Divinely Jealous

God loves us with a jealous love.

God’s jealousy is nothing like human jealousy, which is petty and cruel. Rather it’s a burning desire for us because we are betrothed to His Son, Jesus. We are Jesus’ bride.

This was what Paul was feeling when he wrote to the Corinthian church.

“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2)

A jealous love includes and emotes strong emotions towards those it cares for, and such emotions are existent within God for all of us.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

But God also knows that we have been fooled, and like Esau we’ve sold our birthright for a bowl of stew. And His anger burns, not so much against us, but against the dark powers that have deceived us.

But we need to have this firmly in our minds; that we have been bought with a price, the blood of Christ, that we are no longer our own to do whatever we want, 1 Corinthians 6:20. We’ve been betrothed to Christ.

In this regard God is slow to anger and is patient, kind, and forgiving, because He knows our danger and the consequence of our dalliance and spiritual adultery when these false gods are through with us and toss us aside.

The prophet Hosea modeled God’s patient and compassionate love for us as he continued to love and take back his wife, Gomer, who continued to play the harlot.

“Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.” (Hosea 3:1)

God never ceases to love us even though we’ve strayed. God loves us with a jealous love.