In Exodus 20, God is giving ten commandments to the Israelites. After he gives the second commandment (don’t worship idols), he then explains WHY in verses 5. He says, “…for I the Lord your God am a jealous God…”
What he is saying is that he doesn’t want us to worship other “things” because he wants the worship for himself. He is a JEALOUS God.
What does it mean for God to be jealous? After all, didn’t Paul say in Galatians that jealousy is bad?
The key to understanding this is realizing there are different types of jealousy. There is jealousy for what you DON’T have. This is bad and leads us to do sinful things. However, there is also jealousy for what you DO have (or what belongs to you). This type of jealousy leads you to pursue, protect, or keep the things that are yours.
God is not jealous in a sinful way. He is jealous because he is wanting what is his.
Here’s a silly example: Let’s say I read that someone won the Powerball lottery down the street from where I live. At the press conference (where they hold up the big checks and smile for the cameras), I walk in and try to get in the picture. Then I demand some of the money that is “due to me.”
Other than calling the cops, what would happen? They would think, “there’s a crazy guy in here!” That is because I am claiming something that is not mine, never was mine, and should not be mine.
Likewise, glory is God’s alone. He is the creator of his world. All good gifts come from him. There is no one more worthy of worship than him. So for us to walk around, handing the glory – that he alone deserves – to other people, is crazy. That glory is rightfully due to God.
It’s not that he wants to hog the glory. He is not some sort of possessive, glory-hungry God. It is just that there is no one else that it should go to. If you give glory to anyone or anything else, it will mess you up and it will mess up that thing or person.
God – and God alone – can handle the glory. That’s because it is his. So today I challenge you to look through your life and see where you are incorrectly giving glory (worship) out to other things or people. Do what you need to do to get that glory in the right spot, because he is a jealous God.