May 18, 2010
It's Good to be Jealous
Whether it’s an immediate family member, or a very dear friend, it’s easy to feel indignation when someone slights them. In a similar situation Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp of Israel and Moses’ aid Joshua felt that their activities infringed upon the leadership of Moses. While I can think of many reactions that Moses could have had, the one he came up with surprises me. Moses simply asks Joshua, “Are you jealous for my sake?” (Numbers 11:29a NIV). Certainly believers should be jealous for the Lord’s sake, which fits with God’s character, “…I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…” (Ex 20:5b NIV)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Gail;
-----God’s jealousy always perplexed me. Jealousy is much impugned by the Bible and good people alike. So why would a Holy God be trucking in something of impunity? I never allocated much thought to the question because acknowledging His holiness, authorship, and authority seemed to naturally answer it. Now that your blog has inspired me to finally look up the definition of “jealousy”, I feel very derelict in not having done so long before.
-----Jealousy itself is not evil. Misapplication of it is. Merriam-Webster says jealousy is, “1a: intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness b: disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness 2: hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage 3: vigilant in guarding a possession.” It is fitting for God to be jealous of a rival, to suspect rivalry, and to be hostile towards it. Since there is none like God, and by His nature there never can be another like Him, any rival to Him would necessarily be a liar. Destruction is inherent in lies. Upholding, nurturing, and maintenance are inherent in the truth. There is no lie in God. So it is in His nature to uphold His possessions, and His guarding them when they are in the presence of deceit is proper. In the same way His intolerance of the unfaithfulness of His possessions is proper, because there is no other in whom faith can be placed. If faith is placed in another, it is placed in a liar. Destruction naturally follows. God’s jealousy simply follows the first law of spiritual physics: there is none beside Him.
-----Moreover, it follows the second law of spiritual physics: God possesses everything for its well being. This is the propriety of His jealousy’s application. If God possessed everything for His own well being, then His jealousy would combine with selfish ambition. He would necessarily be hostile toward anyone having an advantage on Him for what He would suffer. But this is not God. His jealousy combines with love. He is hostile toward anyone having an advantage on Him for what His possessions would suffer.
-----Does jealousy have any proper place in us? If we retain the image of God in which we were made it does. Phineas was jealous with God’s jealousy when he saw a man falling for a Midianite woman (Num 25:1-13). Elijah was jealous for the Lord when most all of Israel had turned from God to idols (I Kings 19:1-10). And Paul felt divine jealousy for the Corinthians (II Cor 11:2). Jealousy for God is a part of our yearning for the lost and for the security of our brethren. Jealousy for the well being of others rather than their despair is part of the second law of spiritual physics. There is no self ambition about it. And God gives man one possession he is not asked to share with others. Matrimony with a spouse (Num 5:14). That is a relationship requiring fidelity with the image of God - possessing one another for the well being of the other. Jealousy about all other things is purely situational. If I possess two coats in the dead chill of winter, I can be jealous about both unless someone else possesses none. My jealousy about his survival must release my jealousy about my second coat. And if I had only one coat, then all I have to be jealous about is my share of the time I get to wear it.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Post a Comment