Late comedian Rodney Dangerfield gave an example of jealousy during one of his stand-up comedic routines. “My wife’s jealously is getting ridiculous. The other day she looked at my calendar and wanted to know who May was.”
Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. This Scripture speaks of God in anthropomorphic fashion by using a human example to describe an aspect of God’s character. But how can God be jealous?
Jealousy for God is not envy or a desire for something He does not or cannot possess. In this context, jealousy means God is a protector of His name and reputation. He admonishes us to put away all other gods that compete for our attention. Nothing should be on the throne of our heart except God. He is like a husband who lovingly demands fidelity from his spouse, as any sensible husband does.
God is not recklessly jealous, as Rodney Dangerfield described his wife as being. Our Lord loves us so much that He wants us for Himself and demands nothing less. He displayed this level of commitment by sacrificing Himself on the cross to pay for our sins (Romans 5:8).
Take a moment to thank God that He is jealous for you. Then ask Him to give you the same type of love for Him.
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Radice W. Banks is a professor at Hesed Bible Institute in Simpsonville, SC. He has been married to his wife for twenty-six years. They have two sons, Micah and Caleb. He loves reading the Bible and running. Banks is also a faculty member at Urban Divinity School in Greenville SC.