The Jealous God
Commentary
Most of us are convinced that jealousy is not a Christian or godly virtue so we are a bit put off, even offended, when we hear God claims to be jealous. It appears we need to do some careful thinking about this word jealous.
Generally we use the word in its pejorative sense and think of green-eyed monsters, angry boyfriends or girlfriends, jealous wives and husbands, and the like.
When the word is used in connection with God it is a statement about what God will and will not tolerate. To say God is jealous is to say he will not put up with any rivals. Or, to put it another way, he will not share us. Or, to put it still another way, he will not share his god-ness with anything or anyone. He covets us for himself.
To say God is jealous is the religious manÕs way of saying there really are no other gods. There are only pretenders. There are only manmade idols, ideas, propositions, which seem to project the reality of other Gods. When God says he is a jealous God he means that, in his view, there are no other gods, nothing else worthy the name.
Therefore, jealousy is no trite or negative aspect of GodÕs being. Rather it is positively what God is.
One more thing. We ought to take heart from this declaration. It really means God loves us so much he will not share us with another. It means God loves us with the kind of love that only wishes our best interests be fulfilled. It means God knows that, when we follow any other claimant to his place and power, we follow a distortion which leads only to our undoing.
We ought to rejoice when we hear that our God is jealous.
OUTLINE I
A Full-Length Portrait of God
Hosea 11:1-11
Introduction: Already you should have dealt with the background to HoseaÕs writings, but it never hurts to say it again. Remember, those in the congregation do not deal with this material as much as you and repetition is always in order.
Did it ever occur to you that often we are guilty of presenting our portraits of God a piece at a time? Little wonder many come away confused. In todayÕs selection Hosea gives us a full-length look at the way God works in the world. That is all the portrait of God we are ever afforded. We are never told what he looks like -- only what he does.
1. The One Who Sees. Israel is reminded that her apostasy does not go unnoticed. Remember now, Israel has come into a land of agriculture which she does not understand. For her Yahweh has been a God of war and guidance. They have not known him as the god of agriculture. Now they have come to Canaan and do what seems natural to them -- turn to the lords of the land, the Baals, for help in developing their crops. Thus have they relegated Yahweh to limited territory. It is YahwehÕs intent to let them know he is Lord above all other supposed lords.
2. The Come-Uppance. When they did follow after other gods they always blundered into difficulty. They forsook the protection of the one who could watch over them. And they suffered the consequences.
3. The God Who Does Not Give Up. There are those who seem to think God lashes out and destroys those who do not follow his will and pay him homage. Read Verses 8 and 9 carefully and discover the real heart of God. He is the God of the broken heart reaching out to save those who seem to insist on getting lost.
4. The Promise of Salvation. This is the God who saves. Even his judgment is his attempt to turn his people away from that which destroys. Once God makes a covenant he keeps it. Even though we break convenant, he never does, and he never gives up on us.
Conclusion: Offer the full-length portrait of God to your hearers. Let them know the whole story about God.
OUTLINE II
A Very Difficult Parable
Luke 16:1-13
Introduction: No matter how you read it, this is a very difficult parable for most of us. Everybody in it seems to be some sort of sly, fast-fingered artist. It would be difficult to find God in this parable. With this parable perhaps we ought to stick to the old axiom that parables only teach one lesson, and not get all bogged down in other side roads. Even so, there may be an extra insight here and there. For instance:
1. Verse 8. Once in a while you hear someone suggest we ought to shop Christian or deal only with Christians. The suggestion here is a blunt one -- we ought to get expertise where the expertise can be had. The sons of this world, or of darkness, as it is in other translations, may be those who do not share our faith but have the know how. Better to go to someone with the know how than a dumb Christian. And, besides, such persons can remind the rest of us that we ought to be as diligent in the things we do. Being a Christian is no excuse for sloppiness and ineffectiveness.
