In the book of Proverbs Solomon asked, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has babbling? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives his color in the cup, when it moves itself aright. At the last it bites like a serpent, and it stings like an adder. Your eyes shall behold strange women, and your heart shall utter perverse things. Yes, you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lies upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shall you say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it again”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse one of Proverbs Solomon said, “be not you envious against evil men” where we read,
Be not you envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
The verse begins, “Be not you envious against evil men, ...” Solomon began with the words, “be not you envious” or “you, people who are reading and listening to Solomon's words, do not in any way or manner exist as provoked, jealous and envious” “against evil men” which means “in opposition to people whether male or female who are bad, disagreeable, unpleasant and malignant”. Solomon instructed his readers and listeners not to in any way exist as jealous and provoke by wicked and disagreeable people.
The verse continues, “... neither desire to be with them.” Solomon added the words, “neither desire” or “no and not in any way covet, wait longingly or wish” “to be with them” which means “to exist alongside and beside them, the people whether male or female who are bad, disagreeable, unpleasant and malignant”. Solomon said not to wish and wait longingly to exist alongside the wicked and malignant people.
When we meditate upon Solomon's words in this verse, we see how he wanted his readers and listeners not to be provoked by or jealous of people who are wicked and disagreeable, and they were to never want to be alongside them. In other words, not only were they to keep from being jealous of others, but also not to covet their company. God wants us to live holy and righteous lives, and because we have sin in our lives, this is impossible without His help. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we yield our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and help us to keep from being “envious” against people who are wicked while we in no way want to exist alongside of them.
Next time Solomon says, “for their heart studies destruction”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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