Although the
jealousy of God is not usually considered to be a well-known attribute of God
it is a well-attested attribute in the Scriptures. For purposes of this essay this attribute will looked at in
three aspects. First, a few
important texts specifically mentioning God’s jealousy will be looked at to set
up the discussion. Second, a
number of historical narratives will be examined that demonstrate the attribute
of God’s jealousy.[1] Third, a few practical applications in
regards to prayer will be discussed.
There are a number
of references to the attribute of God’s jealousy. The sheer number of texts
that mention God’s jealousy preclude an analysis of them all.[2]
However, a couple of key examples should be noted. For example, embedded in the Decalogue is mention of God’s
jealousy as is seen in the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself
an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or
in the water under the earth. You
shall not worship them or serve them; for I the LORD your God, am a jealous God…” Of even more significance is the statement found in Exodus
34.14: “for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD,
whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
Here the attribute of jealousy is linked with God’s name. This verse is also significant in that
it is set within an important section of the book of the Exodus.
Exodus
25-31 contains detailed instructions regarding the building of the
tabernacle. Exodus 35-40
subsequently narrates the actual building of the tabernacle. The importance of all these details and
the sheer amount of space given to the tabernacle is found in the fact the
tabernacle was to be the place where Yahweh himself would dwell with his
people—“Let them construct a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell among them”
(Exodus 25.8). In between these
two sections (25-31 and 35-40) is the narration of Israel’s rebellion against
the Lord by idolatrously making the golden calf (Exodus 32). This leads to God threatening the
extinguishing of Israel as a people.
They are spared by Moses’ intercession (Exodus 32.11-14). Moses subsequently prays for God’s
presence to go with his people. In
the midst of this entreaty Moses prays for a vision of God’s glory—“I pray you,
show me your glory!” (Exodus 33.18)
In response to this massive request the Lord responds, “I myself will
make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD
before you” (Exodus 33.19). The
Lord proclaims his “name” in Exodus 34.6-7 which is a special revelation of
God’s character:
Then the LORD passed by in front of him and
proclaimed, “The LORD,
the LORD
God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness
and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity,
transgression and sin; yet he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished,
visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to
the third and fourth generations.”
This name of the Lord speaks of
God’s covenant love for his people as well as his justice. This will be the bedrock revelation
that Israel returns to again and again.[3] It is this name which the Lord is
jealous to guard against all idolatry.
What
J. I. Packer says of the references to jealousy in the writings of Moses is
also applicable across the whole range of references: “All the Mosaic
references to God’s jealousy have to do with idol-worship in one form or
another; they all hark back to the sanction of the second commandment, which we
quoted earlier.”[4] The living God of Israel is the true
God and is zealous for his name to be rightly known among all the nations. The worship of false gods diminishes
his glory. This is seen not only
in the texts that specifically mention the word “jealousy” but also in various
narratives in which God acts for the glory of his name. Three such narrative texts will be
considered here.
The
first narrative to consider is from 1 Kings 20 in which Ben-hadad, the king of
Aram, is threatening the nation of Israel and its king, Ahab. A prophet of Yahweh approaches Ahab and
declares, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Have you seen all this great
multitude? Behold, I will deliver
them into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’”
(1 Kings 20.13) In accordance with
this word Israel goes out against the Arameans and defeats them. Again, a prophet comes to Ahab and
tells him that the king of Aram will come against Israel yet one more time “at
the turn of the year.” (1 Kings 20.22)
At this point the narrative turns and the strategic plans of the
Arameans are detailed from their perspective and in their own words:
Now the servants of the king of
Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were
stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain, and surely
we will be stronger than they. Do
this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their
place, and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse,
and chariot for chariot. Then we
will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than
they.” And he listened to their voice
and did so. (1 Kings 20.23-25)
Here is political and military
council predicated upon a theological analysis of the situation. The polytheistic Arameans believe that
the God of Israel is just like one of their territorial deities. If they can only get away from the
territory of Israel’s God then, the Arameans reason, they can conquer the
“gods” of Israel. It is precisely
this diminishing of God’s glory that Yahweh takes notice of and he, then, specifically
responds to this foolishness. When
the Arameans again come up against Israel a prophet comes to Ahab and speaks
the word of the Lord:
“Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the
Arameans have said, “The LORD is a god of the mountains, but he is not a god of the
valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and
you shall know that I am the LORD.’” (1 Kings
20.28)
Again, in accordance with the word
of the Lord, the Arameans are defeated with 100,000 of their foot soldiers put
to death.
The
jealousy of God is seen in his response to the Arameans faulty theology. They had reasoned that the God of
Israel was finite and not the Creator of heaven and earth. The Lord is very clear that is
precisely because of these faulty conceptions that he is going to defeat them
so as to provide an occasion for his name to known. One additional item to note is that the king of Israel at
this time, Ahab, was not a particularly good king. God’s defeat of the Arameans is not first of all in response
to Israel’s or Ahab’s holiness.
God acts to defeat the Arameans primarily to vindicate the glory of his
jealous name.
The
second text is an extended narrative from 2 Kings 18-19. The setting is the Assyrian threat
under its king Sennacherib.
Hezekiah is the king of Judah and is being terrorized by the Assyrian
army. An Assyrian army commander
named Rabshakeh is sent to demoralize the inhabitants of Judah with the
intention of threatening them into submission. In the process Rabshakeh blasphemes the God of Judah with
taunts that all the other gods of the previous nations defeated by Assyria were
unable to protect their nations.
Thus it shall be for Judah and its God. Rabshakeh argues:
“Thus says the king [of Assyria],
‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you from
my hand; not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us, and this
city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”… But do not
listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.” Has any one of the gods of the nations
delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and
Arpad? Where are the gods of
Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have
they delivered Samaria from my hand?
