Jealous God
Pastors Leslie & Adeline Chua
“For you shall worship no other god,
for the LORD,
whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God.”
God has numerous names. Each of these names is a description of His nature. It tells us the kind of God that He is. We are familiar with some of God’s names such as Yahweh (the LORD or Jehovah), Yahweh Jireh (the LORD will provide – Genesis 22:14), Yahweh Shalom (the LORD is peace – Judges 6:24), and Yahweh Rapha (the LORD who heals you – Exodus 15:26). Christians frequently mention these common names of God in their prayers.
God also has other names of which some are obscure. We hardly mention these names. For example, El Elyon (the Most High God) and El Shaddai (the LORD God Almighty).
Perhaps, the most astonishing name of God is Jealous. Few believers are familiar with it, but the attribute of God’s jealousy is mentioned a few times in the Old Testament. The first mention is found in the second of the Ten Commandments where God explicitly said of Himself, “For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God (Exodus 20:5).
Is Jealousy a Good or Bad Trait?
Jealousy is normally considered a negative trait. It is not good for a person to be envious of another person, whether it is over looks, talent, success, wealth, career, opportunity, heritage, or any other things. Envy always leads to unhealthy comparisons with others, which create discontent, ungratefulness, and resentment in the person. Uncontrolled envy is often the cause of rivalry, discord, quarrels, and fights.
However, not all forms of human jealousy are necessarily bad.
A person has the right to be jealous when he senses that another person is making advances on his or her spouse.
In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle, Paul, expressed his displeasure with the “super-apostles” for their false teachings and how some of the Corinthians had fallen to their deception. He said, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Corinthians 11:2).
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God’s jealousy does not result
in any negative emotions or vices.
Instead, it serves to protect His people
from succumbing to the temptations and allurements
of the other gods.
In other words,
God’s jealousy is for the good of His people. ____________________________________________
In these two examples, jealousy is a positive quality. A person has the right to be fiercely protective of his spouse. In fact, it is his duty to jealously guard his spouse. As for Paul, he was exercising zealous vigilance over the Corinthian church.
This second category of human jealousy gives us a sense of divine jealousy. God’s jealousy does not result in any negative emotions or vices. Instead, it serves to protect His people from succumbing to the temptations and allurements of the other gods. In other words, God’s jealousy is for the good of His people.
God’s nature of jealousy is the primary reason that He gave the first three of the Ten Commandments.
God is Jealous for His People
God is jealous for His people whom He had redeemed.
In the First Commandment, God forbids the worship of other gods – “You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3).
It is clear from the First Commandment that there are other gods that compete for the heart and affection of God’s people.
God requires those who worship Him to do so with steadfast loyalty and single-minded devotion. They must be wholeheartedly committed to Him alone. The Old Testament frequently labels worshippers of Yahweh (the LORD God) who also worshipped other gods as prostituting themselves.
In the Second Commandment, God forbids idolatry – “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything…” (Exodus 20:4).
The first two Commandments are connected. Worshippers of other gods have a strong tendency to make representations of these gods in the form of idols and images, and then bowing to them.
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God’s jealousy is expressed
in love on the one hand
and anger and judgement on the other hand. ____________________________________________
These two Commandments serve to guard God’s people from sinning and bringing curses upon themselves. Obedience would ensure God’s continuing blessings and presence in their midst. Disobedience would incur His wrath and bring about adverse consequences.
After giving the first two Commandments, God revealed, “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:5-6 - NIV).
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But it is not an outburst of uncontrollable rage.
Rather, as J.I. Packer puts it,
“it is holiness reacting to evil in a way
that is morally right and glorious.”
God is jealous because He is holy. ____________________________________________
God’s jealousy is expressed in love on the one hand and anger and judgement on the other hand. He promises blessings stretching to a thousand generations for those who love and obey Him. Whereas for those who transgress the first two commandments, the effects of His punishment would reverberate to the fourth generation. This is a troubling truth for many believers.
In warning against idolatry, Moses told the Israelites – “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24). This is a picture of fierce judgement. But it is not an outburst of uncontrollable rage. Rather, as J.I. Packer puts it, “it is holiness reacting to evil in a way that is morally right and glorious.” God is jealous because He is holy.