2. Plan Ahead. There is nothing wrong with looking ahead and making plans. At least the dishonest servant wasnÕt stupid. He had sense enough to know that if he didnÕt do something, and soon, he would be out in the cold. Sometimes we discover ourselves praying and trusting that God ought to do something, when the task is ours. I remember an old lady in one of my churches who was always saying we ought to put legs on our prayers.
3. The Reward. There are those who are watching us. They entrust us with a little before they are willing to risk a lot. Better to know that and to prepare ourselves for larger responsibilities.
Conclusion: Double-mindedness is frowned on. The divided heart never quite gives all to anyone, except itself. If God shows up in this parable it is here. He is the one who will tolerate no rivals. He is the one who knows the divided heart is a fickle heart. Recommend that all examine themselves and assess where their deepest commitments lie.
OUTLINE III
The Compact Recommendation
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Introduction: Paul is excellent when it comes to putting things in short, concise, compact statements. We have much to be grateful for when he shares such summaries. It is good to watch him do it and then end what he has to say with a sort of doxology.
1. First. I remember a professor of theology who once likened praying to opening windows in heaven, furnishing pathways from heaven to earth. ÒWho knows,Ó he asked, Òjust how much God depends on us to make a way?Ó We need to abandon our psychological understandings of prayer which seem to say that the one prayed for has to know about it. The one who needs to know is God. Who knows what resources he has at hand and how much what we can do can help?
2. So That. Implied or stated in all of PaulÕs writings is a so that. It is interesting that his suggestion is, when we pray for others, things change for us.
3. What Is Good. These are the kinds of things God approves and looks for in the lives of his people. It is why he has given so much in order that we might be redeemed, made new, and become the kind of people described here. We can be assured our praying is heard because there is one who intercedes for us and sees that they are.
Conclusion: Praying, giving thanks, living quiet and peaceable lives, seeking to be godlike and respectful. All of these are worthy aims for the Christian. And they are possible with the help of the one who seeks to make us his own. What a contrast to what we generally find in a crass, self-seeking, loud-mouthed, ungrateful world. This is a good time to remind the hearers that if they want a different world they can be a part of making it change.
Generally we use the word in its pejorative sense and think of green-eyed monsters, angry boyfriends or girlfriends, jealous wives and husbands, and the like.
When the word is used in connection with God it is a statement about what God will and will not tolerate. To say God is jealous is to say he will not put up with any rivals. Or, to put it another way, he will not share us. Or, to put it still another way, he will not share his god-ness with anything or anyone. He covets us for himself.
To say God is jealous is the religious manÕs way of saying there really are no other gods. There are only pretenders. There are only manmade idols, ideas, propositions, which seem to project the reality of other Gods. When God says he is a jealous God he means that, in his view, there are no other gods, nothing else worthy the name.
Therefore, jealousy is no trite or negative aspect of GodÕs being. Rather it is positively what God is.
One more thing. We ought to take heart from this declaration. It really means God loves us so much he will not share us with another. It means God loves us with the kind of love that only wishes our best interests be fulfilled. It means God knows that, when we follow any other claimant to his place and power, we follow a distortion which leads only to our undoing.
We ought to rejoice when we hear that our God is jealous.
OUTLINE I
A Full-Length Portrait of God
Hosea 11:1-11
Introduction: Already you should have dealt with the background to HoseaÕs writings, but it never hurts to say it again. Remember, those in the congregation do not deal with this material as much as you and repetition is always in order.
Did it ever occur to you that often we are guilty of presenting our portraits of God a piece at a time? Little wonder many come away confused. In todayÕs selection Hosea gives us a full-length look at the way God works in the world. That is all the portrait of God we are ever afforded. We are never told what he looks like -- only what he does.
1. The One Who Sees. Israel is reminded that her apostasy does not go unnoticed. Remember now, Israel has come into a land of agriculture which she does not understand. For her Yahweh has been a God of war and guidance. They have not known him as the god of agriculture. Now they have come to Canaan and do what seems natural to them -- turn to the lords of the land, the Baals, for help in developing their crops. Thus have they relegated Yahweh to limited territory. It is YahwehÕs intent to let them know he is Lord above all other supposed lords.
