Rottenness Of The Bones
Charles Hodge
Duncanville, TX
3/5/97
Rottenness Of The Bones
Envy is rottenness of the bones. What an arresting statement! From the Wise Man Solomon in Proverbs 14.30. There are powerful sermons bashing Pharisees and welfare cheats, but little is said today about envy.
• Envy crucified Christ.
• Envy is a work of the flesh. The carnality at Corinth
began in envy. Read 1 Corinthians chapter three again!
• Envy divides, strives, and becomes bitterness.
• Envy is monster!
We fear jealousy, even talk about it ... but not envy. God can be jealous, but not envious. Jealousy involves coveting, lusting after what another has. Envy is bitter because the other has it. Envy so resents that it attempts to take it away, to destroy it.
• A coveter has empty hands wishing to have what others have. An envier has empty hands wishing to empty the hands of the envied.
• A coveter desires; an envier resents.
• Coveting focuses upon things; envy focuses upon
persons.
Cain, wanting what Abel had
(Cain could have been blessed too), wanted Abel dead! He killed him. Envy wishes to take, to destroy, to hurt.
Envy is:
A Vandal. Envy wishes to mar, to ruin, to destroy. Envy vetoes heaven.
Anger. Saul was angry at David. Jealousy turned into envy. With profound anger Saul hunted David like a mad man. The remainder of Saul’s tragic life was fueled by envy.
Pride. For others to have diminished me! Envy destroys preachers and churches. We are exalted when others fail.
Comparison. Our example is Saul and David. Cut him down to size!
Meanness. Envy itches to destroy. Envy is the rottenness of the bones. It destroys the envier even more than the envied.
Gossip. We pass the failure in others around like finding gold. We gossip because we envy.
Grumbling. Envy is a poison, a toxic. Rotten!
—Charles Hodge
Duncanville, Texas
