“Do not worship any other god,
for the LORD whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
Exodus 34:14
Our great God will tolerate no rivals. That’s why scripture describes Him as jealous. He alone is worthy of our worship. We may think of jealousy as an inherently negative emotion, but God is perfect … thus, His jealousy is warranted.
Throughout the Old Testament, God was always faithful to His people. (And He continues to be today!) But when they chose to wander away to unfaithfully “play the harlot” with other gods, He allowed challenges to draw them back from their idolatry.
God loved them (and loves us!) way too much to permit idolatry. It is a poison that robs us of our purpose. It destroys our relationship with the true God.
The very first commandment – #1 on God’s Top Ten list, if you will – reads:
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:3
Jesus confirmed when asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” His response in Matthew 22:37 reads:
“Love the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
The Greek word He used for love is agape. While we’ve always heard this distinguished from phileo (brotherly) love and eros (romantic) love and referred to as divine love, I came across a more helpful (and insightful) definition:
Commitment of devotion that is directed by the will and can be commanded as a duty.
(NIV Study Bible footnote)
This means our love for God transcends feelings or emotions. When sentiment leads out, we may choose to love today and withhold love tomorrow. Love – and, more specifically, the withholding of love – becomes capricious, conditional, and even manipulative and punitive.
A grown-up, woman of God love (in contrast to a “little girl” love) engages the will. It takes the command seriously. It is prompted by a mature faith. A mature woman of God pushes emotions to the caboose, allowing the will to be the engine driving the train.
God’s command to worship Him is not just for Him, but also for us. He knows the danger that idolatry brings to our lives. It is destructive, consuming, and insidious. Once it takes root, it becomes a cancer gnawing away at our souls. Loving God is the best antidote for idolatry.
God is our creator, lover of our souls, and our Savior … He is worthy of our worship. Our worship keeps us safe and protected from the idolatry that can destroy us.
Do we resent a spouse who expects – and even demands – faithful, loving devotion? Of course not. Adultery would destroy the marriage. Loving our spouses well protects the relationship. Keeping ourselves from diverting our affections is not just a protection for our spouse, but for us as well. Adultery brings pain to both parties, as well as to children, extended family, and the community. When marriages break down, even society begins to unravel. Adultery is to a marriage what idolatry is to our relationship with God.
I am a jealous wife. If you are married, I hope you are, too – but in a healthy, appropriate, trusting way. As God permits no rivals for His affections, I permit no rivals for the affections of my husband. And neither does he. There are secret things we share that are for no one else to know. I am my beloved’s and he is mine.
Marriage is really a metaphor for a loving relationship with God. To be clear, my spouse is NOT God (and he would make a poor god, as would I). It occurs to me – perhaps that is the root of many struggles in marriage: expecting the spouse to fulfill a role only God can fill. But that may be a topic for another day!
As we agree that God permits no rivals, let’s consider some challenging questions to own this truth:
- Do I believe God is a jealous God?
- Does this carry a negative or positive connotation?
- Do I acknowledge He has the right to be jealous?
- Do I understand the difference between His divine jealousy and my high school boyfriend’s jealousy?
- How does knowing this about His character impact my behavior?
- What in my life does (or has the potential to) siphon away affection, devotion, or worship that should be reserved exclusively for God?
- How does keeping my affections exclusively for God protect me?
- What assignment does God have for me as a result of this teaching?
We pray you continue writing the Word this month, and God uses these verses to teach us more about Himself. Knowing Him better equips us to worship Him more deeply.
If you haven’t yet downloaded your copy, you can access our April ‘Write the Word’ bookmark (featuring verses highlighting character traits of God) and S.O.A.P. Bible study pages, at the link below.
Praying we all know Him better by April 30, than when we began the month!
Download your copy of this month’s ‘Write The Word’ today!
