The word 'jealous' rhymes with 'zealous'. Zeal is the highest form of passion and love, the extreme kind that would go any length for the object of love. And jealous, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, is (1) intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness, or disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness, (2) hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage, and (3) vigilant in guarding a possession.
What is God intolerant about? Why is He hostile and wrathful? What is the possession that He is guarding?
God is jealous for you. He's not jealous of you; He's jealous FOR you. He is intolerant about your sin, hostile and wrathful towards Satan, and He is constantly in vigilance to guard you as His very own possession. This is the highest zeal. This is how much God loves you and me.
It's two sides of a coin: God loves you and He hates your sin. He doesn't hate you, but He hates sin and He loves you. Why does He hate sin? Because that's what will destroy you and He doesn't want that to happen; He is intolerant of Satan who snatches you away, hostile toward him who enjoys destroying your life, and vigilant in guarding you as His precious one -- all because of ... LOVE.
Our parents are quite capable of protecting us this way. They nag us, advise us, urge us, warn us, scold us, and (when we were young and naughty) cane us. They will do all they can and everything they know to protect us, yet sometimes they are over protective and we become even more rebellious. That's because they really love us, even though the way they express it may not be perfect and right sometimes.
But God's perfect love is not limited like how our parents are. While our parents are limited in their resources and solutions, God isn't limited. He is the solution to our unfaithfulness and rebellion. His solution to our sin is to give His only begotten Son to die for us on the cross. His love is fully manifested in this: that while we did not know Him, while we sinned against Him, while we rebelled against Him, while we were destroyed by our sin, He loved us even though we were unlovable. Romans 5:8 -- But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Zeal is passion, and passion means sacrifice. For what cause? That we will one day be united with Him again in heaven and in His presence be completely satisfied with the fullness of joy. Does this challenge your mind to ask why? (like, "Why do we need to enjoy His presence? Why heaven?") Because the alternative is a place of eternal destruction and suffering. Hell is what God is guarding you against, knowing that He created you, and you belong to Him. You are the object of His love, passion and zeal.
God loves you.
Words to Remember:
1 John 4:9, 18-19 -- In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
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