Exodus 34:14: You shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
Something that has become increasingly obvious to me in the passed few months is the importance of God's attributes. Once you separate God from even one of them, there is a great likelihood that we're no longer talking about the same God.
Commonly, people shy away from talking about His divine jealousy, wrath, omnipotence [all powerful], and omnipresence [everywhere at all times]. Truthfully, God is all these things, equally and righteously so.
God is holy and cannot sin. We are unholy with a sin nature. When our finite minds consider jealousy, we immediately associate it with sin, because, apart from God, it is almost always sin.
You might ask how God can be jealous without sinning. In the Old Testament, God's jealousy is often focused on when talking about idolatry.
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God." (Exodus 20:4 & 5)
The Children of Israel belonged to the LORD as they were His chosen people. But against God's commands, they were sinful and often turned away to follow other gods. Today, we're probably not carving images and bowing down to them, but as the people of God, we are guilty of making idols. We make things in our lives more important than God.
Our family, our phones, our friends, our relaxation, our cars, our image, our pets, our fitness, our hobbies, you name it and it can be an idol. If we are followers of Christ, our relationship with Him is to be the supreme priority in our lives. If something else is, it is an idol and God hates it.
"The LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." (Deuteronomy 4:24)
Christian, prize your relationship with God. It is the only thing in life that will last. He is great and high and the only thing worthy of our worship and praise.
"The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God..." (Deuteronomy 10:17)
"And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:14)
<3 Berea
Commonly, people shy away from talking about His divine jealousy, wrath, omnipotence [all powerful], and omnipresence [everywhere at all times]. Truthfully, God is all these things, equally and righteously so.
God is holy and cannot sin. We are unholy with a sin nature. When our finite minds consider jealousy, we immediately associate it with sin, because, apart from God, it is almost always sin.
You might ask how God can be jealous without sinning. In the Old Testament, God's jealousy is often focused on when talking about idolatry.
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God." (Exodus 20:4 & 5)
The Children of Israel belonged to the LORD as they were His chosen people. But against God's commands, they were sinful and often turned away to follow other gods. Today, we're probably not carving images and bowing down to them, but as the people of God, we are guilty of making idols. We make things in our lives more important than God.
"The human heart is a factory of idols." - John Calvin
Our family, our phones, our friends, our relaxation, our cars, our image, our pets, our fitness, our hobbies, you name it and it can be an idol. If we are followers of Christ, our relationship with Him is to be the supreme priority in our lives. If something else is, it is an idol and God hates it.
"The LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." (Deuteronomy 4:24)
Christian, prize your relationship with God. It is the only thing in life that will last. He is great and high and the only thing worthy of our worship and praise.
"The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God..." (Deuteronomy 10:17)
"And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:14)
<3 Berea
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