prosperity far above anything that looks good in this world.

Instructions – Envy not sinners.  Be in fear of the Lord.
 
 1) Envy not sinners.
 2) Envy not their prosperity or the methods and ways they use to obtains such prosperity.
 3) Envy having a fervent fear of God
 4) Meditate and covet His ways and methods.
 5) Understand that the prosperity of the evildoer is vain and will disappear.
 6) Understand that your reward is vastly greater than you could possibly know.
 7) Keep your eye on the Kingdom of God and not this world.


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