God's Jealousy

We tend to think of jealousy in a negative light. This attitude is correctly applied in relation to one another. However, it has both a positive and negative connotation in relation to God. The Triune God is the only Person who has reason to be jealous and He is jealous for the right reasons.

The Hebrew word for jealous means “to be desirous of,”“to be zealous about,”“to be excited to anger over,” or “to exercise judgment because of.” Each of these aspects of the word are readily seen in the actions of God. As Norman Geislier put it, “God has holy zeal to protect His supremacy.”

God is jealous of images (Psalm 78:58). God is jealous of idols (I Corinthians 10:19-22). God is jealous of other gods (Deuteronomy 32:16). God’s jealousy can even be provoked by our sins (I Kings 14:22).

The looming question is why is God jealous. The answer should be obvious. He is perfect, holy, just, and is unique and supreme. Because He is perfect, He has reason to be jealous of anything that would over- shadow His perfection. God would not be God if He were not jealous of His own nature, His name, and His people. He is all in all.

What about God’s jealousy of us (His people). How should our awareness of that jealousy translate into our lives? First, we must make it the consuming task of our lives to know what is true about God and to portray God, the best we can, in the fullness of His Glory. I am afraid we spend very little time thinking about God, but we rather think about what God can do for us. Secondly, we should worship God in accordance with how He demands to be worshiped. Again, I am afraid that we have taken that area captive for ourselves. I believe worship has fewer options for us than we think. God prescribes worship in His Word. He is jealous of how He is worshiped. Lastly, we should strive to reflect His character. This is best accomplished by our imitating the life of Christ. Jesus is God.

God is jealous of His people. We should be jealous for Him. Let us pay much more attention to Who He is, His revelation to us, and His prescribed will for our lives. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are holy, just, loving, and morally perfect. Let us be jealous about our God for there is none like Him.