Difficult Divine Decrees: Jealousy

This question came in from someone in our congregation.

If jealousy is a sin, as is said in Proverbs 27:4 and Galatians 5:19-20, then how can God be holy and perfect when God calls himself a jealous God (Exodus 20:4-5, 34:14).

We could make short work of this by simply saying that:

Jealousy comes when you lose something you own to another

Since all exists through God, only God can be Jealous

A human is not allowed to be Jealous because a human doesn’t own anything

Meaning, the example of a jealous human husband does not work.

Envy is desiring something that another owns, not has, but owns

Functionally, there is quite a difference between God, who scripture claims made humanity and all things, and a created thing, who claims ownership of what God made.

And, if you want to nerd out, think about this:

The chief ‘rivals’ of God in the Hebrew Bible are the Baals.

The word Baal means husband, master, lord, and ‘owner.’

I mention that because it will be important later.

Let’s look at a response to this question from Hank Hanegraaff who is known as the Bible Answer Man from radio, etc.

If jealousy is a sin, how can God be jealous?

First, there is such a thing as sanctified jealousy. As such, jealousy is the proper response of a husband or wife whose trust has been violated through infidelity. Indeed, when an exclusive covenant relationship is dishonored, sanctified jealousy is the passionate zeal that fights to restore that holy union. The jealousy of God for His holy name and for the exclusive worship of His people as such is sanctified.

Hank Hanegraaff, Bible Answer Man

How does the Bible Answer Man’s answer resonate with you?

Let’s use his response and measure it against some scripture.

Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming; and who can stand at attention when faced with jealousy?

Proverbs 27:4

The proverb, when applied to a human, is telling:

It teaches you that when you function in wrath you are bringing cruelty

When you function in anger, you are overwhelmed and overwhelming

But when you function in jealousy, you are unable to stand at attention. That phrase is specific.

It means you have left your ability to stand before God.

You cannot be reasoned with.

In light of that, I would suggest that jealously, even for a spouse, is dangerous.

Unless you take the advice of our previous series about emotion and recognize jealously as informational.

And then, you decide how you want to proceed, which should be in love, kindness, and compassion.

Let’s look at the Galatian’s passage.

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

This passage should be familiar, we covered this chapter for several months.

I want to remind you about that word ‘works.’

It is setting out with intentionality, volition, to practice or build something on purpose.

I want to remind you about the context of the other items

idolatry, sorcery, that will become important to the context of later passages.

Some use Jesus turning over the tables in the Temple as an example of Jesus’ jealousy.

I don’t agree.

Jealousy is not spoken of in that passage.

He uses a quote from Is 56:7, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you make it a den of robbers.

He is cleaning his house, which he has every right to do.

Paul is jealous in 2 Corinthians 11:2 for the people of Corinth. But, and this is important…

He acts by writing to them about his and God’s love for the Corinthians.

He does not respond in violence or anger towards them.

And, the context of his jealously comment comes in a section where he is speaking of false prophets and uses a comparison of the serpent (a god) deceiving Eve.

He is concerned their devotion will be to another god. (important)

Let’s look at the passages about God

You shall not make for yourself an divine image from all that is in the heavens and above and on the earth and below and in the waters from beneath the earth. You shall not bow down in worship to them. You shall not make yourself a servant [to them.] Because I the LORD your God am a jealous God. (Exodus 20:4-5a)

For you shall not bow down in worship to another god, because the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14)

Have to caught the context of God’s jealousy?

It has to do with bowing down in worship to other gods.

Just like Paul (idols, serpent, false prophets, etc.)

How can God be jealous?

The people of Israel called out to God to rescue them from the gods of Egypt.

God rescues them and identifies them as His special possession.

God enters into a covenant with these people and they AGREE to be loyal to only Him.

Then, they desire to return to the gods of Egypt, after God rescues them, feeds, them, cares for them, etc.

That context is critical. It’s why you don’t really have permission to misuse the emotion of jealousy.

You don’t own the things of which you are jealous.

It is why I don’t like the analogy of jealousy in a marriage.

There is a whole section of the law that speaks about how to deal with a jealous husband.

It is meant to protect the woman

Because the husband does NOT OWN the wife.

A wife does NOT OWN the husband

They are told they must give themselves, willingly, to one another.

Giving yourself is an act of volition, of the will.

I think that answers the issue of why God can take the name jealous and we cannot.

So, what are we to do with this information?

We are wise to remember

that we image God.

God does not image us.

Meaning, we have the capacity for jealousy.

But our experience with jealousy does not define how God experiences jealousy.

Just like all emotions, we should inspect the wisdom behind them and understand the complex decisions required to act on them as information.

Let’s take the story of ‘Adam and Eve’ as an example of exploring the complexity of what to do when you find yourself caught in an emotion:

A talking serpent (lesser god) deceives the woman

Eve knows the consequences and she has a choice:

Give some to her husband, leading to death

Refrain from giving to him, she dies and he lives

Adam knows the consequences and he has a choice:

Take and eat from her, leading to death

Refrain from eating, she dies and he lives

If only there were a “Tree of the knowledge of good and evil” around so I could know what to do!

Let’s explore the situation:

What is the good thing to do after the woman eats but before the man does?

Is it good for the man to be alone? No. Earlier God said it is not good for the human to be alone, so he made the woman for him.

Is it good for the woman to be alone, because that will be the result? No, it is not good for half of you to be exiled from the garden where she will be alone.

What is the bad thing to do after the woman eats but before the man does?

Is it bad for the man to walk with his wife through death since they are as one flesh?

Is it bad for the woman to offer the man the fruit so she is not alone in exile from the garden?

So, what is the ‘right, correct’ thing to do?

Is the situation ‘not good?’

Who solved ‘not good’ in the past?

Consult with God as to what to do.

Did they do that? No

Are you inclined to contact God during Jealousy?

This is why we had our series. Don’t ignore your emotions. Don’t think they are wicked or evil of themselves.

They are data, information, that should prompt us to pause and THINK and PRAY and CONSULT as to the wise thing to do.

Difficult Divine Decrees: Jealousy