Z is for Zeal for God - Part 1

Fire for the Father

The more real (knowledge) the more zeal!

The more we KNOW God, the more we become zealous for God.

God is jealous for our zealous! He wants us to know Him more.

Become radicalized for GOD and for GOOD.

Zealous - to boil with Passion

There are 3 words translated into “zealous” in the bible –

1 Hebrew word in the Old Test, and 2 Greek words in the New.

The word “zealous” occurs 8 times in 8 verses in the King James version of the Bible.

H7065 qana'- to make envious or provoke to jealousy

The Hebrew term qana, “to be or make zealous” (Numbers 25:11, 13) conveys the idea of being “warmly engaged or ardent in the pursuit of an object.”

G2205b. zélos -- zeal, jealousy

G2206. ζηλόω (zéloó) -- to be jealous

the pronunciation of this word imitates the sound of boiling water

to bubble over because so hot(boiling)

to burn with zeal" (J. Thayer); "to be deeply committed to something, with the implication of accompanying desire – 'to be earnest, to set one's heart on, to be completely intent upon'

to move with envy or be jealous over

To be zealous, therefore, or to be full of zeal, is to be extremely passionate about something to the point where it consumes one’s focus and emotional desire like a type of jealousy.

Plain English

zeal is a burning desire to please God, do His will, and advance His glory. It's a passion and commitment

devoted to a purpose, eager, earnest, energized, enthusiastically committed to - enthusiastic drive or support,

fervent or fervor towards a given person or cause,

motivated, passion - Boiling over with passion for… - passionate.

willing

to seek or desire eagerly

one can be either zealous for good or evil – we will look at both

God has Zeal for You

God is zealous and passionate for His people

Zealous is Jealous – God is a jealous God, for you! His name is Jealous

The Bible describes God as having zeal, and some examples of this include sending Christ into the world. God's zeal is a "godly jealousy" that's different from the human emotion of jealousy. It's a sign of God's intense love, devotion, and commitment to protect and care for His people.

Religious Zeal – God’s fire THROUGH you

The Greek term zelotes is translated “a zealot, zealous”

Acts 21:20; 22:3; 1 Corinthians 14:12; Galatians 1:14; Titus 2:14; Revelation 3:19).

Vine's Greek New Testment Dictionary:

Zealous [Noun] = zelotes

is used adjectivally, of "being zealous"

(a) "of the Law," Acts 21:20;

(b) "toward God," lit., "of God," Acts 22:3, RV, "for God;"

(c) "of spiritual gifts," 1 Cor 14:12, i.e., for exercise of spiritual gifts (lit., "of spirits," but not to be interpreted literally);

(d) "for (AV, 'of') the traditions of my fathers," Gal 1:14, of Paul's loyalty to Judaism before his conversion;

(e) "of good works," Titus 2:14.

Life Lesson: The more you KNOW God’s zeal for you, the more zealous you become for God!

Hagin - the measure of their faith will be the measure of their knowledge of the Father — and their knowledge of their privileges.

As you become one with the Word, and the Word becomes one with you, you will become mighty in faith.

Zeal = fire of desire

Good religious zeal – Builds the Kingdom

Christian zeal stems from an earnest desire to do what is right and proper.

Romans 12:11 ESV

11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Zeal is eager for Spiritual Gifts - to build the church

1 Corinthians 14:12 ESV

12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

Zeal means “eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something

Good Zeal for Good Things

Galatians 4:18 NKJV

18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.

Bad Religious Zeal – Hurts People

strict adherence to the letter of the Law - pharisees

extraordinary religious passion - such as the Holy Roman Empire’s crusaders.

Rome persecuted the Jews in two different ways - first as heathen, then as “Christian”

Bad human Zeal turned godly = Peter

The apostle Peter was zealous in his approach to Jesus' ministry although he sometimes was overzealous and missed his Saviors message but later after Jesus had risen Peter was zealous by the Holy Spirit.

Simon was a Zealot – for the nation

Jesus even choose a Zealot named Simon to be one of His disciples. This was a different man than Simon Peter the fisherman

– but Christ used him anyway, despite Simon’s misguided origins.

God can turn our passions around as well!

Bad Religious zeal turned good = Paul

Luke refers to Paul of Tarsus as a “zealot” in the book of Acts,

Paul himself a zealot in his letter to the Galatians

Before his conversion on the Damascus Road, Saul of Tarsus was zealous in a bad way with his old actions before surrendering to the Lord:

Galatians 1:14 NLT

14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

Paul is arguing against the view that Gentile Christians should undergo full conversion to Judaism.

He establishes his credibility by emphasizing his own zealotry with respect to the Law.

Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees!

Paul persecuted the church – imprisoned Christians, even women and children

Paul is God’s poster child of grace – turned his passion TO good and FROM evil!

Paul was chosen for his zeal – for the kingdom

Life Lesson: God can’t steer a parked car

Since Paul allowed the Lord to correct his zeal, so can we!

Religious zealots today – Hamas. Remember, that Zealous means jealous! Of the Jews!

Worldly Zeal - Political Zeal, Sports

Zeal also means to be deeply devoted to a cause, a person, or a thing.

Zealot - one burning with zeal

G2207 zēlōtēs - one burning with zeal

someone who feels so strongly about a given thing that it consumes the core of their being and they seek nothing but achieving whatever the focus of their passion drives them to achieve.

The Zealots were a political movement in 1st-century Judaism that wanted to incite a rebellion against the Roman Empire.

According to Vine's Greek New Testament Dictionary

zealot = an uncompromising partisan."

The "Zealots" was a name applied to an extreme section of the Pharisees, bitterly antagonistic to the Romans. Josephus (Antiq. xviii. 1. 1, 6; B.J. ii. 8. 1) refers to them as the "fourth sect of Jewish philosophy" (i.e., in addition to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes), founded by Judas of Galilee (cp. Acts 5:37).

After his rebellion in A.D. 6, the Zealots nursed the fires of revolt, which, bursting out afresh in A.D. 66, led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70.

Simon the Zealot, one of the Apostles, belonged to this sect before the Lord saved him.

Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13.

Matt 10:4 implies him as “Simon the jealous one."

In Jesus’ times there were people called “Zealots” who were passionate about destroying the Romans and overthrowing their tyrannical rule over Israel.

Unfortunately, there were too few of them to accomplish this task and many of them died while trying to do so.

Bad Political zealots – hurt the country

In the NT, Zealots we're folks who were devoted to restoring the nation of Israel and freeing it from the Greeks and later the Romans.

Zealots, usually identified with a capital “Z,” (as used in the movie “The Chosen”)

· nationalist political movement

· founded by Judas of Galilee in 6 CE.

· grew increasingly radicalized

· incite a rebellion against Rome,

· resorted to acts of political terrorism

Me -

Will you now restore Jerusalem and freed from Rome? They asked Jesus

Some did not let it go even after Jesus said not now.

Unchecked political zeal led a band of Jews to commit violence against Rome in a military attempt to overthrow its oppressors

After their failed attempt, their political zeal sparked retaliation by the Roman army, which resulted in the destruction of God’s temple in AD 70. Fulfilling Jesus prophecy and Matthew 24 that not one stone would be left on top another.

Today, we must protect ourselves as we are living once again in politically zealous times.

Jan 6?

College campuses.

Barabbas was a zealot – for evil

Call to action – Be zealous for good! - Let Your Zeal be for Real

Zealous in faith, love, living vs existing, giving, prayer.