God's jealousy

Jealousy in our minds is usually a bad thing. Jealousy is depicted as a green-eyed monster, and that is because our jealousy is tainted by sin. Our pride and arrogance destroy biblical jealousy and makes it next to impossible for us to make proper use of this emotion in our lives.

Biblical jealousy is How the apostle Paul felt about the Corinthians when he said, “I feel a divine jealousy for you” (2 Corinthians 11:2). Paul cared for the Corinthians like a father cares for his children, and in this sense, jealousy is a protective fear for their spiritual wellbeing. I think that is about as good as it gets for humans.

God has jealousy that is so far above ours, it is hard for us to understand, especially, and even if we compare it to the two descriptions of jealousy above. God, in scripture, depicts Himself in this way, always, earnestly and continually He seeks to protect His own honor jealously. I know this sounds selfish, but we must remember the other attributes, and see him as best we can. God is the only one that is worthy of all praise and honor and glory, and so, He rightly protects that. These commandments are part of how God is jealously protecting His honor,

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

⁵ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

⁶ And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

⁷ And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

⁸ And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

⁹ And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

¹⁰ And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,

¹¹ And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;

¹² Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

¹³ Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

¹⁴ Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

¹⁵ (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: 4-15).

God’s jealousy is defined as follows: God’s jealousy means that God continually seeks to protect His honor.

“It is not wrong for God to seek His own glory and honor because He deserves it fully. God freely admits that His actions in creation and redemption are for His honor” (Systematic Theology, Grudem, 206).

When God wants to withhold judgment against His people, He says, “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it…My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 48:11).

Once again, God alone is worthy of all praise and honor and glory.  I agree with Wayne Grudem when he says, “To realize this fact and to delight in it is to find the secret of true worship” (Grudem 206).

For some, this is a bitter pill to swallow. I continue to pray for you.