by David Scott Robertson
"Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." - Exodus 34:14
"And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins." - Joshua 24:19
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." - Exodus 20:5
"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." - Deuteronomy 4:24
"(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth." - Deuteronomy 6:15
"Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people." - Joel 2:18
"God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies." - Nahum 1:2
"So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy." - Zechariah 1:14
'Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury." - Zechariah 8:2
"For I [the Apostle Paul] am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 11:2
"Whom do you serve?"
"What is He like?"
"What is the name of your God?'
A right response,
A correct comment,
A biblical, scriptually accurate reply would be...
"I serve Jealous."
"He is jealous."
"His name is Jealous."
"What? Your zealous for Jealous?"
"I thought your God was love?"
"I thought your God was just?"
"I thought your God was
Wonderful
A Counselor
A Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace?
Where do you get off calling Him Jealous?"
My response is that I didn't describe Him as Jealous,
God described Himself as Jealous in the scriptures He inspired.
Jehovah is jealous for His land and for His people.
Yaweh is jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.
Elohim is jealous for the loyalty and purity and faithfulness of His children.
He won't tolerate idolatry in any shape, form, or fashion.
God is good and if God compared Himself to jealousy
So much so as to identify Himself with the proper name "Jealous" (Exodus 34:14)
Then there must be some redeeming value in jealously.
Paul the Apostle called it a "godly jealousy"
In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians (11:2).
Jesus was ANGRY (Matthew 21:12)
As He turned over the moneychangers tables in the temple...
Yet He sinned not.
Jesus was SORROWFUL unto death (Matthew 26:38)
As He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane...
Yet He sinned not.
Jesus was TEMPTED in all points as we are (Hebrews 4:15)
Yet He sinned not.
King David said, "Do not I HATE them, O LORD, that HATE thee?" (Psalm 139:21)
"I HATE [the enemies of God] them with perfect hatred:
I count them mine enemies." (Psalm 139:22) [emphasis mine]
David hated yet sinned not.
So, then, to be
ANGRY,
SORROWFUL,
TEMPTED,
To HATE,
Or be JEALOUS
Is not sin nor necessarily leads to sin
IF they are expressed within the context of God's guidelines.
So God calling Himself Jealous is not a
Paradox,
A lie,
Or a mistake.
It is an attribute of the Almighty and thoroughly Holy God.
It is a spiritual characteristic
That we should strive for and work towards by the Spirit of God.
It should work out in our lives in practical ways similar to a fruit of the Spirit
Causing us to jealously guard the deposit of God
In us,
Our loved ones,
Our church,
Our nation,
And our world.
Godly jealously should spur us on toward love and good deeds,
And encourage us to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness.
So my advice today is:
Be zealous for Jealous!
DSR
10/4/00