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God Is Jealous. Is That Good?
by Kyle Idelman, from gods at war
You shall not make for yourself an [idol] in the form of anything... You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. — Exodus 20:4-5
Wouldn't it be interesting if people were not only called by their given names but also by their most dominant personality traits? Wives, what would your husband’s name be? Maybe something complimentary like sweet-talker or strong protector. Or maybe it would be something a little less complimentary.
In Scripture, the Lord God is often named by His character qualities. He is the “King of Kings,” “Deliverer,” “Provider,” “Healer,” and “Redeemer”; the list goes on and on. Yet of all the names of God, there is one that seems out of place. Exodus 34:14 reads,
Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
Jealous? That word doesn’t seem very... well, positive. It feels petty to me — like a couple of junior high girls who are both interested in the same boy; like a basketball player who avoids passing the ball to the teammate who keeps getting the high score; like a possessive high school boyfriend who becomes upset if his girlfriend makes eye contact with another guy.
God is jealous for your heart
Besides, what reason would God have to be jealous? Doesn't everything already belong to Him? Is there anything that competes with His power or his greatness? Of course not — at least not in reality.
But what about in your heart?
God is jealous for your heart, not because He is petty or insecure, but because He loves you.
The reason why God has such a huge problem with idolatry is that His love for you is all-consuming. He loves you too much to share you...
And here’s what is said of God:
For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. — Deuteronomy 4:24
In the Bible, the words jealous and zealous are basically interchangeable — it’s the same Hebrew word in the original texts. In English, we spell the two almost the same because they derive from the same Greek root. We think of zeal as being intense enthusiasm. That idea captures why God is so possessive about us: He is, as He says, a consuming fire of passion for us.
Do you remember falling deeply in love — how you burned with a deep passion for the love of someone, how you were consumed with these feelings? That was only the barest shadow of the power of God’s love for you.
We need to remember, as we talk about God’s intolerance of idolatry, that everything comes back to a passionate love that is so immense, so powerful, that it burns hotter than a billion suns.
Excerpted from gods at war by Kyle Idleman, copyright Zondervan.
This house across the street from the Wyoming Capitol was used as a funeral home until recently. Currently it houses the office Wyoming's governor while the capitol is closed for renovations.
(Photo by Mark Idleman '15/Amherst College, Office of Public Affairs) MSNBC star Rachel Maddow spoke to the Amherst community on March 30, 2013, in Johnson Chapel, on the Amherst College campus. After a warm welcome by several of the College's a capella groups, the student body president Tania Dias, and Amherst College president Biddy Martin, Maddow spoke about her life, American politics, and her new book, "Drift."
(Photos by Mark Idleman '15 and Megan Robertson '15/Amherst College, Office of Public Affairs) The Lord Jeffs faced off against Wesleyan University Saturday afternoon, April 27, 2013, in a double header, falling 3-0 in the first game but coming back strong to win the second game 6-5. The Amherst seniors were recognized before the first game.
(Photo by Mark Idleman '15/Amherst College, Office of Public Affairs) In their first home match of the season, the Amherst College Volleyball team beat out Emerson College 3-0, at LeFrak Gymnasium, in Amherst, Mass., Tuesday evening, September 11, 2012.
(Photo by Mark Idleman '15/Amherst College, Office of Public Affairs) Amherst Men's Soccer defeated Hamilton 5-1 Saturday afternoon, at Memorial Field, in Amherst, Mass., September 22, 2012.
(Photo by Mark Idleman '15/Amherst College, Office of Public Affairs) MSNBC star Rachel Maddow spoke to the Amherst community on March 30, 2013, in Johnson Chapel, on the Amherst College campus. After a warm welcome by several of the College's a capella groups, the student body president Tania Dias, and Amherst College president Biddy Martin, Maddow spoke about her life, American politics, and her new book, "Drift."