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Dealing with and Overcoming Jealousy
Recently, I’ve been thinking about leaders and their rule over groups of people. It fascinates me how people will subject themselves to someone who they deem worthy or fit to be in charge. There are countless examples of this throughout history; some good and many, many that are bad. Some of the more well known examples that come to mind are Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, Adolf Hitler, Charlemagne, Queen Elizabeth I, and the list goes on and on. All of these people had vast amounts of people loyally subjected to their rule and ruled for some period of time.
Whenever I consider the power, prestige and wealth of rulers like these, I start to dream of all the ways it would be nice to have been them. The meals they would have eaten, the glory of being revered, and most importantly, the power of speaking edicts and judgments into existence. That kind of power is oh so appealing to me. If I’m bored of the city I am in, move me to another one! If the food isn’t up to snuff, get me something different! If you annoy me, off with your head! Wouldn’t it be nice to have that kind of power, where all your whims and wishes are met?
In Numbers 12, Moses is leading the Israelites through the desert wilderness after having been delivered from Egypt because he has been appointed by God as the leader of the people. Like my own temptation to be jealous of the rulers throughout history, Moses’ own brother and sister become jealous of him and begin to slander him. They are so jealous of his authority from God they use his marriage as an excuse to attack him.
1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 2 and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.
There are two details that are key to understanding this text and its application: 1) God heard the slandering of Miriam and Aaron against Moses and 2) Moses was the most humble man on Earth. Let’s talk about the first key.
The first lesson that needs to be learned is that God sees and hears the jealousy in our hearts and punishes us if we allow it to rule our lives. Miriam and Aaron let their jealousy rule, and thus slandered Moses for something he had every right to do. Isn’t that how jealousy works, though? It causes us to want to belittle those we are jealous of regardless of the claim. Why did Miriam and Aaron stoop to that? Weren’t Miriam and Aaron leaders in their own right? God had abundantly blessed Miriam as a prophetess (Ex. 15:20) and Aaron as a priest to the people (Ex. 28:14), a prophet (Ex. 4:15-16) and the mouthpiece of Moses to Pharaoh (Ex. 4:14)! They slandered Moses out of jealousy, because they had forgotten the authority God had to choose a leader for His people and the blessings they had received from God, allowing instead for jealousy to rule their lives. We need to avoid making the same mistakes!
The second lesson is from Moses. Sometimes we are the ones who are the object of others’ jealousy. How do we handle that? The only way to move through those moments faithfully is if we too are humble like Moses. Can you imagine if Moses had met this jealous slander with his own defensive slandering? What a mess that would have created! Thankfully Moses did not do this. In fact, in the text we read Moses sits quietly and lets God handle it. What humility! What trust! Not only this, once God brings judgment down on them, Moses pleads for mercy on their behalf. That is the opposite attitude from the jealousy I often feel when I observe those who are powerful and revered. How does Moses do it? Moses knew this truth of God:
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13-18)
If you want to be wise and understanding before God, then live in humility like Moses did. This attitude is what thwarts bitter jealousy and is from above. If you find yourself allowing jealousy to rule you, then know it is earthly, unspiritual and demonic and will only lead to punishment, just like it did for Miriam and Aaron.
