​September 5

Jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame — Song of Solomon 8:6.
 
Jealousy is one of the great foes that confront every Christian. It should be slain on sight as an enemy of God and man and of every good principle; and to the extent that its presence had defiled the heart even for a moment, a cleansing of the spirit of holiness and love should be invoked. Jealousy is not only a cruel monster of itself, but its poisonous fangs are almost certain to inflict pain and trouble upon others, as well as to bring general woe and, ultimately, destruction upon those who harbor it. Jealousy is sin in thought, wickedness in thought, and is very apt to lead speedily to sin and wickedness in action. The mind, if once poisoned with jealousy, can with great difficulty ever be cleansed from it entirely, so rapidly does it bring everything within its environment to its own color and character—Z '03, 330 (R 3231).
 
Sheol, the death state, is cruel in the sense that it feelinglessly destroys its victims, and thereby remorselessly afflicts those that love them. It is an enemy of mankind that has been triumphing over the race. Nor will anything short of its destruction free its victims from its grasp. Jealousy is sheol-like. It destroys the happiness of those against whom it exercises itself, as well as frequently destroys them. If we have this quality in our hearts, we may be sure that we are wronging others and injuring ourselves. Against this evil we should wage a relentless warfare until we have destroyed it, or it will surely destroy us beyond deliverance—P '35, 117.
 
Parallel passages: Prov. 6:34; 27:4; Eccles. 4:4; Ex. 20:5; 34:14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Dan. 6:3-5; Jas. 3:14, 16; Gen. 4:5, 6, 8; 37:4-11, 18-28; 1 Sam. 18:8-30; 2 Sam. 3:24-27; Luke 15:25-32.

Hymns: 183, 333, 139, 167, 172, 195, 322.
Poems of Dawn, 200: Lean Hard.
Tower Reading: Z '11, 93 (R 4789).

Questions: What have been the experiences of this week in line with this text? How were they met? What helped or hindered amid them? What were their effects?

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LEAN HARD

CHILD of My love, lean hard.
And let Me feel the pressure of thy care.
I know thy burden, child; I shaped it,
Poised it in Mine own hand, made no proportion
In its weight to thine unaided strength;
For even as I laid it on, I said,
"I shall be near, and while she leans on Me,
This burden shall be Mine, not hers:
So shall I keep My child within the circling arms
Of Mine own love." Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on the shoulder, which upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come;
Thou art not near enough; I would embrace thy care,
So I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
Thou loves Me? I know it. Doubt not then;
But, loving Me, lean hard.

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