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Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
God Is a "Jealous" God
What has probably struck thousands as being more than a little odd is the fact that the word 'jealous' was also used in connection with the Most High.
In fact, Oprah Winfrey once said that hearing in church that God was 'jealous' was a key moment in her quest to "to take God out of the box". See transcript in Footnote I . She ultimately went on a spiritual trek through the dangerous theology of the New Age taking who knows how many impressionable viewers with her.
Also See Overview of The New Age
However, there are several factors that we have to take into consideration. The first being that jealousy and envy are not the same emotion.
Envy and Jealousy
In modern English the two words are often used interchangeably. However, although they are related emotions they do not mean the same thing. In summary,
Jealousy can mean we are vigilant in guarding something. For example, we are jealous of our good name. It can also mean being intolerant of disloyalty or infidelity and often occurs when a special relationship is threatened.
Envy is the feeling or wish that you had something that someone else has - be it their luck, their job, their abilities , something they own etc. It often involves a combination of admiration and discontent.
If someone were asked to describe a situation in which they felt jealous, it is more than likely they would describe feeling envious of something or someone. For example, they might say something like I wish I had my brothers easy charm or my neighbors large house.
In both the above cases the emotion is envy not jealousy ...
That there is a difference between the two words is bought out in Galatians 5 . Paul includes both words in the deeds of the flesh' warning that those who "practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Paul would needlessly have been repeating himself had the words meant exactly the same thing.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy (Gr. zelos), outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying (Gr. phthonos) , drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 NASB)
Unfortunately, the Hebrew word qânâ has been rendered as both envy and jealousy. Incorrectly in some cases. For example, Rachel was envious of her sister - not jealous.
Now when Rachel saw that she had not borne Jacob any children, she became jealous (Heb. qânâ) of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I am going to die.” (Genesis 30:1 NASB)
The Bible
Having said that, both envy and jealousy are evils strongly condemned in the Scriptures with Proverbs directly warning against envying sinners and evil men.
Do not let your heart envy (Heb. qânnâ) sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always. (Proverbs 23:17 NASB)
Do not be envious (Heb. qânnâ) of evil men, Nor desire to be with them (Proverbs 24:1 NASB)
Do not get upset because of evildoers, Do not be envious (Heb. qânnâ) of wrongdoers. (Psalms 37:1 NASB)
In the New Testament, Romans 1:29 says sinners are
filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy (Gr. phthonos) , murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, (Romans 1:29 NASB)
Envy is A Slippery Slope
The next two examples show that envy can lead someone to evil. Joseph's brothers treated him terribly. Korah and his group rebelled against Moses with severe consequences
Genesis 37 tells us that Joseph's brothers were so resentful (Heb. qânâ) of their fathers affection for Joseph, that they sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:28. Acts 7:9)
When they became envious (Heb. qânâ) of Moses in the camp and of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD, The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And engulfed the company of Abiram. And a fire blazed up in their company; The flame consumed the wicked. (Psalms 106:16-18 NASB)
Both Matthew (27:18) and Mark (15:10) used phthonos when they said the chief priests and elders handed Jesus over to Pilate because they were envious of His ministry.
So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew that because of envy (Gr. phthonos) they had handed Him over. (Matthew 27:17-18 NASB) Merriam-Webster.
Jealousy
is very often a person's response to a relationship threat and is rarely characterized by just one emotion. Anger and resentment are often part of jealousy.
One of the definitions of jealousy is vigilance in guarding a possession which is exactly how we should understand this word as applied to God. It was an expression of zeal to protect a relationship.
And this is seen as far back as the book of Numbers
if an attitude of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has defiled herself, or if an attitude of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has not defiled herself, (Numbers 5:14 NASB)
or when an attitude of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife, he shall then have the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest shall apply all of this law to her. (Numbers 5:30 NASB)
If a person who catches their wife in adultery is not angry, then one has to assume that he does not really care about the marriage or his wife.
God's Jealousy In Context
God's description of himself as jealous only occurs in the context of idolatry.
Then God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous (Hebrew qannâ ) God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, (Exodus 20:1-5 NASB)
for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous (Hebrew qannâ) is a jealous (Hebrew qannâ) God (Exodus 34:14 NASB)
"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous (Hebrew qannâ) God. (Deuteronomy 4:24 NASB)
And the people of Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy (Hebrew qanâ) ith their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. (1 Kings 14:22 NASB)
For they provoked Him with their high places And moved Him to jealousy (Hebrew qanâ) with their carved images. (Psalms 78:58 NASB)
Both Moses and Joshua reminded Israel that God would consume them if they served foreign gods.
