Ezra 1 & 2, Revelation 8, Revelation 9: 1-12, Proverbs 26: 23-28, Proverbs 27: 1-4
Proverbs 27: 4 (ESV)
“Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand
before jealousy?”
Verse 4 from Proverbs 27 is a truth that resonates as truth,
but Solomon reminds us in case people have forgotten it. Wrath is indeed cruel,
and anger can be overwhelming when expressed, but they tend to be short lived.
Jealousy on the other hand can be long lasting, and therefore may lead to more cruel
and overwhelming actions for those who are envious. We can see the results of envy
in Matthew 27: 18 “For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered
him up.” Matthew speculated that it was envy that led the Sanhedrin to plot to kill
Jesus Christ.
While anger is often caused by something someone has done, jealousy
on the other hand seems to sometimes be unreasonable and caused by someone becoming
upset by the good fortune of another person. Jealousy also seems to be more
hidden as it is not something another person would openly confess to in public,
unlike wrath and anger which is often expressed publicly and not hidden well.