CAN GOD DO WRONG, SUCH AS GET JEALOUS?

The Bible says God is a jealous God. But getting jealous is wrong.

So how can that be if God doesn’t do anything wrong? If God is anything, he is perfectly good. “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect,” the Scripture states. “Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Additionally, the writer of the book of Hebrews tells us God bound himself with an oath when he made a promise to Abraham, and these two things are based on his sinless character that is unchanging. “God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). For God to do wrong would go against his very nature and character, which he cannot do.

HOW CAN GOD’S JEALOUSY BE OKAY?

But if God can do no wrong, then why does the Bible say he gets jealous? Certainly being jealous is wrong—at least we as humans are not to get jealous. Right?

In 1 Corinthians Paul says, “You are still controlled by your sinful nature.

You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other” (1 Corinthians 3:3). It is clearly wrong to be selfishly possessive and contentious toward those who have something you want, and the apostle was pointing this out.

Yet in the very next letter he wrote to the Corinthians he said, “I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself” (2 Corinthians 11:2). Here Paul is concerned that their “pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted” (verse 2) and so he was jealous like God is jealous. Obviously, Paul isn’t condemning the jealousy of God. So what kind of jealousy does God display?

In Exodus it says, “You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you” (Exodus 34:14). Joshua also told the children of Israel that their God was “a holy and jealous God” (Joshua 24:19). These two words “jealous God” in the Hebrew are el qana, which denotes passion and zeal. Although the word jealous in English is mostly used in an evil sense, in the Hebrew it expresses passion and caring, most often in connection with the marriage relationship. God considered the children of Israel as his marriage partner, and he wanted them to love him as a wife would devote herself exclusively to her husband. That is why he said they were to worship no other but him.

He wants to be loved with a pure and passionate love reserved only for him.

A HUMAN EXAMPLE

As relational beings we can relate to wanting to be loved exclusively.

How would you feel if someone said that he or she truly loves you and then cheated on you? It’s not wrong to feel bad about someone cheating on you, is it? Isn’t it natural to want to be number one in someone’s life?

Because God is perfectly good and holy, his jealousy is not in any way selfish. He knows that when we love him exclusively—with all our heart, soul, and strength—it allows us to experience the joy and meaning we are looking for in life. That is the reason he calls us to worship him and him only. It is by no means wrong for God to jealously want our exclusive love and devotion. In fact, his jealous love is a model for us to follow.