A Truth to Believe

What does it mean that God is Jealous?

The God of the Bible is a jealous God (Exod. 20:5; Deut. 4:24; 6:15). Unlike sinful human jealousy, God's jealousy is perfectly righteous because he alone is worthy of all worship, honor, love, and praise. God is not jealous for something he lacks. Rather, he is jealous that the honor and glory that rightfully belong to him are never given to another. His jealousy is his holy zeal to uphold the glory and praise of his own name (Isa. 48:9–11; Ezek. 39:25).

Because God is the most infinitely beautiful, worthy, and satisfying, he must be devoted to defending and upholding the praise of his own name above all others (Ezek. 39:25; Isa 48:9–11). He must be continually zealous for glory. Nothing is better or greater than God himself, so he rightly commands us to worship him alone (Exod. 34:14; Deut. 5:9).

The most loving thing God can do is give us himself, for there is no greater gift. This is because he is the most lovely and satisfying in the universe. His passion for his own glory is not at odds with his love for his people—it is the very foundation of that love. Worship, praise, honor, and adoration belong to God alone because he alone is worthy of them. Therefore, God is rightly jealous whenever these are given to another rather than to him. If God were not zealous for his own glory, he would be valuing something above himself (Josh. 24:19). But there is none greater, none more glorious, and none more worthy than the Lord.

You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me (Exodus 20:3-5).

Something about Living

If God is the greatest reality, the most satisfying treasure, and the best in this entire universe, then as Christians who bear his image, shouldn't we be more and more about the things and glory of God in our own lives?

Our hearts can leap forward with a resounding "yes!" but then we ask, "so what does that mean I should do next?"

Sometimes it's helpful through self-examination to reflect upon our own habits and tendencies. Yet it's also helpful to give thought to the ways of others whom we can learn from. So consider, who is someone who you see zealous for glorifying God in their life? What is one way that they honor God that you could emulate?

A Quote

"A jealous God will not be content with a divided heart; He must be loved first and best.”

Charles Spurgeon

A Resource

If you are interested in learning more about God's zealousness for the glory of his name, then check God's Passion for His Glory. It includes the full text of Jonathan Edwards’ The End for Which God Created the World along with comments and reflections.