The Green-Eyed Monster

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.”  Zechariah 8:2

We all know what it is to be jealous.  Some call jealousy the “green-eyed monster” or “being green with envy”.  The color green is usually associated with nature and with energy which uses less oil and gas, but it is also associated with sickness indicating that jealousy can cause one to be ill.  We’ve all experienced envy, particularly as children.  When we were young, we became jealous when the child next door got a toy that we wanted, but couldn’t have for one reason or another.  Then the neighbor child would taunt us, saying, “Na, na, na, na, na, nah.  I got this toy and you didn’t”.

Just because we are not children any longer doesn’t mean we left envy by the wayside on the road to adulthood.  The right reaction to a neighbor’s new car should be one of being happy for them, and we do put on a show of glee and delight in their shiny new ride, but sometimes, deep within, we can’t help but be a little jealous.  It is in situations like these where the “rubber meets the road” (no pun intended) as far as our Christian walk goes.  In Romans 1:29, the Apostle Paul listed envy among the worst traits of those who are ungodly.  When we become envious, we have taken our minds and hearts off what is really important, that is, our love for God.  What kind of car someone drives or what kind of house they live in have no bearing on God’s love for us.

In light of the human emotion of envy, scripture tells us that God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5), but His jealousy is not based on what someone else possesses (for He owns everything), but rather on what rightfully belongs to Him.  God called out a people to Himself, Israel, and promised to prosper them and be their God and King forever, and they rebelled, turning to idols and forsaking Him.  He became very jealous for His people.  This is perfectly understandable.  A husband becomes jealous if some other man is paying too much attention to his wife, and vice versa.  He or she feels that it is a threat to their relationship.  When a man and a woman are married, they promise to forsake all others and be completely loyal to each other.  This, too, was God’s plan for Israel.

It is also God’s plan for all who are part of His family by grace through faith.  He is jealous for the sanctity of the relationship between Himself and all who know Him as born again believers.  He expects a full time commitment because He is fully committed to all those who have given their lives to Him.  I am grateful that God is a jealous God because it shows how much He loves His people.