“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
(James 3:16-17)
This is a very familiar scripture in the bible that most often references only verse 16 but I thought it was important to show the transition of how God responds to envy through tearing down rebellion and infusing wisdom into the heart, mind and spirit of the Believer. The fruits of His labor are manifested in verse 17.
Cain was wrought with envy and jealousy. He was a victim of his own pride. The sad truth is that he had no choice. He was under the influence of his father the devil. The WOG says that Satan was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44):
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
Envy is defined as a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.: synonyms: jealousy, covetousness, resentment or bitterness. It is a desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to (someone else).
Envy is a catalyst for rebellion. Envy is a major element or ingredient in the recipe for rebellion. Cain’s name translates to “spear” in Hebrew. Perhaps he was a spear through the heart of God for his transgression against his brother Abel.
God cursed Cain and banished him to the Land of Nod. His descendants did not survive the Great Flood and his name went on to live in infamy. His house of rebellion still stands until this very day!
