A Jealous God

In yesterday's sermon we skimmed over Nahum 1:2, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God,…”  So let’s take a minute here today:  What does it mean that God is “jealous”?  Isn’t jealousy something we try to scrub out of our children and out of our own hearts?  We don’t sanction it; we don’t affirm it.  But God is a “jealous” God?

Well, in fact, it’s good news that God is a jealous God (Nahum 1:2).  You see, what God is jealous for, or zealous for, is the honor of his own name—for his own glory.  Nineveh was worshipping idols (Nahum 1:14—the created rather than the Creator!); they were worshipping gods that were no gods.  This was outrageous.

Think of it:  since nothing else in all the universe is of more value than the honor and glory of God, it is only right for God to cherish his fame.  If you or I were to cherish our own honor, that would be sin—because we’d be worshipping creature rather than Creator.  By contrast, if God did NOT love his own honor with white-hot zeal, he would be unrighteous—he would fail to cherish what is most valuable.  God’s love for his own glory is not vanity, it is righteousness.

The good news for us is that God has made a way for you and me to join him in magnifying his glory. And this is done when we, as helpless sinners, cry out to all-sufficient God to save us:  in his power, in his wisdom, in his kindness.  Our salvation and God’s honor are achieved all at once!