Is God Jealous?

Is God jealous of us or for us? Of or for? I have been giving a lot of thought lately to these two little words as they relate to jealousy, which John Dryden, a 16th century philosopher, once called “the jaundice of the soul.” The Bible calls it, “as cruel as the grave” (Song of Solomon 8:6) and a “cancer in the bones,” (Prov 14:30) while others have called it the “green-eyed monster” and “a guaranteed grave.”

There is much written about the dangers of a jealous heart, and it’s been the downfall of humanity since our very beginning. In Genesis 4 it was Cain’s jealousy of his brother, Abel, that led to murder. Yet, what I find interesting is the Bible calls God, a jealous God. How could an emotion which we all agree is evil and cancerous be attributed to a pure and holy God? This is an argument I hear a lot from people who deconstruct or who question God’s character. What people often miss is the distinction between these two prepositions, of and for, which changes the entire narrative.

When we as people are jealous of someone, we are envious toward that person because they often have something we want or have attained something we want to attain. (i.e. status, success, material possessions) When we let jealousy and envy into our heart, it often results in bitterness and sadness. Consider the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32): when the elder brother watched his father celebrate the homecoming of his delinquent younger brother, he refused to cheer along!

Moreover, if we are honest, jealousy causes us to secretly celebrate and rejoice when a person we envy is struggling.

Conversely, when we are jealous for someone, it often has to do with our concern for that person’s wellbeing. We are jealous for their protection, and highest good. For example, you often see fathers being jealous “for” their daughters’ intimate relationships. Therefore, they intervene, express concern, and set boundaries to protect them against being harmed, betrayed or worse.

Being “jealous of” is rooted in envy and competition, only focused on oneself. Being “jealous for” is rooted in protective concern that’s focused on another person.

When the Bible describes God as being a jealous God, it is in relation to being jealous for us. Even in correction and rebuke, God is looking to protect us against harm and heartbreak. So, passages like 2 Corinthians 11:2, Joel 2:18, Zechariah 1:14, Zechariah 8:2 and Exodus 20:5 speak to God’s loving and protective nature toward us.

God is jealous on our behalf. He is jealous for us to know the one true God. He is jealous for us to be in a posture of blessing. He is jealous for us to be kept from the evil one. He is jealous for us to be ready for our Bridegroom. He is jealous for us to not suffer and fall victim to the pain and hardship of the enemy’s schemes. In fact, it was God in His jealousy that sent Jesus to us and redeemed us to Himself. This is why our allegiance, worship and surrender are so important to God.

So the next time you feel tempted to flirt with the world or to give your affections to anything or anyone other than God, remember that his heart burns with jealous commitment to you. It’s not because God is jealous of you, rather He is jealous for you, and has a deep commitment and passion to protect the loving relationship He has with you.

I love how John Piper sums it up:

“In Jesus Christ, God offers himself to all, to all as a great Savior, a great treasure, an all-satisfying pleasure. 'In your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).'  And his jealousy is a massive emotional thunderclap that says, ‘I mean it: I’m your Savior. I’m your treasure. I’m your pleasure. I really mean it. Don’t turn away.’”