Proverbs 3:31,32,  Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

Envy - To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, or to hate him on that account.

The word translated oppressor in this proverb means any man or every man.

But we are told that this particular man has ways which are not to be chosen or considered as acceptable.

Because of this the word oppressor can describe this man.

An oppressor is one that imposes unjust burdens on others.

An oppressor is one that harasses others with unjust laws or unreasonable severity.

This is an unscrupulous, apprehending or grasping man, and none of his ways are to be chosen.

The Bible recognizes that the natural man will envy the unscrupulous or grasping man and want to be like hlm.

David wrote in Psalm 37:1 ....Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

And in Psalm 73:3,  For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

And in Proverbs 24:1,  Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

Apparently there are those who see oppression as an opportunity to hold power over men.

There are those who see this as an opportunity to rise to heights over men.

Apparently there are those who envy this power over men and wish it for themselves.

This is the day where young people envy the powerful in sports and entertainment and wish to be like them.

There are advertisements showing young people who look like they came out of concentration camps, young people who appear caught up in drugs and other perversions.

These sick looking people are peddling products and are obviously being successful because people envy their condition.

This successfully plays upon the wickedness on the human heart.

These are oppressors of our young people.

The message son, is that you are not to envy any man, you are not to envy every man, you are not to envy those who hold power over men unjustly.

And now-a-days that includes entertainment and sports figures who use their celebrity to play to the envy of the human heart.

For envy will turn you away from God and to the ways of the oppressor.

Envy is jealously of what another is or what another has.

It is a driver to get what another is or what another has.

Envy springs from pride, ambition, or love; mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess.

It is rebellion against God because it indicates a dissatisfaction of what God has provided you or how God has made you.

Envy is a dissatisfaction of your lot in life.

Envy is against being content in what God has given.

Envy is going against God and therefore it is frowardness.

One who is froward appears as if he is going toward God but in reality he is going away from God.

That is what envy does.

It is a secret thing practiced by the heart and usually not expressed outwardly for others to see.

Envy is expressed in the heart by those who do not have what another has.

Outwardly he may have the appearance of a righteous man but inwardly he is not content with the Lord's provision and he expresses that discontent by envy.

God says this is a revealer of a froward heart.

James asks the question in James 3:11,  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

of course not but this froward man pretends he does.

He pretends righteousness but in reality his heart by envy reveals him as unrighteous.

This is frowardness. This is hypocrisy!

But God here expresses his mind that frowardness is abomination to the Lord.

And envy is a fruit of frowardness.

Abomination is something extremely disgusting and detestable, it is an abhorrence to God.

It is that which causes God to spew out of his mouth it is so detestable.

It is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

It is a deceiver, a Judas.

It is a pretender and God vomits because it is so disgusting to him.

Envy is any man and every man's secret.

Others may not know of the envy of the heart.

Any man and every man guards this secret and few there be that know of this secret.

It is well hidden from others who also have their secret envy.

But God also has a secret and his secret is with the righteous.

This secret is an intimacy with the righteous, a confidential communion, a close deliberation and consultation, with those who are upright and in right standing with him.