“…(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)…” Exodus 34:14

He is Jealous for You, Not of You

Years ago, I watched an interview with a hugely popular celebrity. She has risen from poverty, overcome inequality, created charities, and is a great person. Unfortunately, people seem to worship her. Whenever words of wisdom come from her mouth, people hang on, making her somewhat of a guru. It’s sad because this person’s spiritual perspective is off. She talked about being raised in the church and said one day the pastor was talking about God being a jealous God. That didn’t sit right with her, and she decided she could never serve a God who is jealous. She’s turned Him into something pleasing to her, and she’s all about spiritual warm fuzzies.

Admittedly, the above Scripture can seem like God is petty, or even mean. A lot of Scripture is like that, which is one reason Pastor Bryan is always exhorting us to read the Bible slowly and thoroughly. It is too easy to pick and choose a few words and take them out of context.

What does it mean when God says He is jealous? If you look up the definition, (for this example I used dictionary.com), you will see the meanings that usually come to mind: resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another’s success or advantage itself; mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love. But there is one definition that is often overlooked: fiercely protective; vigilance in maintaining or guarding something.

I envision God’s jealousy in this way: imagine you have a small child, and you put her in the middle of a circle of people. You watch in anticipation as she gazes at each person, waiting for her little arms to reach for you. To your horror, she chooses a perfect stranger — one who doesn’t have her best interests at heart. Someone who doesn’t love her, hasn’t changed her diapers, kept her fed, and won’t move heaven and earth to do everything in their power to keep her protected. Your child has chosen someone who will lead her astray. Some of you do know what this is like – you know the pain of having your protective vigilance dashed in your face. You may feel some earthly jealousy, but stronger than that, your mama bear instinct is going to kick in as you strive to protect your child.

God’s love for us is fierce, so even though we may not like it at times (usually when we want to go astray), He is protective of us. His love is perfect, and He desires a sanctified relationship with us.

Father, thank You for Your perfect, jealous love. Forgive us when we fail to see it and want things our way. Please continue to open our eyes to the true meaning of Scripture. In Jesus’ name, amen.