We are moving into chapter 30 of Genesis with our word for today תְּקַנֵּ֥א The root of our word is קָנָא envy, be jealous, zealous, get heated, become excited. It is used 34 times in the Old Testament. A good example of this word is the first time it is used in the Bible where God blesses Isaac so much that this happens. Genesis 26:13-15 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines וַיְקַנְא֥וּ envied him. So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. What I find interesting with our word is that often when it is used the person that is jealous acts in a way to harm the person they are jealous of or slow them down so they can keep up. Here the Philistines stop up Isaac’s wells. This comparison sort of competition along with harming others is what we find in our chapter today.
Genesis 30:1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she תְּקַנֵּ֥א envied her sister. So because of Rachel’s jealousy here is what she does. Genesis 30:3-5 Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.” So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. This is definitely not God’s will as we have looked at a few days ago that marriage is between one man and one woman. When we go outside of this we hurt ourselves and those close to us. We will see just how much damage is caused because of this in the days to come as we get further into Genesis. I will note that this story sounds familiar. Remember when Sari did the same thing? She got tired of waiting on God to do what he said he would do. Now we see Rachel doing the same thing also for being tired of waiting on God but also because she was jealous of her sister. So with jealousy we see this harm that is caused and the other dynamic of competitiveness we also see. Genesis 30:7-8 Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali. Wow that’s messed up that she even names her son with the reference to her catching up with her sister in how many children they each have.
As we have seen God desires for us to love people not be jealous of how God has blessed them in ways that may seem better than he has with us. God does not say that envy or jealousy is evil in and of itself because God himself becomes jealous. Zechariah 8:2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very קִנְאָ֣ה jealous for Zion; I am burning with קִנֵּ֥אתִי jealousy for her.” In this way jealousy is a good thing because it is protective of the one you love to keep them safe and from harm. This is what we see in the New Testament. God reminds the Christians through James that he still is jealous of his people that he loves as James quotes from Exodus 20:5 and applies it to the church. James 4:4-5 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? So when a spouse or parent is jealous for their loved one this is a good thing because we are imitating God’s jealousy. But we can be zealous or jealous for the wrong things as God warns us in Proverbs 3:31 Do not תְּ֭קַנֵּאenvy the violent or choose any of their ways. I like the contrast in our next Proverb because it tells us helps us keep away from being jealous of the wrong things. Proverbs 23:17 Do not let your heart יְקַנֵּ֣א envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
