A Jealous God?
At one time or another in our lives, most of us have been the target of a jealous person. It might have been an accomplishment, talent, possession, job, or perhaps a relationship. But whatever it was, this other person burned with anger over something we had, that they did not possess. Can you recall the feeling? The feeling of being disliked over something that should not have mattered at all?
Not only have most of us been recipients of jealous anger, we have probably aimed that same emotional gun at others. How about the beautiful/handsome, girl/guy that the other person obviously didn’t deserve. “Can’t they see that I would be a better choice instead of that loser?” As the son of divorced parents who were financially troubled, I remember my high school years envying the kids who’s parents seemed to give them everything. “Didn’t I deserve a shiny new Camero just for breathing?”
How about jealous relationships? Have you been the recipient of an overcontrolling, paranoid, possessive girlfriend or boyfriend? What was it like? Did it cause your heart to draw closer to that person or did it fracture and ultimately ruin the relationship?
Jealousy is one of the most ugly self-centered behaviors. To the exclusion of thankfulness for what we have, jealousy focuses us on what we lack. We may have much more than we need, yet jealousy makes us blind to our blessings.
This reminds me of scenes from national geographic specials on television; a pack of animals surrounding a fresh kill. Though there is plenty of food for everyone, they fight among themselves over the carcass – often to the point of having another predator sneak in and steal it from them.
No doubt about it. Jealousy is ugly. So ugly that I don’t want to be around it. I simply don’t want to hang out with jealous people.
However this creates a bit of a conflict for some folks. Many of us have been told that God is jealous. We’ve been quoted scriptures where God speaks of his jealous nature. We’ve been informed that God is so jealous, that much like that jealous boyfriend or girlfriend, he simply will not abide us having anyone or anything else of significance in our life.
You have probably heard these scriptures quoted from Exodus:
“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.…” Ex 20:5 NIV
“Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Ex 34:14 NIV
The problem with these passages is that the English word jealous does not completely convey the original Hebrew meaning. In Hebrew, God says that he is El Qana (el-can-ah). It is not the same kind of jealousy that we usually attribute to people.
Look at how the New Living Translation renders these same verses:
“You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.…” Ex 20:5
“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” Ex 34:14
Contrary to our understanding of human sinful jealousy, El Qana is about God’s passion for the heart of the people he loves. It is a jealousy that seeks to protect from harm – not a jealousy that seeks to selfishly hoard. It is more akin to the passion that a parent would have for a child that has fallen in love with heroin. An affection that could destroy their child. What would you not do to destroy that dangerous affection?
God is not jealous OF us. He’s jealous FOR us. He knows the destructive consequences of our choices. He warns us that these false gods will cause havoc for generations in our families. Who has not seen the effect of one family member’s sin upon the entire family?
God is not the cosmic killjoy knocking on the door at ten o’clock telling us to turn the music down. He hears the music better than we do ourselves. He does not angrily demand that our every thought must be centered on him. He is not that kind of jealous. He is not knocking on the door demanding that we come home right now and spend time with him.
Recall the jealous girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse. Their petty jealousy was born out of a selfish need, not because they simply wanted the best for the other person.
If we believe the lie that God is a petty jealous tyrant (instead of the loving father with a heart for his kids) we will push him away and keep him at a distance. For many of us this image of God as a tender-hearted father is beyond our experience. Even the best human dad cannot come close.
Yet he is right there with us. Closer than a best friend ever could be. When we love others, we are loving him. When we live in the constant awareness of his nearness, we are loving him. Whether we read a magazine, watch tv, mow the lawn, drive to work, stand up in church to sing, or spend time with others – he is right there with us.
God’s jealousy is the heart of a father who sees his precious daughter being deceived by a scoundrel — by a man who promises heaven but delivers hell instead. This father desires to protect his daughter’s heart at any cost. Her heart is so beautiful and precious to him, that he would give his life to save it. In fact he did.
~Truly Free
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