Exodus 20:5 says, ““You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.”

We often think of being jealous as a bad thing; something that is vain and selfish. When we want to have something that others have and disregard the good things we have in life we are called jealous.

However, this is not the kind of jealous that is being addressed in the text above. In the Scripture verse God is described as a jealous God. Why is God jealous? God made all mankind in His image with the purpose of having fellowship and a relationship with Him. Godly jealousy is motivated by love, not greed or vanity. God’s jealousy is grounded in a desire to protect, provide and bless all those who are His.

God is a loving father who always wants the best for His children. When the children of Israel departed from true worship it grieved God and He desired for them to come back to Him. When Pharoah held the children of Israel in bondage God fought fervently for their just release. As a jealous God He fights fervently for His people’s attention and affection.

God reminds us in Scripture that our worship cannot be divided. He is serious about His name and the way He is worshipped. He alone is worthy of all our worship and affection. He alone is worthy of our heart and love. We find meaning and purpose in Him. He is the only one that can truly satisfy our hearts.

We cannot serve two masters. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, ““No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The Bible is clear that he who is not for God is against Him. Jesus said in Luke 11:23, ““He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.”

God is deserving of our love, and it is natural for Him to desire it. Consider how a wife might react if her husband expressed love for another woman; she would understandably feel jealous, as his affection is meant solely for her.