Why did the Jews become envious in Acts 13?
The Jews became envious because they saw the Gentiles eagerly receiving the gospel Paul and Barnabas preached—that Christ died for them and rose again—while the Jews themselves were rejecting the Word. Their envy was provoked by Gentile hunger for the truth and the apostles' bold proclamation among them.
Les explains that as the Gentiles were hungry for the Word, Paul and Barnabas laid out the gospel that Christ died for them and rose from the dead. When the Jews saw this happening among the Gentiles, they became envious. After they showed their envy and blasphemy, Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to the Jews, but they put it from themselves. Les also draws an analogy to America, which has had much opportunity to have the truth of the Word but is throwing it out and rejecting it; he warns that God will not stand for it unless there is a tremendous turning back to the truth of the Book.