God is Jealous for His Name
God is jealous for His people. He is also jealous for His holy name, the name which is above every other name. God guards His glory jealously. He will not allow His reputation to be sullied.
God’s jealousy for His name is expressed in the Third Commandment - You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain (Exodus 20:7 – ESV).
Wayne Grudem, a well-known theologian, defines God’s jealousy as “God continually seeking to protect his own honour.”
We observe the zeal with which God protects the honour of His name in the book of Ezekiel. The phrase, “that they shall know that I am the LORD” is repeated a staggering fifty-six times in the book. It is mentioned in the context of His miraculous acts of judging and saving the nation of Israel and punishing her enemies, both in the past and future.
Who are the “they” referring to? They refer to different groups of people – the Israelites, Israel’s enemies, the nations that surround Israel, the world, and those who read the bible. God wants all these groups of people to know the greatness of His holy name.
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Wayne Grudem, a well-known theologian,
defines God’s jealousy as
“God continually seeking to protect his own honour.” ____________________________________________
Here are a few examples.
That the Israelites would know that God kept His word regarding their punishment for their sins and idolatry - Ezekiel 5:13 (ESV)- “Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that I am the LORD—that I have spoken in my jealousy—when I spend my fury upon them.”
This is said in the context of God restoring them to the Promised Land after their exile - Ezekiel 20:44 (ESV)- And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
This is something that has yet to happen. In this future battle of Armageddon, God will glorify Himself by defeating Israel’s enemies - Ezekiel 39:7 (ESV)- “And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
God did and will do all these things for the glory of His name. Through these earth-shaking events, people would and will come to know that He is God.
God is jealous for His name!
The Glory of God Departs from His Temple
Ezekiel chapters 10 and 11 are perhaps one of the saddest portions of the Holy Scripture. We read of the glory of the LORD departing the temple in Jerusalem.
First, the glory of the LORD rose and went out from the threshold of the temple. Then, it moved toward the east entrance of the temple and lingered there. After that, it left the city. As if it was reluctant to leave, the glory of the LORD hovered momentarily over the mountain to the east of the city before finally leaving.
It is a powerful and poignant scene. God was reluctant to leave His earthly abode among His people, but the grievous sin of their idolatry left Him with no choice. Through the years, God had repeatedly sent His prophets to warn them, but their pleas and threats of judgement fell on deaf ears.
In chapter 8, the LORD showed Ezekiel in a vision retrospectively the abominations that were committed inside the temple of God. Ezekiel saw the idol of jealousy, an Asherah pole, placed prominently at the entrance to the inner court. Inside, he saw idols of loathsome beasts and the gods of the surrounding nations. He also saw women weeping for Tammuz and the seventy elders of Israel worshipping the sun.
It is hard to imagine all these abominations happening right inside God’s temple. The LORD’s reputation was dragged through the mud. His jealousy for His name and His people was stirred.
How could the glory of the LORD remain in the temple? Who could blame the holy God for His jealous wrath?
Do We have Idols in Our Heart?
We do not erect Asherah poles and worship this ancient god, but do we engage in activities that provoke God to jealousy?
We do not pray to loathsome idols of creatures, but do we indulge in stuff that are unclean and abominable to God?
We do not worship the fertility gods of old, but are we indulging in sexual lust?
We do not worship the sun and stars, but do we hero-worship movie stars and famous personalities? Do we become distracted with worldly pleasures, which may or may not be sinful?
Are there other gods and idols that compete for your affection for God?
Corrupt worship is giving our devotion to anyone or anything other than God. Truth be told, most Christians make compromises here and there. Know that it is not acceptable to God. God frowns on syncretism - a mixture of Christianity and something else.
You can be sure that the glory of God will not abide in human temples that have become defiled. God will remove His holy presence unless repentance is forthcoming and we honour Him with our love and obedience.
God is a jealous God, and He demands nothing less than wholehearted devotion and single-mind commitment to Him. Let us live zealously for God and be jealous for His glory.
Remember, His name is Jealous!