JEALOUS!? - Louis Gervais

JEALOUS!?

Hello and greetings in the Name of the Son of Him Whose Name is “Jealous,” Jesus Christ!

“for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, Whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” –xodus 34:14 

How do we—as Christians—answer this supposed problem of God saying He is jealous? Isn’t jealousy—after all—bad? Well, if you were jealous of me because God gave me a car or if I were jealous of you because you can sing better than me, then yes; that sort of jealousy is wrong. But it’s quite natural—and even Scriptural—for a man to be jealous for the affections of his wife. And I believe that that is the sort of jealousy that the Lord has for His Church. Do you recall that we are “the bride of Christ”? How many suitors can a person simultaneously be loyal to? Do you see that not giving God our affection and devotion is akin to the spiritual unfaithfulness which the Israelites repeatedly displayed? If Christ has bought you with His blood, then to Whom do you belong? And does your life clearly reflect that reality? As Paul, full of emotion, wrote to the Corinthian believers:

“For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” –2 Corinthians 11:2 

In Numbers 25:1-13, Phinehas was jealous with the LORD’s jealousy (NAS) or “as zealous” for the LORD’s honor as the LORD was (NIV) and that man was rewarded for acting upon his holy zeal. God requires total devotion. Absolute loyalty. Wouldn’t you, from your spouse? And God is greater than we are and in a category all by Himself. And, He knows that such devotion to Him is in our best interest and in the best interest of those who are affected by our decisions, like future generations. Therefore He disciplines us (because He loves us) that we might love Him as we ought to.

“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” –Deuteronomy 4:24