Lesson #10 (1st Quarter 2011): Jealousy

God is jealous:

1. ...for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God... (Exodus 20:5)
2. For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a jealous God: (Exodus 34:14)
3. For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4:24)
4. (For the LORD thy God [is] a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 6:15)
5. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he [is] an holy God; he [is] a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. (Joshuah 24:19)
6. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; (Ezekiel 39:25)
7. Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. (Joel 2:18)
8. God [is] jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and [is] furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth [wrath] for his enemies. (Nahum 1:2)
9. So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. (Zechariah 1:14)
10. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. (Zechariah 8:2)

And Paul calls jealousy "Godly."

• For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

[NOTE: I have intentionally left in the square brackets which indicate supplied words because I think on these texts it makes the association between "God" and "Jealous" even stronger when we take those into account.]

Thoughts?

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Memory Text:

“Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?”(Proverbs 27:4, NIV).

One of the most devastating emotions is jealousy. It is the oldest type of sin (Isa. 14:14) and can hurt not only interpersonal relationships (2 Cor. 12:20) but our physical health, as well (Prov. 14:30).

Jealousy tends to be personal; it targets an individual who is perceived as a rival and a threat. As a result, jealousy often causes violence, either psychological (verbal abuse, backbiting, criticism) or physical. Who hasn’t, at some point, felt the misery that this emotion brings?

This lesson provides instances of individuals who allowed jealousy to impact their behavior: Satan, Joseph's brothers, King Saul, and the chief priests of New Testament times. The result always was disastrous. How fascinating, too, that all of these jealous individuals enjoyed high status and privileges to begin with. Yet, all fell into the trap of hating someone else for what they were or what they had.

The Lord warns us away from such an erroneous path and urges His children to love their neighbors to the point of rejoicing with them in their gifts, achievements, and possessions as if they were our own.