Do you ever envy other people?  Envy means wanting to do what others do or wanting to have what others have. If you see that someone is good at something, then you want to be able to do that too. You see the attention they get, and you want that for yourself. It’s being jealous of what other people have or what others can do.

In this passage, God teaches us that he hates envy. In front of all the people, God tells Miriam and Aaron that they are not to be envious or jealous of Moses, but instead they must listen to Moses as he is God’s servant and God has chosen to speak through him.

Why does God hate envy so much? Well, when you are jealous of the things other have or can do, then that means that you are not happy with the gifts that God has given you. You are not acknowledging that God made everyone different and gave everyone different talents. So, instead of being jealous of what others can do, thank the Lord for the talents he has given you and use them to praise him.

In this passage God is teaching Miriam, Aaron and the children of Israel not to be envious of their leader, Moses. God is using Moses to lead them to the Promised Land. Sometimes we are envious or jealous of the people God has set in authority over us as well. We might not like the way that a teacher does things. We may be angry at our parents because of the Bible study they expect us to do. But then we are forgetting that the Lord is using these people to lead us to the Promised Land—our eternal home with God. So don’t become upset at your leaders, but thank God for using them to lead you.

This is really hard to do isn’t it? So how can you stop being envious or jealous of other people? Pray, pray and pray! Ask the Spirit to help you, and thank the Lord for the gifts he has given to you and the gifts he has given to others.  

Reflection with your child:

What is the best way to stop being envious of others?

Source: Sermon by Rev. D. Agema