2. The Come-Uppance. When they did follow after other gods they always blundered into difficulty. They forsook the protection of the one who could watch over them. And they suffered the consequences.
3. The God Who Does Not Give Up. There are those who seem to think God lashes out and destroys those who do not follow his will and pay him homage. Read Verses 8 and 9 carefully and discover the real heart of God. He is the God of the broken heart reaching out to save those who seem to insist on getting lost.
4. The Promise of Salvation. This is the God who saves. Even his judgment is his attempt to turn his people away from that which destroys. Once God makes a covenant he keeps it. Even though we break convenant, he never does, and he never gives up on us.
Conclusion: Offer the full-length portrait of God to your hearers. Let them know the whole story about God.
OUTLINE II
A Very Difficult Parable
Luke 16:1-13
Introduction: No matter how you read it, this is a very difficult parable for most of us. Everybody in it seems to be some sort of sly, fast-fingered artist. It would be difficult to find God in this parable. With this parable perhaps we ought to stick to the old axiom that parables only teach one lesson, and not get all bogged down in other side roads. Even so, there may be an extra insight here and there. For instance:
1. Verse 8. Once in a while you hear someone suggest we ought to shop Christian or deal only with Christians. The suggestion here is a blunt one -- we ought to get expertise where the expertise can be had. The sons of this world, or of darkness, as it is in other translations, may be those who do not share our faith but have the know how. Better to go to someone with the know how than a dumb Christian. And, besides, such persons can remind the rest of us that we ought to be as diligent in the things we do. Being a Christian is no excuse for sloppiness and ineffectiveness.
2. Plan Ahead. There is nothing wrong with looking ahead and making plans. At least the dishonest servant wasnÕt stupid. He had sense enough to know that if he didnÕt do something, and soon, he would be out in the cold. Sometimes we discover ourselves praying and trusting that God ought to do something, when the task is ours. I remember an old lady in one of my churches who was always saying we ought to put legs on our prayers.
3. The Reward. There are those who are watching us. They entrust us with a little before they are willing to risk a lot. Better to know that and to prepare ourselves for larger responsibilities.
Conclusion: Double-mindedness is frowned on. The divided heart never quite gives all to anyone, except itself. If God shows up in this parable it is here. He is the one who will tolerate no rivals. He is the one who knows the divided heart is a fickle heart. Recommend that all examine themselves and assess where their deepest commitments lie.
OUTLINE III
The Compact Recommendation
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Introduction: Paul is excellent when it comes to putting things in short, concise, compact statements. We have much to be grateful for when he shares such summaries. It is good to watch him do it and then end what he has to say with a sort of doxology.
1. First. I remember a professor of theology who once likened praying to opening windows in heaven, furnishing pathways from heaven to earth. ÒWho knows,Ó he asked, Òjust how much God depends on us to make a way?Ó We need to abandon our psychological understandings of prayer which seem to say that the one prayed for has to know about it. The one who needs to know is God. Who knows what resources he has at hand and how much what we can do can help?
2. So That. Implied or stated in all of PaulÕs writings is a so that. It is interesting that his suggestion is, when we pray for others, things change for us.
3. What Is Good. These are the kinds of things God approves and looks for in the lives of his people. It is why he has given so much in order that we might be redeemed, made new, and become the kind of people described here. We can be assured our praying is heard because there is one who intercedes for us and sees that they are.
Conclusion: Praying, giving thanks, living quiet and peaceable lives, seeking to be godlike and respectful. All of these are worthy aims for the Christian. And they are possible with the help of the one who seeks to make us his own. What a contrast to what we generally find in a crass, self-seeking, loud-mouthed, ungrateful world. This is a good time to remind the hearers that if they want a different world they can be a part of making it change.
