Last week we found that we
all worship something whether we realize it or not. Hopefully on Saturday you
were able to begin identifying the things that you are prone to seek after
other than God. This week we will view this topic from God's perspective. Look
at these commandments to the Israelites:
“You shall not make for
yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I, the Lord your God, am a
jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and
fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand
generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:4-6
"Do not worship any
other god, for the Lord, whose
name is Jealous, is a jealous God." Exodus 34:14
"Be careful not to
forget the covenant of the Lord
your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form
of anything the Lord your God has
forbidden. For the Lord your God
is a consuming fire, a jealous God." Deuteronomy 4:23-24
What is the common theme of
these verses?
How is God's jealousy
different than our petty jealousy?
God's Jealousy shows worth
and value to us. God is "upset" because he has something so much
greater in store for us, but we choose something inferior. Like a dog drinking
out of the toilet and saying, "This is the life" we choose something
nasty and inferior when we could be enjoying the living water that Christ
offers. God wants only the best for us, and when we choose to reject that, God
becomes upset—not because he is offended in a petty way, but because we are
selling ourselves short.
And so these commandments
are about ultimacy—what is the ultimate in your life?
