Attributes of God on F.I.R.E.Sample

Attribute #13 - Jealousy

For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5)

The Lord is a zealous or jealous God as we will study from the Scripture. We will consider the following questions: What is God zealous for? Moreover, what was Jesus zealous for as He walked on earth?

Six times the adjective translated “Jealous” appears in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:5; 34:14 (twice); Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9; 6:15). Each time it refers to the Father’s character and desire to protect the saints from idols, a zeal He signified explicitly in the first two commandments (Exodus 20:3–5) and again in Exodus 34:12-15 where He warns against adopting the ways of pagan nations “for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:15).

The Lord’s jealousy for the saints becomes obvious through the chastisement He renders to them for idolatry. From worshiping the golden calf (Exodus 32) to setting up idols in the temple, as seen in Ezekiel 8, their idolatry provoked God’s righteous jealousy, leading to severe discipline. Ponder the Lord’s punishment as a zealous husband to His people as recorded by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16:35–38). Jerusalem would be severely chastened by their fall to Babylon being decimated along with its temple in 586 BC. Truly, God is jealous for His children.

In the New Testament, Jesus exemplifies zeal for His Father’s house by cleansing the temple twice—at the beginning and end of His ministry—purging the temple of merchants exploiting worshipers (John 2:13–17; Luke 19:45–46). Calling the temple “My Father’s house” (John 2:16), Jesus underscores His authority, and the sacredness of the space intended for prayer and worship.

Jesus’ actions remind us of the importance of purity in worship and reverence for God’s presence. His declaration, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up” (John 2:17), demonstrates His unwavering commitment to preserving the holiness of God’s dwelling place. Both Father and Son are jealous for the children of Israel not to practice the ways of the pagan Gentiles.

Employment Point: As the Father is jealous for His children, Jesus is zealous for His Father.