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She wrote to my Facebook group demanding Scriptural support that God’s jealousy was righteous rather than sinful. I responded:
“When you ask for Scriptural support, you are asking for the right thing:
• Ezekiel 36:6–7 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered the reproach of the nations. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I swear that the nations that are all around you shall themselves suffer reproach.
God is so jealous for the well-being of His people that He will punish those who hurt them. Again:
• Nahum 1:2 The LORD is a jealous [for the welfare of His people] and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.
• Zechariah 1:14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.
• Zechariah 8:2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.
Likewise, those who love God are jealous for His honor and glory:
• 2 Corinthians 11:2–3 For I [Paul] feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Likewise, God becomes angry. However, His anger is not a reactive and sinful anger as our own but a righteous and needful anger of the moral guardian of our universe.
I am glad to have a God who is jealous and protective of my welfare, a righteous God who will take care of justice so that we are enabled to do what we are commanded to do—to love others.”
