One of the great truths of Scripture that I have a hard time grasping is God’s jealousy for His people. I have to admit, the concept has become somewhat easier to grasp, though, as my daughters have gone into their teen years and become interested in boys. I remember when I was the one they were most concerned with pleasing. They laughed at my jokes. They noticed when I did special things for them. They thought about telling me first when something good or funny happened to them. I mattered.
Now old Dad has been relegated to the back seat, if he’s even allowed in the car at all. OK, so I’m overstating the “Woe is me,” stuff – but don’t tell the girls that, please! They don’t feel bad enough about this yet – nor will they, actually, until they have kids of their own (and in their case, they won’t feel it as acutely unless they have sons, right?).
I have other friends who have had similar experiences, but sadly, it’s been with their spouses, not their children… so the changes in relationship are not part of a natural progression into maturity, but they are actually betrayals as the spouse finds love in the arms of someone else. I have shared in the tears of some of these friends, have heard them express deep feelings of helplessness as they watch the affections of their spouse turn to another and have also heard them express their heartache, anger, and even jealousy.
I find myself being uncomfortable with the thought of jealousy. And jealousy can be wrong. Sometimes I struggle with jealousy… I would like to have so-and-so’s voice; he sings effortlessly and doesn’t have a big vibrato – everybody loves hearing him sing, and he can play by ear, too! Or, I wish I had so-and-so’s money! I should be as well of as he! Or, if only I had his ability to please people. Look how they fawn over him – and I do twice as much as he does; it’s not fair! Those feelings of jealousy lead to coveting and animosity – those feelings are wrong.
Yet as I reflect I realize that there is a righteous form of jealousy. I see it reflected, albeit imperfectly, in the friends that I have described above. If a relationship is rightly yours, either through blood or covenant, and you are losing that relationship to another, then jealousy can be a righteous response.
And this is the kind of jealousy God expresses for His people here in Jeremiah. It is the kind of jealousy alluded to by the writer of Hebrews. God won a relationship with the children of Israel by covenant with their father Abraham, and again by covenant made with Moses and through Moses in the giving of the Law to all the people of Israel.
In the opening lines of the ten commandments God Himself admits to this jealousy. And He instructs that there be no other gods in the picture. God is to be God alone – loved and worshiped not just as the supreme God, but as the only God. For truly, you can’t serve two gods.
So, here are God’s people – with whom He has made a lasting covenant, and whom He loves deeply – standing in His house plotting against Him. Oh, sure, they brought what they were supposed to bring – meat. But they didn’t bring the other things they were supposed to bring – the love of Him with all their heart, mind, and strength. Instead, their hearts were elsewhere, and their minds were devising ways to use their strength in the worship of another god. They had no more joy in the worship of God – the One who brought them up out of Egypt, the One who sustained their great-grandparents in the wilderness by giving them manna to eat – the One who went before them into the Promised Land and allowed them to settle there as a victorious, prosperous people.
Worshiping Him was old hat! I wonder if the priests Levites explored innovations in worship style and technology in an effort to keep the next generation engaged. Or were they becoming so enamored with false gods that they didn’t care anymore, either? I wonder if they issued surveys to make sure that everyone felt like their needs were being met in every worship service. Were the traditional worship people happy? Were the young families happy? Were the perpetually grumpy happy?
Who cares if they were happy – they were allowing their affections to drift! They were allowing themselves to find joy in wickedness; in the very thing that was most important to God. They were allowing their hearts to worship another god. They were carelessly whispering of their love for another in the house of the One for whom they should have had a fervent love. And when they left the Lord’s house, they found their trysting place at vespers in Baal’s temple and burned incense in worship to an idol.
So, God, the One who planted His people, the One who caused them to be fruitful – the One who said they were beautiful – must now uproot and reshape.
That is the depth of God’s love, that it is expressed with such holy jealousy. And, how much more right does God have to be jealous of His people of the New Covenant? He has not only made a covenant with generations past, but He draws each of His children personally into their own individual relationship with Him through the blood of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Because of His lavish grace, those of us who have trusted Christ for our salvation are now “His workmanship.” How much more a right does He have to be jealous for us?
How much more of a right does God have to be jealous for those who claim to be part of “the Church” – whether they have actually come to Him on the merits of His blood and righteousness or not? Would He not want a pure Bride for His Son, a Bride with complete, single-hearted love for Him?
Don’t let His jealousy for you cause you to recoil, but instead, understand that He loves you! He earnestly and perfectly desires that love be given in return, even as we imperfectly desire a return on the love investment we place in others. Let us love Him supremely, obey Him completely and worship Him solely (give Him "sole worship").
15 "What is My beloved doing in My temple as she works out her evil schemes with many? Can consecrated meat avert [your punishment]? When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice." 16 The LORD called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form. But with the roar of a mighty storm He will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken. 17 The LORD Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done evil and provoked Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.
- Jeremiah 12:15-17
“He is jealous for me… loves like a hurricane, I am a tree…”
“…Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably in reverence and awe, for ‘Our God is a consuming fire.’”
- Hebrews 11:28b & 29
“Cast every idol from its throne, for Christ is God, and Christ alone: To God all praise and glory.”
