Jealous

Jealous

God’s Attribute

Idols are graven images that people worship. When Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Israelites became restless wondering where He was and so they complained to Aaron. They wanted a god to worship. Aaron gathered gold and made the Golden Calf.   Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal were no match for the living God as we read in 1 Kings 18. Elijah asks the question in verse 21, “If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal is God, follow him.”  Elijah shows the prophets of Baal has no power in the remaining verses in 1Kings 18, if you have never read the story, please take a few minutes to read.

Beloved, the Lord gave the Isrealites the commandments. He said in verse three, “You shall have no other God before me.” In Exod us 20: 4-6

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

We see the word in these verses that God is a jealous God. We might confuse jealous with jealousy. Beloved have you ever had feelings of jealousy? Jealousy is the sin describe in Galatians 5: 19- 20 Either in relationships or of someone having something that you may want. The words, “green with envy” is a feeling jealousy. But this is not the meaning “I am a jealous God.” He wants us to give Him and only Him our devotion. In researching God’s attribute of Him being a jealous God, I read this article which explains this attribute very well.  In Exodus 34: 13-14

Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Beloved, what is God asking you to give up? I had food and resentment as my idols. You can read my story of coming to grips with my food addiction next week on April 21 on Holly Barrett’s Testimony Tuesday.  Resentment is something I still have to work getting rid of resentment through forgiveness. Do you need to forgive someone that you are resenting.

What idol in your life is more important than God? What alter needs breaking down, what stone needs smashing, what pole needs cutting?

Father God, You are God and I am your child. You and only you deserve our reverence and praise. Lord there are times that my affections for things far out weigh my affection for Yon. Lord I confess that I have been jealous of other people and what they have like health. Lord thank you that you have forgiven me for when I had food as my idol. Thank You that I live to serve you now and not the idol food. Father God for the person reading this let him or her honestly come before you and bow down to you renouncing what ever is more important to them than You. You are the Alpha, the Omega, and yes God thank you that you have loved me with an everlasting love and You are a Jealous God.  In Jesus name, Amen.