God's Jealousy for Us

“And Saul said to David, Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab for a wife. Only you be a brave son for me and fight Jehovah's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.” (1Samuel 18:17)

In this Scripture of study, we read that Saul’s jealousy of David has led him to devise ways to kill David. David was successful in battle and had become the “darling” of the people. There are two things that can be explored in this Scripture. One is the subject of jealousy and the other the subject of the Philistines. The subject concerning the Philistines is very interesting, but the subject of jealousy is more advantageous for us.

Jealousy is a powerful emotion. It’s defined as a strong emotional feeling of covetousness. It’s similar to envy but there is a difference. Envy is covetousness of what another has whereas jealousy is a personal protection of covetousness of what another has that is diminishing you or what you have. Very similar but different and both quite destructive.  Jealousy is the sin that brought both Cain and Saul to destruction. Cain was jealous that Abel was stealing his favor with God. Yet it was his own disobedience to do things his own way rather than God’s way. In Saul’s case, Saul saw David as stealing the affection of the people which he felt belonged to him as king.

“For jealousy is the rage of a man; therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not take any ransom; nor will he be willing if you multiply the gifts.” (Proverbs 6:34-35) Solomon in his proverb writes about the jealousy of a husband who’s wife has betrayed him in adultery. Jealousy is no little emotion. He calls it a rage that can’t be bargained with. No recompense can appease jealousy. Jealousy is mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Galatians as one of the works of the flesh. “Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) Paul makes a distinction and considers jealousy and envy as different works of the flesh.

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one Man, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” (2Corinthians 11:2) Paul wrote to the Corinthians about his feelings in writing about the false teachers who were deceiving the church with their false teachings. “But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, so your thoughts should be corrupted from the simplicity due to Christ.” (2Corinthians 11:3) False teachings look and sound like the Truth but have a twist that is a lie. This is the way the serpent deceived Eve. It’s the devil’s “modus operandi.” He still uses half-truths to deceive. This was causing Paul to describe what he was feeling as jealous for the souls he had taught in Corinth. And although Paul was probably angry and sorrowful that the Corinthians were being deceived and described his feelings as jealousy, he was not actually jealous. He prefaces his comment about being jealous with a disclaimer. “I would that you were bearing with me a little in foolishness; but indeed, bear with me.” (2Corinthians 11:1) Jealousy would have been the response of a person led by the flesh. And Paul was not led by the flesh, but by the Spirit.

This last example is imperative to understand. It has been misunderstood, questioned and caused people to refuse to believe it as a character of God. “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make to yourselves any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them. For I Jehovah your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation of those that hate me,” (Exodus 20:3-5). Before delving into the Scripture and looking in the jealousy of God, we need to clarify that although God made the resulting curse of those who hate Him and go after other gods to affect the descendants to the fourth generation, God did change this later when He spoke to Ezekiel. “What is it to you that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the teeth of the sons are dull? As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, to you there is no longer any occasion to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are Mine. As the soul of the father, also the soul of the son, they are Mine. The soul that sins, it shall die. But a man that is just and does what is just and right... has walked in My statutes, and has kept My judgments to deal truly, he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord Jehovah. (Eze 18:2-5,9) Then He continues and finalizes His decree. “Yet you say, Why? Does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done justice and right, has kept all My statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live. The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.” (Ezekiel 18:19-20)

Now that the questionable portion of Scripture has been clarified, we look at the portion that says God is a jealous God. Many have been turned off by this because preachers have failed to explain what this means. They simply have thrown out this Scripture or referred to the concept without explanation and people are left to misunderstand it. Other Scriptures in which God states that He is a jealous God are Deuteronomy 4:24; 6:15 and Joshua 24:19. A contrast of the words “of” and “for” should be made. Paul’s description of his “assumed” jealousy was that he was jealous “over” them, or in other words for them and not of them. To be jealous “of” someone is sin. It is covetousness and it’s a spiral toward destruction. But to be jealous over someone or “for” someone is different. It’s like a parents’ jealousy for their son’s success. It’s their desire that the son prosper. It reflects on them, their love for him and desire for his future. And so, it is with the Lord. He is our Father and He is jealous for our victory and would not like to see our ruin by sin. It’s His character of love and zeal for our success in our spiritual life. It has never meant to be perceived as jealousy “of” us, but “for” us. And this needs to be taught because it demonstrates God’s desire to see us prosper and have the best life ever.

So, concluding, we can say that God is a jealous God Whose desire for us is so strong, He is jealous “for” us and for our spiritual success. Jealousy that is covetousness is sin because it leads to destruction. It will not get better so if we feel jealousy, we must repent of it and confess it so that the Holy Spirit can help us abandon it forever. Jealousy is like envy another similar sin, but which deals with covetousness of what another has.

Let us pray:

Father God, Your Word is wisdom. Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who gives us understanding so that sin can be exposed, repented of and confessed. Thank You Holy Spirit for these revelations which help us in our walk in the Lord, our obedience and sanctification. Lord when I meditate on Your desire to see us prosper in spirit, soul and body, to walk a life of righteousness and live the life You have for us I am overwhelmed with Your Goodness.  You have provided everything we need to prosper in Your righteousness. Thank You that You are for us and want the best for us. Thank You that You are jealous for us and have provided what we need to succeed. We need You our Lord and our God. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. We need the blood You have provided. Thank You for Your faithfulness through Your covenant with us. We can count on it knowing Your Word never fails. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.