Jealous God

When Moses went up on Mount Sinai to meet with God, Aaron and the children of Israel got restless and decided that Moses must not be coming back. The people came to Aaron and asked him to make them a god to worship so he gathered their gold, put it in the fire and fashioned a calf. This was put on an altar and the people began to worship it.

God sent Moses back down the mountain. Moses in his anger broke the tablets God had written on. God in His anger said they should leave but He wouldn't go with them because He would destroy them all. But Moses interceded with God on behalf of the Israelites and God said He would go with them. So Moses goes back up the mountain with new tablets so God can write the words again.

While Moses was on the mountain this time, God revealed a new name for Himself. He was telling Moses when the people came into the land of promise, God would drive out all the people living there. The children of Israel were to make no covenants with those people and they were to "tear down altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God) (Exodus 34:13-14)

It's easy to see the "other god" when it is a golden calf or an altar or something like that. But what about in our day and age. Oh, we still see gods - little carved statues and tapestries in store windows or restaurants but do we recognize other gods in our own lives. Maybe it is money or perhaps our work or our children. Maybe it is that favorite TV show that we watch instead of spending time with God - when we haven't even thought of Him all day, until just now, but we just can't miss the next episode.

Whatever it is, God is jealous for His children. His jealousy is not an evil, manipulative jealousy but one of great love. He does not want His children to suffer the pain or loss that comes from turning away from Him. He knows way better than we do the agony and destructiveness of sin - it cost Him the the pain and death of Jesus on the cross - and He longs for us to walk closely to Him. The fact that God is jealous for me to worship Him alone gives me great comfort and strength to face whatever comes my way.