Who among the gods of the lands have delivered their land from my hand,
that the LORD
should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’” (2 Kings 18.29-30, 32-35; cf. 2 Kings
19.10-13)
This is a direct and blasphemous
challenge to Yahweh. He is
considered by the Assyrians to be simply one more tribal deity to be conquered
by the Assyrians.
Hezekiah’s
response is to seek God in prayer.
His prayer stands as a testament and model for how to plead the glory of
God in the face of difficulty.
“O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned
above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the
earth. You have made heaven and
earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open
your eyes, O LORD,
and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the
living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of
Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands and have cast their gods
into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and
stone. So they have destroyed
them. Now, O LORD our God, I pray
deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you
alone, O LORD,
are God.” (2 Kings 19.15-19)
Notice, in particular, the high
theology explicitly stated in this prayer. God is considered the maker of heaven and earth who is not
like the gods of the nations who are made with human hands. Yahweh is able to see and hear the
threats against his people and he is sovereign in power to act for deliverance.
In
response to Hezekiah’s prayer Yahweh answers with three distinct aspects: (1)
Sennacherib is a mere instrument in the hand of a sovereign God (2 Kings
19.21-28), (2) the remnant of Israel will prosper again (2 Kings 19.29-31, and
(3) the Assyrians will not touch Jerusalem (2 Kings 19.32-34).[5] In particular reference to God’s
jealousy the following passages should be noted:
“Whom have you reproached and
blasphemed? And against whom have
you raised your voice, and haughtily lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel! Through your messengers you have reproached
the Lord…” (2 Kings 19.22-23a)
“But I know your sitting down, and
your going out and your coming in, and your raging against me. Because of your raging against me, and
because your arrogance has come up to my ears, therefore I will put my hook in
your nose, and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way
which you came.” (2 Kings
19.27-28)
God is going to judge the Assyrians
for their raging reproaches against him.
The Lord is jealous for his name and will not allow it to be defamed. He is going to act, not only for his
glory, but also for the good of his people. He promises that “out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant,
and out of Mount Zion survivors.” (2 Kings 19.31) It is here that God specifically mentions his jealousy when
he states, “The zeal of the LORD
will perform this.”[6] God stakes his honor on delivering his
people and vindicating the glory of his name: “For I will defend this city to
save it for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.” (2 Kings 19.34). In fulfillment of this word the angel
of the Lord is sent and he destroys 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians thus
delivering Judah.
The
third narrative comes from the New Testament—Acts 12.20-23. After having put James to death and
Peter in prison, Herod is dealing with the cities of Tyre and Sidon. As Herod is speaking to the people they
began to cry out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” The response to this is quick: “And
immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the
glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.” Herod is a Gentile ruler who simply receives accolades only
appropriate to deity. The jealousy
of God is manifest against this political ruler “because he did not give God
the glory.” This passage is also
significant in that it shows the consistency of God’s character from the Old
Testament to the New Testament.
In both the Old
Testament and New Testament the jealousy of God is manifested in his acting in
judgment for the glory of his name.
This jealousy of God has important practical applications for how we
pray. First, I have been moved by
this attribute of God’s jealousy when praying against the false god of
naturalism that is operative in our culture. Naturalism, as a philosophical system, takes glory away from
the true God who is the Creator of heaven and earth. Vern Poythress accurately captures this idolatrous dynamic
when he writes:
In ancient times, the idols often
had the form of statues representing a god—Poseidon, the god of the sea, or
Mars, the god of war. Nowadays in
the Western world we are more sophisticated. Idols now take the form of mental constructions of a god or
a God-substitute… “Scientific law,” when it is viewed as impersonal, becomes
another God-substitute. But in
both ancient times and today, idols conform to the imagination of the one who
makes them. Idols have enough
similarities to the true God to be plausible, but differ so as to allow us
comfort and the satisfaction of manipulating the substitutes that we construct.[7]
I have been specifically praying
that naturalism would fall before the presence of the Lord as the idol of Dagon
fell before the Ark of the Covenant in 1Samuel 5.1-4.
A
second application for prayer comes from the material drawn from 1 Kings
20. It should be remembered that
in this narrative God acts to defend the nation of Israel because the Arameans
spoke in a demeaning manner about Yahweh.
God helps a less-than-good king, Ahab, not for any good in this ruler
but for the glory of God’s name.
He will not permit his name to be debased. This provides some hope that God may continue to act in the
same way today. There are Islamic
nations that consider America to be a “Christian” nation even though this is
not how Americans view the current state of their country. Perhaps it is the case that God
protects America (or refrains from full judgment), not from any good
necessarily in her, but, rather, to keep his name from being blasphemed among
the nations. These nations (or least certain significant portions of the population) would
see the downfall of America through the grid of their theology and would think
that the Christian God was weak. I
have, in fact, prayed in accordance with these thoughts in the past. Appealing to the jealousy of God’s name
in our prayers can be an effective means to glorify our great God and
king.
The
living God of the Bible is all-glorious and he is jealous for his glory to be
maintained in the face of all opposition.
A number of Scriptural texts mention this attribute of God but it also
clearly demonstrated in a number of narratives in both the Old Testament and
New Testament. God’s zeal for the
glory of his name should move his people to appeal to his jealousy in their
prayers.
[3]
Something of the significance of this revelation can be seen in the many
references throughout the Old Testament to this complex of attributes: Numbers
14.18; 2 Chronicles 30.9; Nehemiah 9.17, 31; Psalms 86.15; 103.8; 145.8;
Jeremiah 32.18; Nahum 1.3; Joel 2.13; Jonah 4.2. When the individual components of this revelation are
considered the number of passages is greatly increased. For example, “lovingkindness” is mentioned
125 times in the book of Psalms.
