Exodus 34:14 NIV - “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
Now, as a Christian, you've likely stumbled upon this scripture a few times. Honestly, I found it kind of confusing at first. I mean, sure, I got the whole "don't worship other gods" part, but the whole "whose name is Jealous?" thing threw me for a loop.
I guess my confusion stemmed from my understanding of jealousy. To me, jealousy would be the time, I saw my Ex a few days after our breakup and I felt a violent rage within me or the time I got third place in a school race and spent the whole weekend big time HATING on the winner.
But God being jealous? It just didn't seem practical to me. I mean, what does HE have to be jealous about? He's God! But, you know what? It bugged me enough to finally do some investigation, and this is what I came up with.
In Hebrew culture, The Lord is known by MANY names, each revealing a unique aspect of His nature and inviting us into a deeper encounter with Him. One such name is "El Qanna," meaning "The Lord is jealous." This name speaks to the intimate bond between Yahweh and us, akin to a marriage relationship. His jealousy is not borne out of selfishness, but rather stems from a passionate love that declares, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Next, we have to come to an understanding: The Bible is first and foremost a love story. It’s a catalog of the ups and downs of our relationship with the One who loves us. But what does this have to do with anything? Well, it means that to understand what it means for God to be jealous, we have to remove our human understanding of jealousy and remember that God is not a man.
For humanity, jealousy will always end up being destructive. It is a whirlpool of emotions, a vicious taskmaster that demands that we either destroy ourselves or destroy the object of our jealousy.
With our Father, it is different. His expression of jealousy is not destructive but rather the revelation of the barest minimum measurement of His love.
When Exodus 34:14 says - "You must have no other gods but Me," it's not just about bowing down to idols in a temple or consulting with a shaman. It extends to the idols that reside within our hearts, the ones we serve from the cozy confines of our living rooms. The idols that whisper, "Don't worry, no one will know."
You see, He is not jealous of us, rather He is jealous for us. He knows that these idols mean us only harm.
If you worship money and material possessions as the source of true meaning in life, you'll find yourself in a perpetual state of inadequacy, always craving more. The same goes for worshiping your physical appearance and allure; you'll constantly feel inadequate, and as time passes, aging will magnify these insecurities.
Worship power and you'll be plagued by feelings of weakness and fear, constantly seeking dominance over others to quell your anxieties. Devote yourself to intellect and being perceived as intelligent, and you'll grapple with feelings of incompetence and impostor syndrome, perpetually fearing exposure.
What we choose to worship ultimately shapes our perception of ourselves, others, and the world around us. Our worship influences how we see ourselves in the mirror, how we perceive others, and even how we speak to ourselves internally. When we idolize things or pursuits that don't truly value us, they'll manipulate us until we lose sight of our own identity and worth.
Our shift of focus from God to these hidden idols leads us to accept the lies of the enemy, doubting our Father's ability to care for us. And in that moment, you cast your pearls before swine and bow low before the god of this world or as King Solomon eloquently put it - “I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.” -Ecclesiastes 10:7
Serving at their altars gives us a false sense of accomplishment, a fleeting feeling of "belonging" because we see others doing the same. It's like we're part of a club where everyone is chasing after the same empty promises. And what do we have to show for it? Broken families, worn-out bodies, estranged children, and meaningless trinkets from retirement parties. A mirage full on nothing.
When our Father says ‘Fix your eyes on me’ it isn’t because He has an inferiority complex, but because His love for us compels Him to want us close to His heart - A place of safety.
Matthew 6: 19-21 has this to say —19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
In arguably His most important sermon, Jesus admonishes us not to put our trust in what we can gather here on earth because it will all fade away. Instead, He urges us to recognize that our hearts are drawn to whatever we value most. People whose treasure is in heaven cannot be enslaved by their possessions.
By the time we get to verses 32 and 33 of the same chapter, Jesus has this to say concerning the idols of our heart —“For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Jesus is revealing that the world has life mixed up. The pursuit of these idols should be the exclusive domain of those who have not come to Him (pagans) and what they prioritize has no real value. And if we behave like them, we who claim to be Christians will end up living valueless lives.
But for those of us that understand that God is our priority then we have the true path — The narrow path. If we ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’ then everything we need will come as a natural by-product of living our lives in response to Him.
But for those of us who've figured out that God is our top priority, well, we've got the real deal—the narrow path. When we make ‘seeking His kingdom and His righteousness’ our main priority, then everything we need will come as a natural by-product of living our lives in response to Him.
That is why, when Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6, He says — 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us today our daily bread.”
When we prioritize establishing His Kingdom here on earth, our Father promises to take care of our daily needs. It's not just a nice sentiment—it's a divine guarantee. After all, He's committed to fulfilling His word.
At the end of the day, when we wrap our heads around the idea of a "Jealous God," it's like realizing God is this divine being who's not desperate for our attention but genuinely desires us. It's not like He's up there twiddling His thumbs, thinking, "I need some worship, pronto!" No, it's more like He's rooting for us, wanting the best for us.
At the end of the day, his jealousy is not for His benefit but for yours.