Sometimes words like these from Exodus 20:5 strike fear into people.  But "jealous" in the Bible can be either a good or a bad word -- depending on the possessor of it.  We've probably all heard the text which says, "Jealousy is as cruel as the grave."  (Song of Solomon 8:6)   But with God, IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD QUALITY! 

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The Hebrew word (Strong's # 7067) for jealousy in our title is an adjective (only used -- 6 times -- all referring to God).  But the root word (# 7065 -- a verb) appears 23 times     in the Old Testament.  Interestingly enough, it is translated as "jealous" and "zealous" (and few other ways).  But rarely is anyone ever criticized for being zealous!  However,  this strange double-meaning helps us to understand the word.  It means both things.  It implies a fervency (heat) that can be respected or abhorred -- depending on the one whose character is being referenced.  

 

In the New Testament, the Greek word-forms (Strong's # 2205-7) have the same root meaning of "heat" as does the Old Testament word.  It is also translated BOTH "jealous" and "zealous."  And as we all know, "heat" can be bad (as in a "hot head"), or it can be a compliment for a person who "burns himself out" in a valuable task, or has a fervency for the defense of something of value.

 

The word is not used many times in the New Testament, so it is relatively easy to do a quick and complete study on how it is used.  We will give a few samplings (nearly every use) below so that its good and bad meanings can be seen.  Then we will look at the BEAUTY of God's jealousy.  

 

The partial quotes below are all from the KJV.  The variety of words used in the translating of the Greek is remarkable!  We have underlined the English words translated from the same Greek word.  REGARDLESS of how it is translated, it IS the New Testament word for "jealousy."  This list shows how terrible it can be when coming from some who possess it, and how wonderful it can be coming from others.

 

Acts 5:17 -- "were filled with indignation."

Acts 13:43 -- "they were filled with envy."

Acts 21:20 --    "Jews...are zealous of the Law."

Acts 22:3 -- Paul was "zealous toward God."

John 2:17 -- Of Jesus:  "The zeal of Thy house hath eaten me up.

I Corinthians 12:31 -- " covet earnestly the best gifts."    

I Corinthians 14:12 --  "zealous of spiritual gifts."

I Corinthians 13:4-- "Charity envieth not."

I Corinthians 14:1 -- "desire spiritual gifts"

I Corinthians 14;39 -- "covet to prophesy."

II Corinthians 7:7 -- "your fervent mind toward me."

II Corinthians 9:2 -- "your zeal hath provoked very many"

II Corinthians 11:2 -- "with Godly jealousy."

II Corinthians 12:20 -- "envyings, wraths, strifes."

Galatians 1:14 -- "zealous of the traditions of my fathers."

Galatians 5:20 -- "variance, emulations, wrath, strife."

Philippians 3:6 -- "concerning zeal, persecuting the Church."

Colossians 4:13 -- "he hath great zeal for you."

Hebrews 10:37 -- "fiery indignation"

James 4:2 -- "Ye kill and desire to have..."

Titus 2:14 -- "a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

 

CLEARLY, the word "jealous" has MANY applications -- some desirable, some not. We have looked at these sample texts so that we can be convinced that "jealousy" is sometimes a wonderful character trait (regardless of its translation).  And "jealousy" is sometimes a fearful character trait.  Only the context can tell us which meaning it has.

 

 

THE WONDERFUL TRAIT OF JEALOUSY IN OUR GREAT GOD 

 

When God, Himself, tells Moses that He is a jealous God, He is not trying to strike fear in Moses' heart!  Indeed, He is listing things about Himself that are meant to recommend Himself to Moses and to the Hebrew people.  God WANTS us all to         know that He possesses this WONDERFUL quality.  So, WHAT did He want us to understand? 

 

We must know that God SO LOVES THE WORLD (John 3:16) that He wants only the very best for mankind.  And, hopefully, we believe that ONLY HE knows what IS the very best for mankind in every single thing that faces the human race -- even before His Kingdom of blessings arrives.  Consequently, ONLY HE can give advice, arrange situations, foresee, and have the power to arrange EVERYTHING that is happening and will happen -- and what effect it will have on the race and on every individual in it.  As a result, He truly wants everyone to listen to and to believe Him.  This is where His "jealousy" comes in.

 

Of course, He knows that (at least for the time being) humanity WILL NOT listen to Him.  He has permitted evil and allowed man's ignorance and self-will to dominate for 6000 years so that man can learn the RESULTS of not hearkening to God.  But that does not change the fact that God cares and continues to forward the details of His plan regardless of what mankind thinks (or doesn't think) about it.  Mankind's failures are not changing anything!  And God's good-will toward man will not be changed by anything.  All He does is so that mankind will eventually learn to live forever in a perfect paradise of peace and plenty.

 

Knowing all of that, the word "jealousy" begins to have very special meaning.  God is jealous BECAUSE He knows that ONLY HE knows what is best.  And His character is HOT against anything that would try to contradict that -- not for HIS sake, but for OURS!  His jealousy can be put, more or less, into a sentence:  "I am a jealous protector over all of you so that you will be able to find the ways of life and live forever."

 

We might recall that King David had many problems with himself -- frequently doing the things that were contrary to God's Law.  And yet, for SOME REASON, God called him "a man after God's own heart."  Why?  It seems to be because, as we read the record of David's life, that he always went directly to God and said , "What would you have me to do?"  In other words, despite the fallen quality of his humanity (which we all struggle with) David went first and always to God for instruction in what to do to rectify his mistakes.  He didn't go to therapy sources.  I went first and always ONLY to God.  This is, in the end, what God desires in all of us.  The whole race of humanity will have to learn this lesson -- which David just did instinctively.

 

We may recall that in Revelation (11:17;  21:6;  22:13), Jesus claims a title expressed in three different ways:  (1)  "I am the Alpha and Omega", (2) "the Beginning and the End," (3) "the First and the Last."  This is not original with Jesus.  God originally was the ONLY holder of this description.  (See Isaiah 44:6.)  But God gave the title to the resurrected Jesus -- first for the benefit of the Gospel Age Saints (the brethren-disciples of Jesus), and secondly for the world of mankind during the 1000-year Kingdom when Jesus mediates a New Covenant between God and mankind.  What does the title mean?

 

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  The other two phrases have the same meaning -- "The First and the Last," and "The Beginning and     the End."  God, in the Old Testament, was saying that "If you have ANY questions or concerns, there is ONLY ONE SOURCE to which you need to come; and that source is ME.  Go nowhere else.  Ask Me FIRST, and ask Me LAST.  You need never ask anyone else.  No one else is capable of telling you the whole truth about the matter.  And I am JEALOUS over you that you should NOT GO elsewhere because I do not want for you to be harmed."

 

In the New Testament, Jesus makes the same claim for himself for the benefit his saints in the Gospel Age, and for the benefit of the whole world in the Millennial Age.  God has set Jesus forth to be the Head of the Church in the Gospel Age and the Mediator for the world in the Millennium.  And Jesus, likewise, is jealous over them all -- lest anyone listen to a voice which might mislead them and give them harm.  

 

It is in this same spirit that Paul can say to the Church of Corinth that he is jealous over them.  (II Corinthians 11:2)  Paul did not want them straying toward any other Gospel than that which he was presenting to them.  He wanted to protect them as well as he could.

 

So, in the end, we can only rejoice that our God IS a jealous God -- meaning that His concern and watch-care for us is perfect, and fervent, and eternal.  His jealousy for us is a sign of LOVE.  Who could want anything more?

 

 

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