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Presented by Lauren Stibgen
Do you struggle with jealousy? This hard feeling is a state of showing envy of someone and their achievements or advantages, being suspicious of someone’s unfaithfulness in a relationship, or being protective over one’s possessions. Most of all, this hard feeling can be sinful when it becomes a stronghold in your life.
We will look at different ways jealousy can manifest at work, but today let’s consider the righteous jealousy of God. When is God jealous? Certainly, he isn’t envying our achievements, but God is jealous in our unfaithful to our relationship with him and in his mighty protection over us as his greatest possession.
You shall have no other Gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image…You shall not bow down to them or worship them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God… (Exodus 20:3-5).
It is clear—God commands our faithfulness to him. He does not want us serving idols, and even tells us he is jealous. The idols we have today are different than the carved images in the Old Testament, but we can consider an idol today anything that takes us away from God. What are you putting before God? Is it work, maybe sports or a hobby? Anything that keeps you from putting God first will make him jealous.
We are God’s greatest possession. The Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession (Deuteronomy 14:2). While this was directed toward Israel, we also see in 1 Peter 2:9, God calls us a people for his own possession. Treasured and his own. Why are we so important to God?
Genesis 1:27 tells us God made us in his own image—Imago Dei. He made us for himself. He does not wish any of us should perish but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
God made us in his image, for himself. His great love for us as his treasured possession is so richly shown in John 3:16.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
After years of jealousy that turned to righteous anger at Israel, God gave us Jesus.
With our definition of jealousy, we must ask ourselves if we are making God jealous. Certainly, we know God hates our sin, and the sins of the world. He hates them so much he offered the ultimate sacrifice for our sins—his only son.
The only good jealousy is a jealous God. He is sovereign over all things, especially his treasured possessions.