Hello everyone,
So today I was reading about a seedy character named Ziba. In 2 Samuel, chapter 9, this guy got super ticked that David offered some lame boy, Mephibisheth, to have authority over Ziba and his servants. Not a word from Ziba at this point. Fast forward to the first four verses in 2 Samuel 16, and we see resentment and jealousy rear it’s head.
I thought about this a long time this morning. I’m sure Ziba performed under Meph in a stellar fashion - just perfect - and maybe even threw in a few kind and honoring words in the process. I am sure Meph thought everything was good. But Ziba seized the opportunity to screw him because that had been in his heart all along. He basically lied to King David and all possessions got transferred back to Ziba.
I thought to myself that jealousy can appear so kind and loving and tremendously compliant to a situation or relationship. But under the surface it is concocting a plan, and eventually the plan comes to fruition. And, in chapter 16, even the plan sounds so noble to King David. I jumped ahead to chapter 19. What is even more compelling is that Meph did not care that he had lost everything. In fact, on some level he still saw himself as lame and did not think he deserved anything anyway. But, the part that struck me most was this: Jealousy will invoke not just a reaction, but a plan if allowed to progress in the heart. However, in 2 Sam 19:24 we see that Meph's mourning had zero to do with loss of things but had everything to do with the absence of David. "He neither cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king departed to the day he returned."
So what I realized today is that jealousy will always attempt a coup and will impact much; however, no one can rob us of our King - that is a rock solid possession. And I am certain God saw the heart of lame Meph whose only focus was potential loss of his king, not his stuff. As a result he never resented what Ziba did! Folks, people can take much from us, but they can never take our King! Jealousy is obsessed with possession, but love is obsessed with affection for the King! That affection cancels out all impact of jealousy.
Much love,
Cari