Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 22:6-9 (New Living Translation)

⁶ When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.^{[a] 7} This was their song:

“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”

⁸ This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” ⁹ So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

Saul was jealous of David. Note, jealousy is one of those things that no one can push on me. I decide to be jealous. Saul decided to be jealous of David.

Saul was King. He wanted to be King forever. He could not accept that one day he would die and David would be King. Saul’s jealousy drives him for years to come and leads to the death of thousands of innocent people.

Today, many of us decide to be jealous. We cannot accept the passing of this or that thing or person or status. Our jealousy doesn’t lead to the deaths of thousands, but it does lead to sin and a miserable life.

God, help me keep jealousy out of my heart.