The the word of the Lord of hosts came,saying, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.'"
After more than twenty-six years of marriage, I still get jealous if any other man shows any kind of interest in my wife. You see, I am a jealous husband because I love my wife!
Some might say, "That's not right...1Corinthians 13:4 says, 'Love is not jealous.' Is God contradicting Himself?"
Webster defines jealousy as "intolerance of rivalry or unfaithfulness." When God says He is exceedingly jealous for Zion, He is stating that He is intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness. He will not allow anyone or anything to get in the way of His relationship with His people.
In the same way, husbands, we must be intolerant of any form of rivalry when it comes to our relationships with our wives. And wives, you must be intolerant of any form of unfaithfulness when it comes to your relationship with your husbands.
Zechariah's words remind us that God is an exceedingly jealous God when it comes to His love for His people.
Oh that we would follow His example and love each other with a healthy, jealous love!
I was very excited to read this devotional. Pastor Bob answered a question I have been wondering about. How God can be Jealous out of his love for us even though in Corinthians it defines love as not Jealous. Thanks for clearing that up for me. However, now I was wondering how you discern when a rivalry exists? Is it a sin to not feel jealousy? Or to be too Jealous?
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