Some people have difficulty accepting that God is “jealous.” But tell me, if you found out your spouse was cheating on you, wouldn’t you be jealous and feel a deep sense of betrayal? Or would you say, “well honey, nobody is perfect, that’s okay. Just come home when you’re finished having sex with your lover”? If you had any type of attachment to your spouse, and any kind of united agreement of your relationship, I would expect that you would react in a jealous outrage and with many unkind words maybe even consisting of words you would never think would come out of your mouth, and I’m sure there would be profound consequences to follow!
In the very same way, there was a Covenant designed by God and agreed upon by Israel that if the LORD was to be their God, then they would have NO other god besides Him. Here is the agreement:
“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods, for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”
But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.” Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel” (Jos 24:14-23).
Now, what do we know about the history of Israel from our Old Testament? Well, we know for one, that God held up His end of the agreement, and in so doing, remained consistent with His nature. And two, that Israel almost immediately “transgressed” their end of the deal, being consistent with their (and by extension our) nature. Because if we recall, after the death of Joshua begins the book of Judges. And Judges is famous for this statement, “… everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” And this pattern follows throughout the Old Testament as Israel repeatedly committed “spiritual adultery” with other lovers (gods) while God remained true to His nature by expressing His love which must always be attached to a “Holy standard.” For in order for a Holy God to be yoked to, or married to, another that “another” must also be Holy (being defined as set-apart) from the World, its gods, and all that comes from it. As He says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 Jn 2:15-16, emphasis mine throughout). And so, God eventually gave them a certificate of … DIVORCE since this was the only option left. Along this line of thinking consider these words from Jesus: “And Pharisees came up to him [Jesus] and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” [after Jesus discusses God’s original plan for marriage, which did not include divorce] … They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives … And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery” {Matt. 19:3-9). These two statements, “hardness of heart” and “adultery” are DIRECTLY linked! And both of these end in DIVORCE.
So, how does God deal with a people who repeatedly fornicate with multiple lovers by committing spiritual adultery against Him? He deals with it by changing their HEART. For through the cross of Jesus Christ even those specific sins which could not be forgiven under the Law of Moses (Law of Works), those which led to “physical death” by consequence such as murder and adultery, are now forgivable under the Law of Christ (Law of Faith) (see Acts 13:39 for reference). PRAISE THE LORD!
However, this redemption through Christ’s blood, though it does free us from the consequences of our sins (spiritual and eternal death), it does not change the nature of God’s jealousy, nor the condition required for marriage between the Groom (Jesus) and His Bride (the Church). Since Christ is Holy so must the Church be Holy. In other words, since Jesus and the Christian are “one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17) being yoked together by the “Holy” Spirit under an eternal marriage covenant then don’t you think that ANY thing which threatens this beautiful union would arouse God’s jealousy, maybe even more intensely than under the Old Covenant? Don’t you think that any idol placed in the Bride’s heart would naturally create divided affections in Her? Would She not “have to” choose Her lover? YES, She would! Regarding this, the Lord warns: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? … Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6: 14-7:1) Though this example here is using “Father and child” language, the pattern follows for Groom and Bride too. Now here is one which speaks directly to the Bride from Her Lover, “Husbands love your wives as Christ…” Jesus’ love for His Bride is a Holy love. It is a jealous love for Her Holiness and for Her “set-apartness” unto Him alone for Her own good and glory. Sometimes Christian husbands misunderstand this next verse here, telling us to, “… love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her [make Her Holy], having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27). Our call to love our wives is a call to sanctify them in Holiness through modeling Christ and by leading them in His truth. Jesus’ love for us is a jealous love that longs for our Holiness; that longs for us to “come out from the World and to be separated unto Him alone” as expressed here, “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? (Jam 4:4-5). Jesus’ love for us, when we grasp it, draws us in, it causes us to “cling” to Him alone. It causes us to forsake all other loves in order to be enraptured in His. For when the Bride KNOWS and understands the secure love of Her Groom she finds Her identity in that love and forsakes all others. So then, blessed are you who know the love and pleasure of your Groom!
Lastly, I want to speak to the lukewarm Christian, whose heart is divided. You may eventually sign the divorce papers due to “hardness of heart” as you “fornicate” with other lovers, but KNOW this, He [Jesus] will grieve over you and He will wait for you. He will pray for your return. He will wait for you to stop playing in the mud puddles of lust and for you to “turn back” to the oceans of His love.
In these “last days,” we have a heart problem in our churches. We have a terminal heart condition that must be addressed immediately! There are so many things competing for our attention and affection. I pray we will “set-ourselves-apart” in Holy devotion to our Groom; Master; Savior; Lord; and KING. Come, Lord Jesus.
Aletheia: Truth in the Darkness 