“Do not worship any other god,
for the LORD whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
Exodus 34:14
Our great and holy God will tolerate no rivals. That’s why scripture describes Him as jealous. He alone is worthy of our worship. As humans with limited perspective, we may perceive jealousy as an inherently negative emotion. However, when we consider our perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing God, the word “jealousy” is warranted.
Throughout the Old Testament, God was always faithful to His people. (And He continues to be today!) But when they chose to wander away to unfaithfully “play the harlot” with false gods, He chose to allow challenges that would draw them back from their idolatry.
Our God permits no rivals.
God loved them (and loves us!) way too much to permit idolatry. It is a poison that robs us of our purpose and destroys our relationship with the one true God.
The very first commandment – #1 on God’s Top Ten list, if you will – reads:
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:3
Jesus confirmed when asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” His response in Matthew 22:37 reads:
“Love the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
The Greek word He used for love in this verse is agape. While we’ve always heard this distinguished from phileo (brotherly) love and eros (romantic) love and referred to as “divine” love, I came across a more helpful (and insightful) definition in the footnotes of my NIV Study Bible:
Commitment of devotion that is directed by the will
and can be commanded as a duty.
This means our love for God transcends our fickle emotions. When feelings take the lead, we may choose to love today and withhold it tomorrow. Love – and more specifically, withholding love – can be capricious, conditional, and at times even manipulative or punitive.
A grown-up woman of God love (in contrast to a “little girl” love) engages the will. It takes the command seriously. It is prompted by a well-grounded, developed faith. A mature woman of God pushes emotions to the caboose, allowing the will to be the engine driving the train.
God’s command to worship Him is not just for Him, but also for us. He knows the danger that idolatry brings to our lives. It is destructive, consuming, and insidious. Once it takes root, it becomes a cancer gnawing away at our souls. Loving God is the best antidote for idolatry.
God is our creator, lover of our souls, and our Savior … He is worthy of our worship, and He does not permit rivals for it. Our worship keeps us safe and protected from the idolatry that can destroy us.
Do we resent a spouse who expects – and even demands – faithful, loving devotion? Of course not. Adultery would destroy the marriage. Loving our spouses well protects the relationship. Keeping ourselves from diverting our affections is not just a protection for our spouse, but for ourselves as well. Adultery brings pain to both parties, as well as to children, extended family, and the community. When marriages break down, even society begins to unravel. Adultery is to a marriage what idolatry is to our relationship with God.
I am a jealous wife. If you are married, I hope you are, too – but in a healthy, appropriate, loving way. As God permits no rivals for His affections, I permit no rivals for the affections of my husband. And neither does he. Trust demands this. There are secret things we share that are for no one else to know. I am my beloved’s and he is mine.
Marriage is really a metaphor for a loving relationship with God. To be clear, my spouse is NOT God … and he would make a poor god, as would I. It occurs to me that the root of many struggles in marriage may be the expectation for a spouse to fill a role that only God can fill. (It can also take the form of a spouse demanding unhealthy adulation – a form of worship, if you will.) But perhaps that’s a topic for another day!
As we agree that God permits no rivals, let’s consider some challenging questions to internalize this truth:
- Do I believe God is a jealous God?
- Does God’s jealousy carry a negative or positive connotation?
- Do I acknowledge He has the right to be jealous?
- Do I understand the difference between His divine jealousy and my junior high boyfriend’s jealousy?
- How does knowing this about God’s character impact my behavior?
- What in my life does (or has the potential to) divert affection, devotion, or worship that should be reserved exclusively for God?
- How does keeping my affections exclusively for God protect me?
- What assignment does God have for me as a result of this teaching?
I pray that you continue writing the WORD this month, and that God uses these verses to teach us more about Himself. Knowing Him better equips us to worship Him more deeply.
For this week’s devotional video, Laura is joined by her friend, Sandra Kidd. We invite you to watch as these ladies share their hearts and experiences while discussing the truth that God will give us strength to help us when we have unexpected losses and hardships come up in our lives. He is our fortress and protector.
Visit our Downloads page to find your own copy of this month’s Write the WORD bookmark highlighting Attributes of God, as well as other free resources to help you balance your heart for God with the demands of a busy life and home.
