Names of GodSample

Day 12: Qanna – Jealous

Devotional:

The name Qanna (often translated as "Jealous" but pronounced Kah-Nah) can be challenging to understand because jealousy usually carries a negative connotation. But when the Bible describes God as a jealous God, it reveals a deep, passionate commitment to His people and holiness.

In Exodus 20:5, God declares Himself a jealous God in the context of the Ten Commandments, warning Israel against idolatry. God’s jealousy is not petty envy but a righteous zeal to protect His relationship with His people. It shows how much God desires an exclusive, undivided devotion from His people, because He loves them deeply.

God’s Jealousy Is About Loving Exclusivity

Human jealousy often springs from insecurity or selfishness, but God’s jealousy comes from love. God is jealous of His people’s hearts because He knows idolatry, sin, or divided loyalties ultimately harm them.

God’s jealousy is about protecting the covenant relationship. He calls us to wholehearted worship and devotion because that is best for us. God wants us to be fully and freely like a loving spouse who desires fidelity, knowing that partial devotion leads to spiritual damage.

Jealousy Against Idolatry

The context of this name is a warning against worshipping idols, anything that takes God’s rightful place in our hearts: money, success, people, pleasure, or even religion itself.

God’s jealousy demands that we examine our hearts honestly. What “gods” have we allowed to compete for our attention and loyalty? The call to worship God alone is to recognize His unmatched worth and resist all distractions.

God’s Jealousy Leads to Covenant Faithfulness

God’s jealousy is also a motivation for His faithfulness to His people. He protects, disciplines, and restores because He is deeply invested in the covenant.

When God’s jealousy is stirred, it results in action to preserve and redeem. This jealousy is good news for us. God’s jealousy means He will fight for us, correct us, and never abandon His promises.

Living in Response to God’s Jealousy

Recognizing God as Qanna invites us to respond with wholehearted love and loyalty. It calls us to reject idols and embrace God’s place as the center of our lives.

This focus means daily commitment and surrender, knowing God’s jealous love desires our ultimate good. Living under God’s jealous love brings freedom from the enslavement of false gods and broken idols.

Jesus, the Perfect Expression of God’s Jealous Love

Jesus reveals God’s jealous love perfectly. His life, death, and resurrection demonstrate how much God desires us fully, so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son for our redemption.

Jesus calls us to abide in Him alone, to remain faithful, and to worship God in spirit and truth.

Prayer:

Qanna, jealous God, thank you for your passionate love that protects and cherishes me. Help me to reject the idols and distractions that compete for my heart. Teach me to love you fully and to remain faithful to your covenant. Thank you for Jesus, who showed the depth of your love and jealousy by laying down His life for me. Help me live in wholehearted devotion to you. It is in the name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What “idols” or distractions are competing for your devotion to God?
2. How can you cultivate wholehearted love and loyalty to God daily?
3. How does Jesus’ sacrifice deepen your understanding of God’s jealous love?