A jealous eye (1 Samuel 18:9)

A jealous eye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David” (1 Samuel 18:9).

 

 

 

 

                When I think about “jealousy”, I remember the Korean drama “Jealousy” that was broadcast on MBC in June-July 1992.  The drama includes actor Soo Jong Choi and actress Jin Sil Choi and it was about young people's fresh and heartfelt love stories.  It is said to have been recognized as the epitome of the melodrama that the era demands by containing the pain, waiting, and beauty to realize mature love (Internet).  I still remember dimly a part of the lyrics of the drama's title song “Jealousy”: ‘Who are you looking at even though I'm standing here right here  …  I don't want much.  I just you’re your eyes of love.  Even if I try to convey my heart, your eyes are saying different things’ (Internet).  At that time, I was 24 years old and when I listened to that drama theme song, it stimulated my young heart. Haha.  But now when I listen to that song, it is kind of insipid.  However, one thing for sure is that "jealousy" can't be thought of simply.  Why is that?  This is because jealousy can kill a person.  It is because jealousy is a terrible weapon of Satan.

 

                What is jealousy?  It is “a feeling of unhappiness and anger because someone has something or someone that you want” (Internet).  When I read this definition again and again, I have nothing to say because I remembered having a feeling of unhappiness and anger about a formal church member in the Lord for no reason.  Although that member didn’t do anything wrong to me, I just didn’t like that person.  Even though I didn’t want to hate that person, I couldn’t help not hating that person.  Of course I see myself still jealous.  I see myself trying to be envious when others are praised and recognized more than me.  Of course this is my inner person.  After all, the jealousy in me is prideful.  If I am humble before God, I am sure I won’t have earthly, natural and demonic jealousy (cf. Jam. 3:15).  The reason is because I would empty myself like Jesus did (Phil. 2:5-8).  If I am imitating the heart of Jesus, I will be humble and consider other members better than myself (v. 3) instead of being jealousy of others. 

 

                Of course, in the Bible, it's not only worldly and devilish jealousy that is mentioned.  The Bible also speaks of God's jealousy.  For example, in Numbers 25:11, God speaks to Moses about Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saying, “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them.”  The jealousy of Phinehas is described as being came from heaven (Jam. 3:17), making it a jealousy that is in line with the Scriptures and just in the sight of God.  What we should seek is precisely the kind of jealousy that Phinehas had, which was rooted in God's own jealousy.  However, we should not possess a jealousy like that of Saul, as mentioned in 1 Samuel 18:9, because Saul's jealousy was worldly, carnal, and devilish in nature (Jam. 3:15).

 

 In 1 Samuel 18:9 we see King Saul jealous.  The Bible says that he saw David, who was a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22), with jealous eyes.  Although 1 Samuel 18:9 NASB Bible says “Saul looked at David with suspicion …”, NIV Bible says “… Saul kept a jealous eye on David.”  In Hebrew, it means ‘Saul watched David with jealousy eye’ (dictionary).  Why did Saul watch David with jealous eyes?  The answer is in “from that day on” (v. 9a).  Here “the day” refers to the day when David killed the Philistine Goliath and the women came out of all the cities of Israel and sang “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands” (vv. 6-7).  Those women sang that the number of people King Saul killed could be counted to thousands, and the number of people David killed could be counted to tens of thousands (Park).  In other words, the women exalted David higher than King Saul.  Therefore, from that time on, King Saul began to see David with jealous eyes.  Look at 1 Samuel 18:8 – “Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?”  From that day on, King Saul began to look at David with jealous eyes.  Think about it.  Imagine that King Saul who used be the hero of the drama but David, one of the additional production personnel, became the hero by killing Goliath and everybody loves David.  Everybody looked up to David and they loved him.  Not only that King Saul's son Jonathan loved David as himself (vv. 1, 3), but also Michal, a Saul's daughter (vv. 20, 28) and all Israel and Judah loved David as well (v. 16).  So what was Saul's heart like?  Saul, knowing that the Lord was departed from him and was with David (vv. 12, 14, 28), and the evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul (v. 10), he continued to look at David with jealous eyes.  The terrible thing was that Saul, looking at David with jealous eyes, eventually tried to kill him.  Saul threw a spear that was in his hand to David while David was playing the harp with his hand (vv. 10-11).  Even though Saul failed to kill David, he continued to try to kill David from then on.  Jealousy can make you guilty of murder.  After all, Saul saw and knew that God was with David, so “Saul was even more afraid of David and was David’s enemy continually” (v. 29).  King Saul tried to kill David all his life.  But as we know, David became a king of Israel because God was with him, and Saul died in a war.  Saul, who was jealous to kill David, was rather killed.  This is the end of sinful jealousy.

 

So, how can we overcome the wicked jealousy like that of Saul?  I found the answer in Psalms 73.  Asaph, the psalms, almost stumbled when he saw the prosperity of the wicked and envied the arrogant (v. 3).  However, when he entered the sanctuary of God, he understood the final destiny of the wicked (v. 17).  In other words, Asaph overcame his wicked jealousy.  When he fixed his eyes on God, he realized how the holy and righteous God would judge the wicked (vv. 17-20).  He also realized that there was no one on earth he desired besides God (v. 25).  This was the key.  We should not look at people with eyes of wicked and murderous jealousy, but rather we should look only to the Lord with the eyes of His jealousy.  When we do this, we can overcome the worldly, carnal, and devilish jealousy that subtly creeps into our hearts.  Knowing that God watches over us with His jealous eyes, not to doze off or slumber, we will be victorious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guarding against Saul's jealous eyes and seeking Phinehas' jealous eyes,

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(Relying on the faithful grace of God, who loves me to the point of jealousy)