PraySF.com

God’s Jealousy for Us is the last part of a five-part series on Omissions — Things we don’t like to talk about.

fear - suffering - holiness and zeal - judging - jealousy

God’s Jealousy for Us

jealousy

God is jealous — and it’s a good thing! Exodus 20:4-5, Exodus 34:14, James 4:4-5

In contrast to our jealousy, God’s jealousy isn’t driven by fear, insecurity, or weakness. God’s jealousy is driven by the purest, most passionate, holy love. His jealous love drove Him to the cross.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.

God’s jealousy demands our wholehearted devotion. Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Matthew 22:36-40

He won't share us with idols or other lovers. Deuteronomy 3:23-24, James 4:4-5, 1 Corinthians 10:22

Let’s not provoke God’s jealousy and incite His anger by loving the things of this world, instead let’s fall in love with Him!

The Greatest Story Ever Told

God is the ultimate faithful lover, and burns with jealousy for our everlasting fidelity. The idea of God’s marriage covenant with us is intricately woven throughout all of Scripture.

Isaiah 62:3-5

3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called Hephzibah (My Delight Is in Her), and your land Beulah (Married); for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

The Bridal Paradigm

The Bride of ChristThe Bride of Christ

While the words “Bridal Paradigm” are not actually taken from the Bible, the Bridal theme is all throughout the Scriptures. The narrative starts with a “one flesh” union (Adam and Eve Genesis 1-2), and ends with a Wedding (Jesus and His Church Revelation 19-22). The book of Hosea is all about God’s people being to Him like an adulterous wife, that He loves so dearly that He’s willing to even remarry her. It was spiritually significant that Jesus’ first miracle was at a Wedding! John 2:1-11

God’s Longsuffering and Our Unfaithfulness

God’s eyes are like fire! What a terrifyingly beautiful picture of His jealous love for us! Deuteronomy 4:24, Revelation 1:14, 2:18, 19:12

Deuteronomy 5:7-9a

7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me. 8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God...

If we want to be Jesus’ disciple, we must hate everyone else by comparison! Luke 14:26 NLT

God won’t share us with any other lovers, and He won’t tolerate us serving idols! An idol is anything we disproportionately serve or elevate, by giving it our time, money, or honor.

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

God deserves our love. His jealousy demands it of us.

When a man’s wife is taken advantage of, the man is filled with rage towards the offender.

God’s jealousy should be our comfort. Anything that threatens our good finds itself opposed by His omnipotent jealousy. He will fight for us, conquering our enemies, and He will always have the last say! Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19

When a woman cheats on a man, he is angry with both the adulterous wife, and the other man.

In His Jealousy, God hates anything that separates us from Him. Therefore we ought to fear Him, and be faithful. The very thought of offending Him by sinning should cause us to tremble. He threatens terrible things for people who play the harlot like in Ezekiel 16:35–43, for example.

We can’t properly understand God as a Judge if we don’t properly understand God as a Bridegroom because as a Judge, He’s removing everything that hinders love. The Judgement is eternal because His Love is eternal.

He is infinitely jealous for the honour of His name. Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10

Kiss The Son

Psalm 2:11-12

11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

We need to honor the jealousy of God by wholeheartedly turning back to Him in humility with trembling!

James 4:4-10

4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

The Great Commandment

love

Worshipping God is not the means to the end - it is the end - the ultimate goal of life! Isaiah 43:7, John 4:23-24, Ephesians 2:22, 1 Peter 2:4-9

When we encounter God’s jealous love for us, we will only want to be in His presence all the time!

Psalm 27:4

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

Seek God

We are fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him! Romans 8:16

He lets us partner with Him for His will on earth! Psalm 27:13

We can share in God’s jealousy for His Bride.

Like Paul, I feel a divine jealousy for the Church to be presented to Christ pure. 2 Corinthians 11:2

Jesus, consumed with zeal for His house, turned tables because He was jealous. The money-changers were essentially creating a barrier between God and His people. He wants His house to be a house of prayer! So that people can have continual communion with Him! Love is His ultimate goal for mankind!
Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46, John 2:13-17

When Jesus was on the cross, God tore the curtain of the temple in two, symbolizing that there is no longer a separation between God and man. We no longer need to go through men or religious rituals to commune with God. He did this because He loves us, and wants us to be closer to Him. Hebrews 10:19-22, John 17:

Evangelism

We’re inviting people to a Wedding! We’re calling people to a passionate, love-filled relationship!

1 John 4:19

We love because he first loved us.

What if God loves us with His whole heart mind soul and strength? I think He does. He cherishes imperfect love from us, and yet we often neglect to properly acknowledge the perfect Love He gives us!

2 Chronicles 16:9a

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.

magnify

Appendix - Bible Verses!

click here to expand the appendix.

back to Omissions

<< judging - jealousy

Grace and Peace,
Daniel

August 1, 2014