You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. –Exodus 20:5 & 6, NIV 2010
God treats His people like the apple of His eye. Or the most prized toy on the toy box. Or a marriage: Husband and Wife. Not that any part of the body is less important, or any toy is not useable, or anyone else is nothing short of dust. It’s just a fact to realize that what’s God’s possession is God’s possession, ‘nuff said. And we are expected to live like it. Even if it takes laying off everything we know.
If there is another thing that distinguishes God from anyone else, it’s the fact that He will not share His glory with someone. With an addiction, a video game, a computer screen (*gulp!*), a person, or nature. In fact, He is so jealous of that fact that idolatry –ouch!- was the worst sin Israel could encounter. It was so bad, its presence blasphemed the LORD God’s holy presence. It was so bad, people could drop dead by the first wrong thought. It was so bad, God Himself would curse their parents, sons, grandsons and great-grandsons.
And if there is a great thing that distinguishes God from anyone else, it’s the fact that He is jealous with His own. Jesus even said, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. (John 17:6)”
I imagine that it hurts God to see us playing with sin, or pain, or danger, or trial…But Love is Jealous, because God is love…