Joshua 24:19
‘Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your wrongdoing or your sins.”‘
Joshua tells the people that God is a jealous God. I can recall not understanding this as a young christian. My perception of jealousy was negative. Sometimes being jealous is positive. For example, if a partner flirts with another person, then it would be appropriate for the spouse to be jealous.
One of the commandments is, “I am the Lord, thy God, You shall have no gods before me.” There are many ways a believer can break this. One can buy a crystal and hope that it’s power can improve one’s life. The same with astrology. One can look to it for guidance. These are examples of individuals seeking assistance in their lives outside of God’s instructions.
The bible calls this idolatry. Most people associate idolatry with statues which people pray towards. That is partially true. However, a broader definition is anything in which a person leans on for help in life. It could also be one’s passion. These things can eclipse God.
God doesn’t allow supplements. He is to be our Lord, our help, our source of comfort, the one in whom we give our devotion. All aspects of our lives are to be under His lordship.
We can have hobbies, be committed to health and have goals. However, we allow Him to be a part of all that. Sometimes the Holy Spirit nudges our hearts, minds or consciences to moderate things.
I’ve heard that Oprah was offended upon hearing that God is a jealous God which caused her to abandon christianity. I addressed earlier how I was confused by the concept of God being jealous. However, this was cleared up for me by a simple explanation. I hope Oprah does some deeper digging to get this cleared up.
I appreciate this about God. It let’s us know how much He loves us. It’s a model for all our relationships. Spouses should be true to one another. Friends are to be properly devoted to one another. Breaking those bonds should lead to jealousy.
Jealousy can be over done. We have heard about people not dealing well with a break up. A break up can be painful. It can take time to get to a good place. Some can’t get over it and their lives get out of balance. They can obsess over this. It could lead to stalking of the x. This is a negative example that comes to mind when one misjudges that God is a jealous God.
Lord, thank You for being a jealous God. Help us not to have other gods before You. Help us to have healthy relationships that our actions don’t cause others to be jealous.
