“I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ.”
2 Corinthians 11:1-2 NLT
What do we think about God being jealous? There are the Scriptures such as Exodus 20:4-6, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 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 parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments”. We also read Exodus 34:14, “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”. Then there is Deuteronomy 4:23-24, “Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God”. We might puzzle over these verses for a bit, wondering what they mean, but the clue is in Deuteronomy 4:23, where the word “covenant” emerges. God made several covenants with His people. The first was after the Flood and was made with Noah. We read what God said in Genesis 9:9, “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you”. However, this was a covenant of grace in which God promised never again to bring a flood to destroy all the creatures on the earth. It was a promise God made that, regardless of mankind’s behaviour, He would never do such a thing again. The covenant that applied to His people can be found in Exodus 19 and was the one He made through Moses. This was a covenant that bound both God and His people into a special, eternal relationship that has stood ever since. We read what God said to Moses, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites” (Exodus 19:5-6). The Israelites agreed to this covenant: “The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord” (Exodus 19:8). It is because of this covenant, which still stands intact today, that the nations in our world need to take a special note of it. God never breaks His promises, and, regardless of the behaviour of the Jews and the nation of Israel, they are His “treasured possession“, and God will not tolerate it for long if other nations treat them badly. Yes, Israel will have to stand before God to give an account of their actions one day, but that has nothing to do with the covenant God has made with them.
So what does it mean when God says He is jealous? It is not that God is jealous or envious because someone has something He wants or needs. He is jealous when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him. In the Old Testament verses we read above, He is jealous of people who make idols and bow down to and worship them instead of giving God the worship that belongs to Him alone. God is possessive of the worship and service that belong to Him. It is a sin (as God points out in Exodus 20:4-6) to worship or serve anything other than God. God’s jealousy is not about possessiveness but reflects His deep love and desire for a faithful relationship with His people. God made an eternal covenant to protect His followers from the dangers of idolatry and unfaithfulness.
In our human context, it is a sin to desire, envy, or be jealous of someone because the other person has something we do not. It is a different use of the word “jealous” when God says He is jealous. Being jealous of something that God declares to belong to you is good and appropriate. Jealousy is a sin when it is a desire for something that does not belong to you. Worship, praise, honour, and adoration belong to God alone, for only He is truly worthy of it. Therefore, God is rightly jealous when worship, praise, honour, or adoration is given to idols. This is precisely the jealousy the apostle Paul wrote, “For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself“. What is an idol? It is not necessarily a carved statuette or some other religious artefact, although it could be. It is anything that takes the place of God Himself. It could, but not necessarily, be a set of golf clubs or a classic car. It could be another person (consider the saying “He worships the ground she walks on”). The list of possibilities is long and comprehensive.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying that he was “jealous for [them] with the jealousy of God Himself”. As the one who founded the church in Corinth and led many of them to Christ, Paul sees himself as their spiritual father. But in the next verse, Paul builds on the metaphor of a father promising, or betrothing, his daughter to her future husband, as a picture of the church being betrothed to Christ as His bride. While betrothed, the future bride’s father ensured that his daughter was kept pure and undefiled until the big day. It is a metaphor that doesn’t hold much weight today, but in Paul’s day, it was the societal norm. Of course, the Corinthian church was not Paul’s personal possession, but he took on the responsibility for their purity and holiness, and he confronted those in Corinth who were peddling false teaching about God’s grace and faith in Christ. Our church leaders will feel a similar burden as they seek to pastor our churches.
Are we pilgrims supportive of our leaders, as they seek to pastor their flock, ensuring the spiritual well-being of the congregation? About them, Peter wrote, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example” (1 Peter 5:2-3). But about us pilgrims, the writer to the Hebrews wrote, “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit” (Hebrews 13:17). So, today, our committed and diligent leaders shepherd us “with the jealousy of God himself“. We thank God for them.
Dear Father God. Thank You for our church leaders, and I have in mind the lovely man who pastors the church of which I am a member. Please bless them, encourage them, and help them in their work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 