Is Jealousy Really That Ugly?
Is Jealousy Really That Ugly?
[Is Jealousy Really That Ugly? by Steve Ham]
For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a
jealous God. (Exodus
34:14)
"Jealousy is usually pretty ugly. However, we can rejoice in jealousy when it
shows a pure and righteous character—when jealousy is associated with God. This
brings up the following question: what makes God the exception?
Righteous jealousy is being jealous of something that was yours is now being
defiled or destroyed (e.g., if your wife is messing around with someone
else—this is a righteous jealousy). Unrighteous jealousy is when one wants
something that is not theirs to have—a form of coveting.
God can righteously be jealous because everything is His, so when people sin
and/or turn from Him, these actions against God justify his jealousy. Most
people use jealousy in the wrong fashion of wanting something or even thinking
something is theirs when it really isn’t.
The Bible tells us God is a jealous God. The Bible also tells us that everything
was made by God as
Revelation 4:11 states:
“You are worthy oh Lord to receive glory and honor and power. For you created
all things and by your will they exist and were created.” In the Genesis account
of creation, we also read that God created us in His image and we were created
to worship Him through obedience to Him as King. The purpose of our very life
was to reflect the glory of our Maker and, yet, this is something that we
rejected for our own glory seeking. Humanity has attempted to take God’s glory
for ourselves. The difference between God and us is that God owns everything
because He created it all for His own perfect purpose.
As I read God’s Word, I consistently find the jealousy of God to be an
overwhelming attribute—that no human could possibly invent—in such a way that it
resounds of both logic and wonder. It is entirely reasonable that a
self-existent, unchangeable, and unlimited God would desire His own glory and
that it would never cease. God desiring His creation to reflect His glory is
entirely expected and wonderful. God’s jealousy is also consistent with His
justice upon sin and His plan of salvation. Skeptics have criticized the Bible
for its description of a jealous God, but this is only because they are not
accepting that He truly is God."
Is Jealousy Really That Ugly? by Steve Ham.
Response to comment [from an agnostic]: "I honestly don't get jealousy at all."
Do you want God to want you? Ex. 20:5.
