God is a jealous God. But isn’t jealousy bad? When it is for what is not ours—we sin in wanting what the Lord has not given to us. That is something of which every sinner is guilt. But we should care about what is ours and is given to us—to guard and keep it safe. Are we happy for the thief who steals from us or the vandal who destroys others property in rage? No, we are to care and manage what the Lord gives us. It is our responsibility and duty.
Jealous in terms of affection is quite powerful. But if God has given us a spouse we should be jealous for their love—not indifferent. Adultery is a violation of God’s one flesh union and not to be entertained in the least. We should hate even the thought or word that questions faithfulness in marriage—we should be very jealous for what is owed and divinely instituted. A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. This zealous holding fast is an of honoring God’s work—not a petty emotion.
But God is jealous for not just one for aspect of our lives. We are to be faithful to Him in all things. He who made us designed us to worship Him—to have no other gods. This command orients us toward our maker. And God cares how you treat Him and live in your body. For I the Lord your God am a jealous God. He desires our love and obedience—and it is unjust when anything steals it. This is called a false god—however good it might appear—when it usurps the love and respect of the true God. It is even more unfair and evil than being robbed and looted by a thief.
Unbelief and godlessness in Scripture is often compared to adultery. A lack of trust and love is a violation of the law. This is an adulterous generation our Lord said. We bless and curse with the same lips. We hurt those we should love. But all we do, without putting God first in the heart, is idolatry.
The gross form of idolatry is bowing to an image, but the finer, more acceptable idolatry is trusting, loving, fearing, and honoring something or someone more than the true God—who is jealous for our devotion and attention. We do this not just with our hands, but with our minds—when we think more of ourselves and our fleshly desires—than God’s will. We put ourselves first—adulterating the holy law of God.
Service and worship starts in the heart. If we blame God or distrust Him or curse Him—we treat Him as less than God. 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. Whatever we reverence the most—even ourselves, a child, or spouse—is a false god to us. This angers the true God to whom all glory and honor is owed. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Injustice deserves punishment. We know this—when the crime is against us and our family we want vindication. But all sin—even the secret sins we hide from others—is injustice against the almighty. Our unrighteousness causes God’s anger to burn. We were not meant for other gods—to have adulterous minds and hearts, going away from God. Our bodies were not meant for fornication; so our hearts were meant to be faithful and pure to God. All our love is to be directed to the source of all good—the only true God, who is very jealous for us.
God is jealous because He cares about His creations. You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? We see the consequences of sin now. Punishment and consequence is not just eternally at judgment day.
Sins are inherited and imposed upon the next generation and further. for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me. Who wants evil for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren? This shows that sin is no laughing matter—God’s warning is so serious that we should not minimize our sin even a little. The disobedient and unruly child is sometimes viewed as adorable and cute. But sin brings holy wrath—at any age. So sin must never be swept under the rug—it always brings divine punishment.
The answer to sin is not to ignore it. The world tells you to forgive yourself—that’s impossible. You can’t even lift yourself off the ground without grabbing a material object—how will you remove bloodguilt and the stain of wrong-doing from your soul? We have no lever or vantage point above it—even our thoughts are impure. Only the one above sin—can lift it away. Only the one sinned against can address it with authority. Christ exercises that authority in the Gospel and puts it in our mouths to put away sins for others. His death removes our guilt once for all—from God the Father, making us pure.
The center of worship was made known in Christ—who called Himself the temple. The source of holiness and the one sacrifice for mankind—Jesus’ body was destroyed for you. All jealous anger of God burned against Christ—not you. All putrid guilt was leveled against the sinless one—who died and rose up over your idolatry. Your iniquity was put to death in Jesus. In Him we have true rest and can trust in His grace freely. There is no true worship of God outside of the living temple of Jesus—our God.
Only in Jesus can we have the true God—be all in all for us—in love. We are call to Him for help and pray to Him for strength. The access to the Father’s heart was opened in the body of our God—Jesus Christ, the holy one of Israel. In this temple’s sacrifice God the Father is at peace with the world. You do not have to live in fear of being consumed by fire for sin anymore. Christ is your peace and life—satisfying the demands of the law, having received our wages. If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
So treasure the Lord’s commandments in you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding. In Christ, our wisdom and righteousness—we are not under threat, but at peace with God. His blood marks us innocent. Be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Christ gives the Spirit so we may fulfill what the Law requires: Love. Not just a worthless token of appreciation to God, but being His servant in heart and mind. All our strength belongs to the Lord—our body and soul is His, to rejoice in His love and acceptance. We get show our love in obeying willingly, by fearing God more than the difficulties of this life. Fear and love go together—in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to whom all glory belongs.
What about the punishments that pass down—does Jesus take them away? In Christ there is no judgment, but outside of the Lord—sin is still grave and merits eternal injustice. The parent does not disown a child over sin, but neither should sin be tolerated and praised. Both justice and mercy are needed—without one the other is lost. Those who hate Christ indeed are outside of righteousness. But those who love Him are to fear no sin or punishment—living in His who conquered all sin.
But we live in a passive, permissive society. Worldly love has become a guilt-inducing demand to not say anything significant, especially when it questions someones cherish mental idol. That is why Jesus is often portrayed culturally as a timid, meek, long-haired, peace-loving hippy. But read the Gospels—Jesus was not a soft-spoken effeminate weakling–afraid of his own shadow. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. So the Messiah is the Savior of action and true divine passion. Here your God was acting for you—your God in motion to deliver all those in bondage. “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Zeal for you moved our Lord to the ultimate sacrifice—the righteous One was given for the unrighteousness. So all of God’s love is yours. This is to animate you with life—and true love for the one God. You were baptized to be His—not your own. So turn away from all sin—and reject service to evil—give Christ what you owe Him. All is His—as your members are now called to be instruments of righteousness.
The fear of God is true and right, but His mercy far surpasses His wrath. He punishes to the 3rd and 4th generation, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. Those in Christ, who love Him will want to keep the commandments—for they are God’s holy will. And the love of God meets all demands, so the commandments are to be a delight and joy. We reside in God’s love—redeemed from hate and anger against our Maker. Now the zeal of Christ is to consume us—just as the love of Christ contains us. As St. Paul said of his congregation: For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. Worship of the true God is to be total and complete. We want our Lord Jesus to have all that is owed Him—even ourselves. We are to be living sacrifices offered in purity and holiness. He is the temple of our holiness, the center and origin of all worship toward the true God. I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Amen.
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