'You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous (Hebrew qannâ) God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, (Deuteronomy 5:9 NASB)
You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the LORD your God who is in the midst of you is a jealous God; so follow Him, or else the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 6:13-15 NASB)
Then Joshua said to the people, "You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. "If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you." (Joshua 24:19-20 NASB)
In the New Testament God's jealousy is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:22 - again in connection with idolatry
No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? (1 Corinthians 10:20-22 NASB)
The Father regards the worship of idols as a direct insult to himself thus to join in worship or in the observance of pagan feasts would unfailingly provoke his wrath.
But Why?
God's Covenant With Israel
The Jews were rescued from serfdom in Egypt and, as the chosen people, played an enormous role in God's plan of redemption. They were not only the medium through which God communicated His messages and His laws but most importantly the salvation and future of mankind rested on the shoulders of this tiny nation that God had chosen to birth the Messiah. They were the conduit for His blessing and grace to spread over the earth - a bright light in the middle of a dark world filled with pagan beliefs and idolatrous practices. As first born, they were given the privilege of the Gospel being proclaimed first to them before it was to the Gentiles.
Because it was from Israel that the Messiah would come it was imperative that Israel remain holy and set apart for the worship of the one true God. Only separateness from the surrounding nations would ensure this.
Faithfulness to the one true God was epitomized in the first commandment "You shall have no gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3), and the most severe condemnation all the prophets hurled against the nation was against spiritual adultery. Had they embraced the strange gods of the nations around them they would have seriously jeopardized God's plan for them to bring the Messiah into the world.
See Holiness
There is little or no emphasis on sin in the modern church. It lies breathing its last, buried below mega star preachers, flamboyant preaching, worship teams that could find work in many Broadway productions, large crusades, exciting revivals, and glitz and glamour that Hollywood could be proud of. Yet the Bible says "Without Holiness, No Man Shall See God!" (Hebrews 12:14) in view of which perhaps it would be wise to know exactly what it means by holiness
The relationship between the nation of Israel and God was so close that He spoke of Israel as His wife
For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of armies; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. “For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,” Says your God. (Isaiah 54:5-6 NASB)
Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:31-32 NASB)
In Ezekiel 16 (Vs. 32 and 35) Israel was called an adulteress and a prostitute. In fact the entire chapter points out that the relationship between God and Israel was likened to that of the covenant made between husband and wife. So much so that God looked on their turning to idols as adultery
The Relationship Between Christ And The Church Is Likened To Marriage
In Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus likened the kingdom of Heaven to a marriage feast. This feast will take place at the Second Coming of Christ, when the church will be united with the Bridegroom for all eternity. In the book of Revelation, John speaks of marriage of the Lamb - the bride being the church and Christ the Lamb.
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:7-8 NASB)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:1-2 NASB)
Paul speaks of being jealous over the Corinthians with a "godly jealousy". He was instrumental in betrothing them to one husband and desired to present them blameless to Him when He returned.
For I am jealous over you with Godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2)
God is depicted as a faithful husband who will fulfill His part of the covenant, it is up to us to fulfill ours.
Footnote I - Oprah
I took God out of the box because I grew up in a Baptist church and there were rules, belief systems and doctrines and I happen to be sitting in church in my late 20s and I was going to this church where you have to get there 8 o clock in the morning where you couldn't get a seat and a very charismatic minister and everybody was just into the sermon and this great minister was preaching about how Great God was and how omniscient and omnipresent and God is everything and then he said "And The Lord Thy God Is a Jealous God and I was caught up in the rapture of that moment until he said Jealous. and something struck me, I was like about 27-28, I was thinking God is awe, God omnipresent and God is - and God is also jealous? .. God is jealous of me? and something about that didn’t feel right in my spirit because I believe that God is love and that God is in all things and so that's when the search for something more than doctrine started to stir within me.” You can listen to what she has to say on youtube beginning around the 1.20 mark. Copy and paste into your browser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7CurUQCpEk
What I don't understand is how Oprah being an intelligent woman did not eventually realize that the word 'jealous' has more than one meaning. {PLACE IN TEXT}
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