A Jealous God

I was recently asked the question: The Bible says that “love is patient, love is kind, love does not envy,” yet it also describes God as a “jealous God.” How can this be reconciled, since love does not envy, but God is described as being jealous?

In Exodus 34:11-17 God told Moses,

11“Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.

12“Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, lest it become a snare in your midst.

13“But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim

14—for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—

15lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they play the harlot with their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invite you to eat of his sacrifice;

16and you take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods, and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.

17“You shall make for yourself no molten gods.”

Notice He said His name is Jealous. The jealousy of God has nothing to do with envy or ulterior motives. God’s jealousy is light years away from human jealousy. We get jealous because of our need to be #1. God’s jealousy comes from His wanting to protect His people. Our jealousy is a product of our sinful flesh; His jealousy is an offshoot of His love for His people.

God is love, and love is not jealous. The Hebrew word for jealous carries the meaning of being protective of one’s beloved. The Greek word carries the meaning of envy. God is not envious of anyone, but He cares for many and is very protective of each of them.

Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant

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Published by Jon David Banks