Jealousy Destroys
"And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David." -- 1 Samuel 18:9
Jealousy is a terrible disease. It starts slow, like a tiny flame ignited in a weak moment. Insecurities feed it until it blazes out of control.
Saul's jealousy erupted when the people praised David and credited him with greater success than Saul. It didn't matter that Saul was king. Nor did it matter that everything David did benefited Saul. Saul wanted all the power and all the glory for himself.
The Bible says several times in the passages about Saul and David that an evil spirit came upon Saul. This could have been Satan. Jealousy is certainly the sort of thing Satan uses to lead us astray. One Bible footnote even said it might have come when the Holy Spirit left Saul after Saul had sinned against God. Whatever the origin of the evil spirit, it's presence drove Saul to want David dead.
Have you ever felt jealous of someone else? Not me, you say. Are you sure about that? Sometimes it's called sibling rivalry. Sometimes it's called friendly competition. We have all kinds of names for standing there fully of envy and jealousy, desperately wanting what someone else has. It's a sickness that can destroy us.
It's also no fun when someone is jealous of you. Imagine how difficult it was for David. He didn't want to kill Saul, though he certainly had the opportunity. He wanted to co-exist in peace with Saul. David repeatedly walked away, hid and even lived in another country in order to escape Saul's desperate attempts to kill him. I'm not so sure I could have withstood all that anger without retaliating. I guess that's part of the reason David was the man after God's own heart.
David survived Saul's jealousy. He had God on his side. But jealousy destroyed Saul. It's a lesson for all of us.
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