Justifiably Jealous
“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”—Deuteronomy 4:24
In the Bible, one of the most surprising attributes to modern day readers is the jealousy of God. The negative concept of jealousy, that we most often experience, communicates the idea of mistrust, resentment, or suspicion of an individual, but there is a positive aspect of jealousy whereby there is an intense emotional desire to adhere to, cultivate, and keep the proper commitments of love for another. For example, jealousy resulting from a selfish heart, anxious spirit, or insecurity is wrong, but jealousy that rises up in someone desirous to keep a covenant such as marriage is good.
God is a jealous God. Several times throughout Holy Scripture God is seen as a loving, compassionate, merciful, and faithful husband. However, when God’s people turn from Him and embrace sin, He uses very strong language to declare their evil deeds and communicate the intensity of their broken fellowship. His people are called an “unfaithful wife,” “whores” and “prostitutes” (Jeremiah 3:1-9; Ezekiel 16, 23; see the story of Hosea). God wants all of us, our hearts, dreams, desires, family, fun, work, worship, He wants it all. We do not give God just a portion of our lives; no more than we can only have part of our bodies take off on a plane. Either we get entirely on board, or we do not. There is no halfway.
Whenever we attempt to give God only a portion of our lives, or when we turn from Him, we are guilty of committing spiritual adultery. In the Old Testament, the sign of God’s covenant with His people was the covenant of circumcision because circumcision was done upon the most intimate part of the male anatomy, revealing that God wants an intimate and close relationship with us. We are not to give ourselves to idols, or spend our lives pursuing that which the world deems acceptable. We are to give ourselves to Him and only Him because He is the one and only God—our Creator, our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. He deserves nothing less.
Divine jealousy may be defined as the attribute of God whereby He wants what is absolutely best for His creation and whenever His creation turns to something less than that which is absolutely best, He becomes justifiably jealous. Jealousy is not an emotion or feeling in the person of God, although it is in us. There is nothing outside of Himself that would compel Him to feel or do anything, it is who He is—an aspect of His being and doing, by which He communicates to us His tenacious love, unabashed desire for glory, and His divine benevolence for us, His creation. May we see the intensity and depth of His love for us, responding to this jealousy in faith and love knowing that He is our heart’s desire and what is absolute best for us. Amen.
In the Bible, one of the most surprising attributes to modern day readers is the jealousy of God. The negative concept of jealousy, that we most often experience, communicates the idea of mistrust, resentment, or suspicion of an individual, but there is a positive aspect of jealousy whereby there is an intense emotional desire to adhere to, cultivate, and keep the proper commitments of love for another. For example, jealousy resulting from a selfish heart, anxious spirit, or insecurity is wrong, but jealousy that rises up in someone desirous to keep a covenant such as marriage is good.
God is a jealous God. Several times throughout Holy Scripture God is seen as a loving, compassionate, merciful, and faithful husband. However, when God’s people turn from Him and embrace sin, He uses very strong language to declare their evil deeds and communicate the intensity of their broken fellowship. His people are called an “unfaithful wife,” “whores” and “prostitutes” (Jeremiah 3:1-9; Ezekiel 16, 23; see the story of Hosea). God wants all of us, our hearts, dreams, desires, family, fun, work, worship, He wants it all. We do not give God just a portion of our lives; no more than we can only have part of our bodies take off on a plane. Either we get entirely on board, or we do not. There is no halfway.
Whenever we attempt to give God only a portion of our lives, or when we turn from Him, we are guilty of committing spiritual adultery. In the Old Testament, the sign of God’s covenant with His people was the covenant of circumcision because circumcision was done upon the most intimate part of the male anatomy, revealing that God wants an intimate and close relationship with us. We are not to give ourselves to idols, or spend our lives pursuing that which the world deems acceptable. We are to give ourselves to Him and only Him because He is the one and only God—our Creator, our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. He deserves nothing less.
Divine jealousy may be defined as the attribute of God whereby He wants what is absolutely best for His creation and whenever His creation turns to something less than that which is absolutely best, He becomes justifiably jealous. Jealousy is not an emotion or feeling in the person of God, although it is in us. There is nothing outside of Himself that would compel Him to feel or do anything, it is who He is—an aspect of His being and doing, by which He communicates to us His tenacious love, unabashed desire for glory, and His divine benevolence for us, His creation. May we see the intensity and depth of His love for us, responding to this jealousy in faith and love knowing that He is our heart’s desire and what is absolute best for us. Amen.
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