THE JEALOUS BUNCH

• DAY 168
• FEAR FILES: DAVID
• SCRIPTURE: 1 SAMUEL 17:28-30

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption (overconfidence) and the evil of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a [harmless] question?” Then David turned away from Eliab to someone else and asked the same question; and the people gave him the same answer as the first time.

1 SAMUEL 17:28-30

David didn’t just come up and defeat Goliath, like every person of courage he had to overcome obstacles. Most obstacles or oppositions we face come packaged in people. Their motivations vary but the purpose is to instill fear in you. Today we’re looking at the first obstacle David faced, this came through his brother, Eliab. He represents a group of people I call the Jealous bunch.

The Green Monster

Jealousy is the feeling of anger or bitterness which someone has when they wish that they could have the qualities or possessions that another person has.

Eliab was the oldest brother of David and by his statement, you can tell he was jealous of David. This probably didn’t start on that day. If you recall a situation occurred in their house in chapter 16. God had sent Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse, and when he arrived the first person that was presented was Eliab. He had all the physical qualities of the king, but God said he wasn’t the choice, and neither were his other 6 brothers. So he had to not only deal with rejection but also wait until his youngest brother came to be anointed before his very eyes. Any man without the help of the Holy Spirit will be envious. We read that David had 3 brothers there that day but only Eliab was envious. and he was the firstborn.

Dear firstborn, it can be so easy to fall into the trap of, “I should be more successful or prominent than my siblings because I am the firstborn.” The feeling that because you came out first, everyone after you should stay beneath you. Most times, this is not the case. And if this feeling is not killed early, you might become envious and competitive with your siblings whom you should cheer on and support as the older one. This mindset will push you into things that will drive you away from the path that God has designed for you. It has stunted the growth of many firstborns and fueled countless sibling rivalries. If the good news of your sibling makes you uncomfortable you are probably envious. Go to God and pray fervently or you will destroy your own self.

Close To Envy

However, jealousy is not exclusive to siblings although, it is most common amongst those close to us. You can fish them out by the way they try to put you down and keep you “in your lane.” When Eliab said “You should be with the sheep, David,” He was reminding David where he belongs, his lane, and his level. Every jealous person will do the same. They will seize every opportunity to belittle you and make you feel like nothing. They will accuse you of arrogance. Their goal is to deflate your audacity, quench the flame of your courage, and shattered your confidence. But you cannot let that happen.

How do you handle them? Turn away from them as David did. In other words, ignore them. You cannot spend your time proving anything to them. They are angry and irrational to begin with and you cannot get dragged into their drama. You have to protect your heart. David turned away from Eliab and went to other people. He continued what he was doing unperturbed. Decide to not let the envious rantings of a jealous person stop you in your tracks. Turn away!!

Ask the Father to grace you with the strength to turn away and be distracted by the hurtful words of those who seek to deflate your faith. May you be strong and unwavering In Jesus name.

Shalom