His Object of Jealousy!
"For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord,
whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."
Exodus 34:14
Sometimes reading the Bible raises questions.
For instance, we are warned in Scripture to avoid jealousy
and envy—it is “rottenness to the bones” (Proverbs 14:30)
yet one of God’s names in the Old Testament
is “Jealous”
for He is “a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).
Why is jealousy an attribute for God but a sin for us?
Because of a motivation. God is not jealous for us because
He envies something we have that He doesn’t have. Instead,
think of “jealous” as “zealous.” God loves us so much that He
is zealous for us to worship Him alone, live in close
communion
with Him. God is jealous for us because He knows we'll benefit
in our devotion to Him. On the other hand, when we're
jealous,
it's for selfish reasons. We want things for our own pleasure
that another person has. God’s jealousy is others-centered;
human jealousy is self-centered.
If you find yourself experiencing jealousy, ask yourself,
