Proverbs 3:31

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about envy:

Proverbs 3:31 (ESV)

Do not envy a man of violence

and do not choose any of his ways,

After reading this proverb one might ask, "Why would you envy a man of violence?"    Certainly a violent man is not someone to desire to be with or be like. Yet, Solomon seems to be going to great extent to make sure we don't follow them.   Apparently there is some temptation to follow such a person. It would be inferred that those who would follow such a man have not read the rest of Solomon's proverbs.   In other parts of this book we read that violent (wicked) men are going to meet a certain end of destruction.  Apparently we are being told this because the acts of the violent man and the destruction of the violent man is not, at this point, visible.  We only see the "peaceful and prosperous" life the violent (wicked) man portrays. We see their prosperity and we might be compelled to desire to be like them.   Notice how the song writer, Asaph, describes it in one of his many psalm songs:

Psalms 73:1-3 (ESV)

A PSALM OF ASAPH.

Truly God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,

my steps had nearly slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

But, we are not to envy their prosperity for we are to know of their destruction.   We are not to follow any of their ways since those ways lead to that destruction.   In Proverbs 7 we see a real example of such ways.   Lot saw those ways and Sodom and Gomorrah ended up in destruction.   He lost his wife and needed his uncle Abraham to rescue him.   Scripture says Lot saw the prosperity of that city and wanted it, with all its ways.   Solomon tells us not to be envious of the wicked.   Don't copy their ways.  Destruction may not be visible but it is inevitable.