Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Narrative:

The Word Jealousy is often looked at in a negative light.

In sinful man, to be jealous is typically a sinful envious desire.

It is fueled by selfishness and self-indulgence rather than love and concern for something.

Can we think of some Biblical examples of a sinfully jealous person?

Can we think of some Biblical examples of a sinfully jealous person?

a. King Ahab: A Jealous Person.

King Ahab is a great example.

A. Ahab's Proposal (21:1-4)

B. Jezebel's Plot (21:5-10)

C. Naboth's Murder (21:11-16)

It is in this kind of backdrop that we typically think of Jealousy.

A sinful, selfish, self-indulgenty envy.

We warned by Paul not to display this kind of Jealousy as Christians in 1 Corinthians 13:4.

- But Jealousy does not have to be the same thing as envy.

There is a right kind of jealousy.

- Further, there is a higher morally pure jealousy that is often referred to as “divine jealousy”.

b.

Ninevah

What examples are there of a right kind of Jealousy in Scripture?

What examples are there of a right kind of Jealousy in Scripture?

One example that comes to mind is that of Ninevah.

Ministry of Jonah

A. Jonah Flees from God (Jonah 1:1-3)

....

B. Jonah Preaches Repentance (Jonah 3:4)

C. People Repentant (Jonah 3:5-9)

D. God Relents (Jonah 3:10)

What attribute of God lead him to relent from judgement?

What happens to Ninevah after that?

The prophesing of the Prophet Nahum, in the book of Nahum; followed by it’s fulfillment in 612 BC

NOTE: We do not have an exact date for Jonah or for the Book of Nahum.

See chart of Biblical prophecy and fulfillment from Bible Knowledge Commentary.

I want to ask a question,

What attribute of God caused him to bring judgement upon Ninevah?

Of Course Justice, Holiness, but the text of Nahum gives us one particular attribute in particular.

The prophet Nahum begins his proclamation with these words:

The first reason that God’s brings judgements: The Lord is a Jealous and avengeful God.

Part of the reason God acts the way he does at times is because He is a Jealous God.

II.

The Divine Jealousy of God

A. Words related to Jealousy

OT:

1 Kings 19:9 , Jealous, or Zealous

I have been very zealous

NASB, NKJV, NIV, LEB

I have been very jealous

ESV, KJV

NT:

The word jealousy in the NT is the root for zeal, clarified only by a prefix.

Summary: There is a strong relationship between jealousy and zeal in the words of the OT and NT.

J. I. Packer makes this connection:

“The bible word for such devotion is zeal, sometimes actually called the Jealousy of God.” (Knowing God, pg.

173)

B. Divine Jealousy defined:

God’s jealousy means that God continually seeks to protect his own honor

What issue does scripture specifically say that God shows his jealousy over?

Idolatry

Idolatry is principally about loyalty and devotion; worship.

God is not willing to share his glory, honor as formulated in worship, devotion, and loyalty.

In that way, Wayne Grudem clarifies his definition exactly as he should.

Now before I critique definition, I would like to clarify that most theologians do not envy deal with this attribute.

Examples of who do not: Millard Erickson, Ronald McCune, Philip Ryken, and even A. H. Stronge.

But there is a missing element within the definition of Wayne Grudem that I think needs to be added.

“God’s jealousy means that God continually seeks to protect his own honor”

Other than protecting His honor, in what other way does God show his Jealousy.

C. Jealous Husband

Often God and His People are pictured in marriage terms.

As NT Christians we think of Ephesians 5 in which the church is the bride of Christ.

However, Israel also was pictured this way.

The covenant between God and His people is not simply viewed as a contract, but a marriage contract.

Israel is pictured as his bride.

Israel is also pictured as committing adultery when they worshipped false Idols.

Israel is described as an adulterous, and of course the difference between fornication and adultery is the marriage contract.

Both of these paragraphs describe Israel in graphic terms as Yahweh’s bride.

So when Yahweh becomes Jealous, Yahweh acts as jealous lover.

John Calvin put it this way;

“The Lord very frequently addresses us in the character of a husband…As He performs all the offices of a true and faithful husband, so he requires love and chastity from us; that is, that we do not prostitute our souls to Satan”

Based on this verse, what is missing in Wayne Grudem’s definition?

“God’s jealousy means that God continually seeks to protect his own honor”

It treats God as only out for his own-interest.

The reality is he is not only interested in his honor, but peruses his bride, both Israel and the church, as a faithful lover.

God and His prophets used this imagery to help understand what kind of relationship we have with God.

A faithful love relationship.

Therefore God’s jealousy is equally for the purity of our relationship and the maintenance of it, as it is for His own honor.

In marriage, there is a righteous jealousy that maintains the realtionship.

In marriage, a right zeal for the pride demonstrates an anger when adultery occurs.

This means adultery greatly hurts our Husband, God.

This means also that God is zealous in love for His bride, even to the point of restoration.

Much of these examples are about Israel, but they can be extended to the church because we also are His bride, Ephesians 5:32.

D. Spiritual Application:

These implications may seem awkward for many men, but this is how God pictures his relationship with His people.

God’s Zeal should make us want to be a faithful, pure bride.

(The love returned to a faithful husband)

For us, adultery is that when we are chasing after or more devoted to something other than God.

God’s Zeal should lead us to intimate, close relationship such as that in marriage.

The intimacy, that is love and trust, in marriage is like nothing else.

You can tell when two people are in love with each other because they have an intimate response with each other that is not the same as anyone else.

God becomes Jealous if we should commit adultery.

This is the right response from someone who values marriage as they ought.

Just as a wife or husband is hurt by adultery, and rightfully feels jealous, so does God.

In addition, as judge this jealousy, resulting in anger, practically means judgement.